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 Arkwith 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.
The power of a direct gaze
Sartores portraits are disarmingly simple: animals are photographed against plain black or white backgrounds to bring out distinctive features and expressions. Its the eye contact that moves people, Sartore says. It engages their feelings of compassion and a desire to help. Beginning in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 2006, he recognized how bold, uncluttered images could connect viewers to the animals we live alongsideand, as he puts it, I want people to care, to fall in love, and to take action.
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 Coquerels 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 Tampas Lowry Park Zoo.
From portraits to impact
The projects 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, No 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.
As the count climbs toward more than 25,000 species, the Photo Ark continues to build a singular portrait catalogueone stark background and steady gaze at a time.
