Nick Brandt is one of my favourite photographers. I only discovered him very recently, when I saw his book "A Shadow Falls" at the Natural History Museum. His photographs are truly breath taking. The images are so intense I feel as though I'm looking through a window into a new world, which I could easily pass through. He is able to capture such human emotion through the animals, giving them personalities and feelings with which you can really connect.
The black and white brings such beauty, elegance and emotion to the photographs, making the viewer focus on the elaborate details, from the creases on a elephant's trunk to the thin hairs on a lion's maine.
The compositions are very dramatic and empowering, showing off the magnitude and strength of these african animals. The images look more like illustrations of what theses animals should look like, rather than documentary photography; the compositions are just so perfect they seem unreal.
What I find most inspiring about Brandt's work is his focus on the extinction of these beautiful animals and make us see how much we overlook them. The image of the elephant above is entitled, "Elephant Drinking, Amboseli, 2007. Killed by Poachers, 2009."
Brandt set up the Big Life Foundation is 2010 to increase the protection of these soon to be extinct animals. This foundation has already reduced the amount of poaching in various areas around Africa and has lead to some significant arrests of some of the worst poachers in the regions.
I think that Brandt really connects to his subject matter and expresses his love for the animals through these affectionate images. I really admire the way in which he's trying to put a stop to poaching and opening people's eyes to the reality and wonder of these extraordinary animals.
