Slow shutter speed and sky-high ISO for wildlife photography – you must be kidding? “It’s the picture that counts,” says award-winning photographer of this stunning image of a black leopard at night

Wildlife photographer Andy Rouse defies conventional wisdom by using high ISO and slow shutter speed settings for an award-winning photograph of a black leopard at night. Despite many photographers adhering to the mantra of keeping ISO as low as possible, Rouse explains that "It's the picture that counts," not the settings. During a wildlife tour in Laikipia, central Kenya, Rouse captured the stunning image of a black leopard named Giza at ISO 51200 and a 1/15-second shutter speed.

This unconventional approach resulted in a winning frame that stood out among thousands of similar images of Giza. Rouse's gear and settings included a Sony A1 II, Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens, focal length of 122 mm, exposure of 1/15 sec, f/22, and ISO 51200. When he saw Giza walking, Rouse didn't have time to adjust the ISO, so he left it as is.

Even though he would have preferred a lower ISO in hindsight, the high ISO post-processing was eliminated, and his image won a major award at the MontPhoto Contest. Rouse believes that his chosen settings allowed him to capture a "different take" on a much-photographed subject, impressing the MontPhoto judges.