The lush and unique photography in this book represents National Geographic's Photo Ark, a major initiative and lifelong project by photographer Joel Sartore to make portraits of the world's animals—especially those that are endangered. His powerful message, conveyed with humor, compassion, and art: to know these animals is to save them.

Sartore is circling the globe, visiting zoos and wildlife rescue centers to create studio portraits of 12,000 species, with an emphasis on those facing extinction. With a goal of photographing every animal in captivity in the world, he has photographed more than 6,000 already and now, thanks to a multi-year partnership with National Geographic, he may reach his goal. This book showcases his animal portraits: from tiny to mammoth, from the Florida grasshopper sparrow to the greater one-horned rhinoceros. Paired with the eloquent prose of veteran wildlife writer Douglas Chadwick, and an inspiring foreword from Harrison Ford, this book presents a thought-provoking argument for saving all the species of our planet.

For avian enthusiasts, from armchair observers to dedicated life-listers, this brilliant book from acclaimed National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore celebrates the beauty of all birds, great and small.

This elegantly packaged celebration of birds from around the world unites incredible animal portraits from Joel Sartore's distinguished National Geographic Photo Ark project with inspiring text by up-and-coming birder Noah Strycker. It includes hundreds of species, from tiny finches to charismatic eagles; brilliant toucans, intricate birds of paradise, and perennial favorites such as parrots, hummingbirds, and owls also make colorful appearances. Everyone who cares about birds--from the family with a bird feeder outside the kitchen window to the serious birder with a life list of thousands--will flock to this distinctive and uplifting book.

The Photo Ark Vanishing

by Joel Sartore

Published 10 September 2019
Joel Sartore's quest to photograph all the animal species under human care celebrates its 15th year in this glorious and heartwrenching collection of photographs.

The animals featured in these pages are either destined for extinction or already extinct in the wild but still alive today, thanks to dedication of a heroic group committed to their continued survival. From the majestic Sumatran rhinoceros to the tiny Salt Creek tiger beetle, Sartore's photographs bring us eye to eye with the kaleidoscopic diversity of shapes, colors, personalities, and attitudes of the animal world.

In these vivid pages, Sartore singles out the species most likely to disappear in the next decades, as well as some that have already been lost. Alongside these indelible images are the words of scientists and conservationists who are working to protect and restore populations of endangered species. With Sartore's distinctive portrait photography, he invites us to look closer--and to care more.

Photo Ark

by Joel Sartore

Published 7 March 2017

When the pandemic year forced photographer Joel Sartore to stay home in Nebraska instead of travelling to zoos and wildlife cenres around the world, what did he do? He went outside and explored bugs. This book reveals more than 100 species of insects, spiders, and related creatures—some exotic, but many common in fields, forests, and neighborhoods. Amazing portraits in Sartore’s signature style—against a black or white background—capture these creatures’ bulbous eyes, probing antennae, and iridescent bodies in living colour. Alongside, entertaining text explains the basics of insect bodies, lives, and behaviour, rich with unforgettable details. Who knew that a South American butterfly emerges from a chrysalis that glistens like gold? Or that one species of beetle has pincers as long as the rest of its body? Or that wolf spiders can purr?