Twenty years into an ambitious quest to build a visual record of biodiversity, National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore has logged 18,567 animals for his ongoing Photo Ark\u0014with a long-term goal of more than 25,000 species. Working at a pace of around a thousand animals each year, Sartore collaborates with conservationists and researchers in zoos, aquariums, wildlife sanctuaries, and other facilities. The archive now even includes the new species of cat recently discovered in Bolivia.<\/p>\n
Sartore\u0019s portraits are disarmingly simple: animals are photographed against plain black or white backgrounds to bring out distinctive features and expressions. \u001cIt\u0019s the eye contact that moves people,\u001d Sartore says. \u001cIt engages their feelings of compassion and a desire to help.\u001d Beginning in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 2006, he recognized how bold, uncluttered images could connect viewers to the animals we live alongside\u0014and, as he puts it, \u001cI want people to care, to fall in love, and to take action.\u001d<\/p>\n
The range of species in the Photo Ark underscores its scope. Recent subjects include a springbok mantis (Miomantis caffra) at the Auckland Zoo; an endangered baby Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) named Aurora with her adoptive mother, Cheyenne, a Bornean\/Sumatran cross (Pongo pygmaeus x abelii), at the Houston Zoo; a ribboned pipefish (Haliichthys taeniophorus) at the Dallas World Aquarium; an endangered Coquerel\u0019s sifaka (Propithecus coquereli) at the Houston Zoo; a Sierra Nevada ensatina salamander (Ensatina eschscholtzi platensis); a vulnerable Victoria crowned pigeon (Goura victoria) at the Columbus Zoo; a veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus) at Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure facing the camera lens; and a federally endangered Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi) at Tampa\u0019s Lowry Park Zoo.<\/p>\n
The project\u0019s reach extends beyond the studio setup. In 2023, the Photo Ark Species Impact Initiative awarded grants to conservationists to support their work. Photo Ark has also evolved into an all-ages educational initiative that National Geographic makes available in classrooms and through publications and broadcasts. As National Geographic puts it, \u001cNo matter its size, each animal is treated with the same amount of affection and respect. The results are portraits that are not just stunningly beautiful, but also intimate and moving.\u001d<\/p>\n
As the count climbs toward more than 25,000 species, the Photo Ark continues to build a singular portrait catalogue\u0014one stark background and steady gaze at a time.<\/p>\n