Steve Bloom is another of my favourite wildlife photographers. He works both in black and white and colour, which create entirely different effects. Like Nick, Brandt his images are incredibly striking, showing animals at their most powerful and beautiful states.
The images are very dramatic and atmospheric, with landscape playing a key role in the composition. Bloom often depicts the animals in ominous weathers, being engulfed with swiping mist, or heavy rain storms pounding upon them. This creates a strong sense of power and resilience from the animals, exaggerating the trials of their everyday lives. All the while capturing their beauty, which is enhanced through the use of black and white photography, emphasising the contrast of tones and textures without being distracted by colour.
Many of his photographs are very artistic, taken from unusual angles and close ups. In his photo of the elephant emerging from water, (below), it hard to see where the elephant's trunk ends and the water begins. The texture of the elephant's trunk looks that of a tree trunk, with the water as long roots being ripped from the earth.
Bloom's photography that play with exposure times are the most stunning. The movement and urgency are burned so deeply into the photographs that I can almost hear hooves on the grassy terrain. The galloping horses image below has strong drawing qualities, the out of focus horses look like the shadow of a ghosts or spirit. Or a forgotten memory or dream, trying to remerge in your mind, then slipping away in the blink of an eye. To me the image not only shows the pureness and strength of the horses but holds such emotion that the horses become a metaphor for some greater unknown power in the world.
Bloom's colour photographs, again like Nick Brandt, can't help but display the personalities of the animals. By humanising the creatures it makes us able to sympathies and connect with them, allowing us to share their simple pleasures or feel their heart break and despair. Hopefully this with speak out to the human race bringing change to the ever increasing extinction of endangered species, showing that they are closer to us than we once thought.
This short clip shows Steve Bloom's thought on the importance of wildlife and his process as a photographer trying to make in impact on people.
