“Animals do not pose, they merely exist. How we see animals is more telling of ourselves than of them. ”
Featured Projects
// 2023
Malagasy Cockerels
Portraits of prize Malagasy fighting cockerels photographed across the landscapes of Madagascar, from rice paddies and hay fields to mountain tops and volcanic rocks. Each bird is placed within a grand natural backdrop, elevating a small creature into a monument of courage, resilience and heroism.

// 2018 - 2019
The Bovine Prophecy
Portraits of indigenous Xhosa cattle photographed on the beaches of the Wild Coast over ten years, set against the historical backdrop of Nongqawuse's 1856 prophecy. Each image balances landscape, light and the individual temperament of the animal to capture a moment of mutual recognition between viewer and subject.

// 2017
Cattle of the Ages
A collaboration between South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and photographer Daniel Naudé, documenting the magnificent Ankole cattle, originating in Uganda and now flourishing in South Africa. Ramaphosa reflects on his father's lost herd in Venda, and the personal legacy that drives his passion for these remarkable cattle.

// 2016
Pigeon Project
Live pigeons photographed within intricately constructed dioramas, built from hand-painted backdrops, crystals, fluorite, sand and natural objects collected in the Karoo. Each tableau was carefully staged over months, with Naudé waiting for the animal to settle into a moment of poetic stillness within the constructed scene.

Daniel Naudé
A South African artist and photographer based in Cape Town. My work explores quiet moments of connection between animals, landscape, and presence.
