Joel Sartore and the Photo Ark
We’ve helped field produce trips for Joel Sartore’s Photo Ark — a 25-year mission to photograph every species living in human care, before it’s too late.
Joel Sartore is an American photographer and conservationist best known for his extraordinary life’s work: the Photo Ark, sponsored by National Geographic. GTT is proud to have helped field produce a number of Photo Ark trips, because we believe the Photo Ark is one of the most important tools there is for raising awareness of biodiversity and inspiring action to protect endangered species.
The Photo Ark is a 25-year project with a simple but staggering ambition: to photograph every species living in captivity. Sartore began in 2006 and has since travelled to zoos and aquariums around the world, taking portraits of more than 14,000 creatures so far. Some of the species he has photographed are already extinct — a sobering reminder of why creating this record of our planet’s biodiversity matters so much.
What makes the portraits unforgettable is their simplicity. Every animal, from a tiger to a tiny beetle, is photographed against a plain black or white background. Stripped of its surroundings, each creature is given equal importance, and we see individual beauty and detail we might never notice otherwise.
The Photo Ark raises awareness in three powerful ways. It highlights the importance of biodiversity, helping people appreciate the critical role every species plays in keeping the natural world in balance. It inspires action — seeing the beauty and diversity of these animals motivates people to support conservation organisations or make changes in their own lives. And it engages the public, encouraging people to learn about each species, understand its conservation status and discover what can be done to protect it.
Sartore’s photographs have been published in numerous magazines and books — including “Photo Ark: A World Worth Saving” and “Rare: Portraits of America’s Endangered Species” — and exhibited in museums and galleries around the world. He also speaks widely about conservation and the role photography can play in protecting the natural world.