About
Two Photographers.
Forty Cats. One Mission.
Sebastian Kennerknecht and Rachel Tobias have spent nearly two decades documenting the world's most elusive wild cats, in the mountains, jungles, and deserts they call home.
Hi, we are Rachel & Sebastian.
Nearly two years ago, we set out on this ambitious project: to create the first photographic collection of all 40 wild cats, and tell the stories of the adventures (and misadventures!) along the way. This milestone has long been a dream of Sebastian's, and together, we're making it a reality.
Working in together towards this goal has been one of the greatest adventures of our lives. We are continously inspired and encouraged by the many brilliant and courageous people working hard to save wild cat species all over the world.
It hasn't been easy, but we love a good challenge, and our hope is that these images and stories set these cats wild in the hearts and minds of all who encounter them.
The photographer
Sebastian Kennerknecht
Sebastian is a wildlife and conservation photographer with over fifteen years of experience creating images of wild cats and telling environmental stories about their threats. He has photographed more wild cat species than any other person in the world, including some of the most elusive felines like the Borneo bay cat.
Sebastian has produced high quality editorial photographs, time-lapses, videos, and web content featured in and by BBC Wildlife, Smithsonian, the Economist, Science, and Conservation International, among others.
Sebastian graduated with a bachelor of science in ecology and evolution from the University of California - Santa Cruz, and is an associate fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP).
To get other people eye to eye with wild cats, he co-founded Cat Expeditions with Rachel, a premium tour company designed to provide unique cat experiences while giving back to conservation.
The storyteller
Rachel Tobias
Rachel documents the Chasing Cats expedition with video and stills, documenting the adventures, work of local conservation partners, and the wildlife that makes this planet so exquisite. Her work is built on the belief that the story of every wild cat is also the story of the people who share the landscape with it, and that a well-told story is one of the most effective tools conservation has at its disposal.
Rachel is also the co-founder of Cat Expeditions, where she designs and leads bespoke wildlife photography expeditions for individuals and groups. Before becoming a full-time adventurer, Rachel spent over a decade in human-centered design asking a version of the same question she's still asking today: how might we craft experiences and stories that move people?
She brings a 15-year career in design strategy (IDEO, Intuit, Aero, Salesforce), where she worked across industries and contexts, leading teams and advising Fortune 500 companies on how to create impactful, human-centered products and services.
Field partners
Field Partners
This work could not be done without the help of the researchers, biologists, and conservation organizations that are working to protect wild species worldwide. We are grateful for their collaboration and partnership.