Joel Sartore, a National Geographic photographer and explorer, is the founder of the Photo Ark, a 25-year-long documentary project dedicated to animal conservation by creating portraits of all species in human care around the world. To date Sartore has photographed more than 16,000 species, and he estimates that the project may total 20,000 or more. Over the years, Sartore’s books—including The Photo Ark, Birds of the Photo Ark, Photo Ark Vanishing, and Photo Ark Wonders—have proven top sellers in the nature photography category. He lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, with his wife, Kathy; their three children live nearby and often accompany Sartore on his photo shoots around the world.