Into the wild: Turning nature into art

In a rapidly changing world, the magic of wildlife is not just amazing — it’s essential. Kuwaiti photographer Mohammad Murad captures what lies beneath the surface of the wild, transforming fleeting moments into hauntingly beautiful works of art. Since leaving his career as a communications engineer in 2015 to pursue photography full time, Murad has quickly risen to international acclaim. With over 60 awards from some of the world’s most prestigious photography platforms — including BigPicture, World Nature Photography Awards, and Xposure — his work continues to inspire awe and admiration across continents.

Kuwait Times: Tell us about yourself.

Mohammad Murad: My journey into photography began as a personal curiosity and grew into a life-changing passion. I’ve always been drawn to the wild — to the raw, unscripted stories of animals living in the harshest environments. Today, I feel incredibly fortunate to be a Canon EMEA Ambassador and to have my work recognized on international platforms.

KT: When did you start your photography journey? What inspired you?

Murad: I started in 2014, but it was in 2015 that I fully committed to wildlife photography. The turning point came when I saw a fox crossing a road in the Kuwaiti desert. Something clicked — I realized there were untold wild stories right outside our cities. That encounter sparked a passion that’s never left me.

KT: How did you get into wildlife photography?

Murad: I began by observing and photographing birds of prey during migration season in Kuwait. It was a steep learning curve — understanding animal behavior, lighting, timing and the importance of silence. Eventually, my curiosity took me beyond borders — from Kuwait’s desert to Mongolia’s tundra and Iceland’s frozen terrain.

Domination "A lappet-faced vulture attacking white-backed vultures. More than 15 white-backed vultures were eating a dead animal when this lappet-faced vulture came and attacked them all and took the dead animal for itself! It is such a big bird comparing to them, and they are really afraid of it!"

Yellow Between the Stars "This was taken in South Africa at a drinking station were small birds and sometimes animals come to drink and take a bath. It is designed to be used in the morning so the sun will be behind you and hits the birds. but i went there in the afternoon to get the light behind the birds, specially when they take a bath. This starling was a dark blue already, so with the light from behind, it turns into a silhouette. The idea is to go under in the exposure to darken everything and keep the water drops shiny."

Urban Glow and Wild Spirit “I spent over two months documenting a family of Arabian red foxes near the shore in Doha. Visiting several times a week, I used handheld lights and streetlight reflections to capture nighttime shots as the mother fox and her five cubs emerged to retrieve hidden food. Over time, the cubs grew comfortable with me, even approaching and licking my camera. As a father of five, I felt a personal responsibility to protect them, especially given the threats foxes face in Kuwait. My visits were about more than photography — they were about trust and ensuring the animals’ safety.”

The Rising Trunk "Unusual forms of art of a baby elephant and its mother taken in Tanzania. This illustration is a take on the saying 'If you stand too close to the elephant, you don't see the elephant'. In abstract photography, often there aren’t the usual frames of reference for the viewer; they are not looking at anything immediately recognizable or discernible. This lack of context in which to evaluate an image is one of the reasons why abstract photography can be so challenging and equally enthralling. I tried here is to zoom in and take out the baby elephant out of the picture by cropping the image. You can't get close to the elephant for your own safety and for the elephant and not make them uncomfortable. I stayed with this baby and its mum for about two hours just to try to get close at a safe distance to get this shot once the baby elephant wanted to nurse milk."

Photographer Mohammad Murad

Between My Feathers "A white-tailed eagle landed and rushed toward a fish caught by crows. I spent 12 hours a day in a hide to get this exact shot. I've always dreamed of capturing a bird’s eye peeking through its feathers in flight — it’s incredibly difficult and takes a lot of luck. I believe I was lucky to catch this moment just as the eagle was landing."

Murad’s award-winning pic Kuwaiti wildlife photographer Mohammad Murad has won first place in the Wildlife category of the 2025 BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition held in California. His winning image, titled “No Eyes”, features a frost-covered Pallas’ cat in Mongolia and was selected from over 8,000 global entries. The photo will be exhibited at the California Academy of Sciences starting October 2. Murad, the first Arab wildlife photographer to join the Canon Ambassadors Program, dedicated the award to Kuwait’s leadership and emphasized the role of visual storytelling in environmental awareness.

