Wildlife photographer Tim Flach has been around the world to get the perfect shot. But his latest book, titled "Feline," may have been one his biggest challenges.

Tim Flach, an acclaimed animal photographer, has released his eighth book, 'Feline,' focusing on the complexity and character of cats. Flach describes the process as more challenging than photographing other animals, noting that cats are less motivated by typical incentives and often require patience and creativity to capture their true nature.

The book not only features artistic images but also delves into the science and history of cats, including their behaviors and the neurological reasons behind human fascination with kittens. Flach incorporates behind-the-scenes content to demonstrate the authenticity of his work and emphasizes the broader message of appreciating animals as part of our extended family and fostering a deeper connection to nature.

A wildlife photographer found his biggest challenge with house cats

So I think, yes, we can get Walter calm and just lying there. At times, it is quite literally like herding cats. Now that's a grumpy look from Walter there. But animal photographer Tim Flack always seems to find a way. Now, Lolly's being very professional here. That looks like he's enjoying himself now. One snap at a time, capturing the spirit of each creature he photographs. Why did you want to photograph animals? I think what I love is this idea of another sentient being, feeling and emotion. But there's a divide. There's a sense of otherness. And I love the idea of creating a sense of sameness, bridging that gap. When photographing animals as compared to people, I have to imagine it's far more difficult. Is it? I suppose that the humans don't sort of sometimes pee in the studio or whatever, for example. You hope not, right? We hope not. We hope you've got them properly trained. But generally, to be fair, animals are pretty well behaved. And when they're not, well, Flack says that can be even better. I think it was the cats that said, I don't seek, I find. I love this idea that the magic comes from something that reveals itself rather than something that's totally locked down in your imagination before. An apt description of Flack's latest project, Feline, the perfect book for this lifelong cat devotee. Or so he thought. Well, you're talking about cats here. And to camera. Nope. Okay, try again. I mean, a dog, squeaky toy, pig, maybe a sausage on a stick, like that, not, bang, you've got them. Yeah. It's all about what's in it for me. Why am I here? I want to give them something to feel like there's a reason to be here. It's been harder than I thought. A bit of a reward, yeah? Why work if you're not being paid? There's a great saying in describing, perhaps, cats and their attitude. And that is? Oh, well, I mean, yes, dogs have masters and cats have staff. So anyway, we can sort of relate to that. Flack grew up with an affinity for visual arts, but admits he didn't pick up a camera until he was around the age of 18. Almost five decades later, his work has appeared in publications from National Geographic to the New York Times. Feline is his eighth book highlighting the animal kingdom, capturing its images a bit of a game of cat and mouse. How do you get an image like this? We have a hole in our floor. And we actually can put glass down and shoot up through the floor. So what's great is with photography, you kind of want to extend experiences. So maybe you want to do something so fast, you can watch the drips and see what actually happens. And then on other occasions, you kind of want to change the perspective. So you rethink what the cat looks like. And going through the floor is obviously another way of changing perspective. On their own, these pictures are works of art. But Flack also wanted to tell a story with Feline, which he does starting on the cover. Back when we went to Borneo, we've had this cat we call Boy that looks like it's a bandit. In a way, we were trying to unmask the essence of being feline. And it kind of encapsulates that. Within the pages of the book, an array of information unfolds. What they're doing is they move from the eyes to using their whiskers to create a map of the world. So they actually create a 3D map through the air pressure that the whiskers pick up. The books chronicle everything from the history of cats to their traits and behaviors. We've called this Chasing Dreams, and I didn't know, first of all, cats sleep twice as long as we do. And what they're really doing is that they're rehearsing hunting sequence. So that when they're ready for action, because they're geared up to have incredible night vision, they can be most effective. That's why when your cat is laying around doing nothing, he's actually busy rehearsing. Flack even used his own brain imaging and the work of a world-leading neuroscientist to explain our social media animal obsession. I got an MRI scan done in my brain, and we overlaid data that showed what the responses to kittens and human babies are on our brain. They light up an area here where the empathy is, but adult faces do not. They only activate on the sides of our brain. So a grown cat doesn't activate this, just a kitten. Yeah, exactly. So this is why I'm constantly scrolling, and every time I see the puppies and the kittens, I have to keep looking for more. In fact, I've had people who, they say about 25% of people don't like cats, right? But they'll still engage with the kitten. The project took about two years, with Flack traveling the globe to capture his subjects. And unlike works of the past, with Feline, he takes readers behind the scenes of his shoots. QR-coded journeys to prove his images aren't AI creations. And that's not all. One of the things that's quite interesting with taking pictures today, which I wouldn't have done 10 years ago, is as I crafted my pictures, I then had to put all the stuff, all the loose hairs back into the pictures, because I realized that they won't feel real. And that actually, that the evidence has to feel like it's a true document. Cat lover or not, Flack says Feline is for everyone, with a message that lives well beyond these regal creatures' nine lives. What's my takeaway after I look at this book that you think will resonate the most with me? I hope that we sort of think about the fact that animals around us are like an extended family. And that maybe we also don't just look from in the domestic environment, but we look out and question the importance of our connection to nature. And that ultimately our future depends on that. And that I hope that it celebrates the wonderment of the feline, but indirectly reminds us how important it is to be connected to nature.

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