No Eyes "This photo captures a Pallas’ cat in eastern Mongolia, completely covered in snow after a harsh storm in -35°C temperatures. Adapted for extreme conditions, the cat uses its flat ears and high-set eyes to blend into its surroundings and remain alert while hidden. Used to Kuwait’s heat, I endured the freezing weather to capture this rare moment. Pallas’ cats face threats from hunting, habitat loss and deep snow that limits their mobility, contributing to high winter mortality. Despite these challenges, improved research led to the species being reclassified by the IUCN in 2020 from “Near Threatened” to “Least Concern.” The image highlights both the cat’s resilience and the dedication required to document such wildlife."

Shivering Look "This Arctic fox decided to take a nap just behind some dry yellow planets covered with snow. I always wanted to get close to an animal to fill the frame with it .. but I don't want to scare it or make it uncomfortable. The fox looked right into my lens whilst covering his nose with its tail. This shot was taken in Hornstrandir Nature Reserve .. a remote place that you only get there using a boat! it was a rough ride in the sea going to this island."

A Sword in the Chest "Two white-cheeked terns fighting for territory in Kubbar Island in Kuwait, one is pushing its beak to the other chest in what it look like a sword in the chest! Kubbar is famous for its large summer colonies of breeding terns. The white-cheeked terns build their nests in a more elevated area and these scrapes are either found either on the bare ground or in areas where there is some patchy grass cover, but all with no shelter at all from the brutal summer sun."

Night Killer Arabian horned vipers are famous in Kuwait, specially where I work. I work in the transmitter station for both TV and radio. The station is in the far north of Kuwait, and it's filled with scorpions and snakes! I decided this night to go for a walk behind our building, and while I was on a walk with my torch searching for wolf spiders to try micro-photography, this is when I spotted this snake under a small plant. I started taking pictures when it decided to take a walk too on the sand dunes."

Glowing Scorpion "They say an untrampled scorpion troubles no one. I found this black-tailed scorpion in a small farm in the Kuwait desert at high noon! I thought it would be more creative to put an ultraviolet light on it to make it pop up and glow against this big tree trunk fallen on the ground."

Impression of Africa "Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere and sometimes in the middle of nowhere you find yourself! I see myself in this lion wandering between trees, bushes and sands protecting its territory or finding life or even making one in this gorgeous God-made heaven -- Africa: The place I found myself in."

They say the world of art is limitless! Unusual Forms of Art for a baby elephant and its mother taken in Tanzania I have this inside desire to photograph in slow shutter .. something about it just fascinates me and i’m not talking about panning technique here .. i’m talking about reinventing the scene .. adding a touch of mystery to it .. something to represent me .. something to reflect my inner self It’s like when a violinist plays his melody in his own way to express something inside him .. maybe a feeling .. a happy or a sad feeling .. Maybe you will not understand .. and maybe you will .. but that won’t affect the violinist at all .. he just want to be heard .. he will leave the interpretation to whom ever they are Photography is an Art form that represent me well .. every image that i take is like reinventing a part of me .. adding a touch of mystery to it .. something to reflect my inner self

Desert Racer "Captured in the Kuwait desert in 2022, this Arabian toad-head agama (Phrynocephalus arabicus) braves extreme weather conditions with remarkable composure. Known for their “sit-and-wait” hunting strategy, these desert reptiles rely on sharp visual orientation to locate their prey. This particular agama struck a dynamic pose, perched atop desert vegetation, as if mimicking the stance of a rider on a racing motorcycle. The image brings together the creature’s resilience and our imagination as photographers, showcasing a rare moment of nature’s artistry in the heart of the arid landscape."

Domination "A lappet-faced vulture attacking white-backed vultures. More than 15 white-backed vultures were eating a dead animal when this lappet-faced vulture came and attacked them all and took the dead animal for itself! It is such a big bird comparing to them, and they are really afraid of it!"

Yellow Between the Stars "This was taken in South Africa at a drinking station were small birds and sometimes animals come to drink and take a bath. It is designed to be used in the morning so the sun will be behind you and hits the birds. but i went there in the afternoon to get the light behind the birds, specially when they take a bath. This starling was a dark blue already, so with the light from behind, it turns into a silhouette. The idea is to go under in the exposure to darken everything and keep the water drops shiny."

Urban Glow and Wild Spirit “I spent over two months documenting a family of Arabian red foxes near the shore in Doha. Visiting several times a week, I used handheld lights and streetlight reflections to capture nighttime shots as the mother fox and her five cubs emerged to retrieve hidden food. Over time, the cubs grew comfortable with me, even approaching and licking my camera. As a father of five, I felt a personal responsibility to protect them, especially given the threats foxes face in Kuwait. My visits were about more than photography — they were about trust and ensuring the animals’ safety.”

The Rising Trunk "Unusual forms of art of a baby elephant and its mother taken in Tanzania. This illustration is a take on the saying 'If you stand too close to the elephant, you don't see the elephant'. In abstract photography, often there aren’t the usual frames of reference for the viewer; they are not looking at anything immediately recognizable or discernible. This lack of context in which to evaluate an image is one of the reasons why abstract photography can be so challenging and equally enthralling. I tried here is to zoom in and take out the baby elephant out of the picture by cropping the image. You can't get close to the elephant for your own safety and for the elephant and not make them uncomfortable. I stayed with this baby and its mum for about two hours just to try to get close at a safe distance to get this shot once the baby elephant wanted to nurse milk."

Photographer Mohammad Murad

Between My Feathers "A white-tailed eagle landed and rushed toward a fish caught by crows. I spent 12 hours a day in a hide to get this exact shot. I've always dreamed of capturing a bird’s eye peeking through its feathers in flight — it’s incredibly difficult and takes a lot of luck. I believe I was lucky to catch this moment just as the eagle was landing."

Murad’s award-winning pic Kuwaiti wildlife photographer Mohammad Murad has won first place in the Wildlife category of the 2025 BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition held in California. His winning image, titled “No Eyes”, features a frost-covered Pallas’ cat in Mongolia and was selected from over 8,000 global entries. The photo will be exhibited at the California Academy of Sciences starting October 2. Murad, the first Arab wildlife photographer to join the Canon Ambassadors Program, dedicated the award to Kuwait’s leadership and emphasized the role of visual storytelling in environmental awareness.

No Eyes "This photo captures a Pallas’ cat in eastern Mongolia, completely covered in snow after a harsh storm in -35°C temperatures. Adapted for extreme conditions, the cat uses its flat ears and high-set eyes to blend into its surroundings and remain alert while hidden. Used to Kuwait’s heat, I endured the freezing weather to capture this rare moment. Pallas’ cats face threats from hunting, habitat loss and deep snow that limits their mobility, contributing to high winter mortality. Despite these challenges, improved research led to the species being reclassified by the IUCN in 2020 from “Near Threatened” to “Least Concern.” The image highlights both the cat’s resilience and the dedication required to document such wildlife."

Shivering Look "This Arctic fox decided to take a nap just behind some dry yellow planets covered with snow. I always wanted to get close to an animal to fill the frame with it .. but I don't want to scare it or make it uncomfortable. The fox looked right into my lens whilst covering his nose with its tail. This shot was taken in Hornstrandir Nature Reserve .. a remote place that you only get there using a boat! it was a rough ride in the sea going to this island."

A Sword in the Chest "Two white-cheeked terns fighting for territory in Kubbar Island in Kuwait, one is pushing its beak to the other chest in what it look like a sword in the chest! Kubbar is famous for its large summer colonies of breeding terns. The white-cheeked terns build their nests in a more elevated area and these scrapes are either found either on the bare ground or in areas where there is some patchy grass cover, but all with no shelter at all from the brutal summer sun."

Night Killer Arabian horned vipers are famous in Kuwait, specially where I work. I work in the transmitter station for both TV and radio. The station is in the far north of Kuwait, and it's filled with scorpions and snakes! I decided this night to go for a walk behind our building, and while I was on a walk with my torch searching for wolf spiders to try micro-photography, this is when I spotted this snake under a small plant. I started taking pictures when it decided to take a walk too on the sand dunes."

Glowing Scorpion "They say an untrampled scorpion troubles no one. I found this black-tailed scorpion in a small farm in the Kuwait desert at high noon! I thought it would be more creative to put an ultraviolet light on it to make it pop up and glow against this big tree trunk fallen on the ground."

Impression of Africa "Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere and sometimes in the middle of nowhere you find yourself! I see myself in this lion wandering between trees, bushes and sands protecting its territory or finding life or even making one in this gorgeous God-made heaven -- Africa: The place I found myself in."

They say the world of art is limitless! Unusual Forms of Art for a baby elephant and its mother taken in Tanzania I have this inside desire to photograph in slow shutter .. something about it just fascinates me and i’m not talking about panning technique here .. i’m talking about reinventing the scene .. adding a touch of mystery to it .. something to represent me .. something to reflect my inner self It’s like when a violinist plays his melody in his own way to express something inside him .. maybe a feeling .. a happy or a sad feeling .. Maybe you will not understand .. and maybe you will .. but that won’t affect the violinist at all .. he just want to be heard .. he will leave the interpretation to whom ever they are Photography is an Art form that represent me well .. every image that i take is like reinventing a part of me .. adding a touch of mystery to it .. something to reflect my inner self

Desert Racer "Captured in the Kuwait desert in 2022, this Arabian toad-head agama (Phrynocephalus arabicus) braves extreme weather conditions with remarkable composure. Known for their “sit-and-wait” hunting strategy, these desert reptiles rely on sharp visual orientation to locate their prey. This particular agama struck a dynamic pose, perched atop desert vegetation, as if mimicking the stance of a rider on a racing motorcycle. The image brings together the creature’s resilience and our imagination as photographers, showcasing a rare moment of nature’s artistry in the heart of the arid landscape."

Domination "A lappet-faced vulture attacking white-backed vultures. More than 15 white-backed vultures were eating a dead animal when this lappet-faced vulture came and attacked them all and took the dead animal for itself! It is such a big bird comparing to them, and they are really afraid of it!"

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KT: Why do you use slow shutter speeds and intentional motion in your photography?

Murad: I didn’t want to simply document wildlife — I wanted to express its emotion, energy and soul. Slow shutter speed and intentional motion let me do that. They turn a moment into a mood, a photo into a feeling. For me, motion blur reflects nature’s poetry — the chaos, the grace the rhythm of life.

KT: You’ve photographed in extreme environments. What was one of the most challenging shoots?

Murad: Photographing the elusive Pallas’ cat in Mongolia was one of the toughest. I worked in temperatures as low as -34°C, with biting winds and minimal shelter. At one point, I captured a cat whose eyes were completely covered in snow — yet it was fully aware of its surroundings. That moment reminded me how resilient nature is, and how much we can learn from it.

KT: What does international recognition mean to you?

Murad: It’s a great honor, but more importantly, it validates the stories I’m telling. These awards bring attention to the animals, the environments and the fragile beauty of the wild. Personally, it keeps me going. Professionally, it opens doors and connects me with creatives and conservationists around the world.

KT: Is there one award that holds special meaning?

Murad: Definitely. Being selected as a finalist in the 2025 BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition for my image “No Eyes” — taken in Mongolia — was especially meaningful. The photo came after enduring a brutal snowstorm. It captured both the resilience of the animal and my own journey beyond limits. Being the only Arab finalist made it even more powerful.

KT: What has wildlife photography taught you?

Murad: Patience, humility and presence. Every animal has its own rhythm, and to photograph it, you have to tune in. I aim to tell a story — not just about the animal, but its environment, its struggle and its beauty. Stories spark empathy, and empathy leads to protection.

KT: What advice do you have for aspiring wildlife photographers?

Murad: Start close to home. You don’t need to travel far to find wonder. Learn your subject’s behavior, be patient and ethical and stay persistent. Most importantly, remember — photography isn’t just about taking pictures; it’s about making people feel something.

KT: What’s next for you?

Murad: I’m preparing for a 21-day expedition to a snowy wilderness where I’ll explore the intersection of ice, wildlife and motion. I’m also working on an article that explores my slow-shutter, abstract storytelling approach. Beyond that, I hope to keep pushing creative boundaries and inspire others from the Middle East — and beyond — to tell their own wild stories.