The Photo Ark assembles photographic tributes to individuals within the animal kingdom. Look contributor Douglas Chadwick implores us to see. Five decades after the first Earth Day the human population has more than doubled to 7.5 billion. Consequently, we have less space and fewer resources for other earthly inhabitants. The total population of large wildlife fell by half. The biomass of all land–dwelling vertebrates is now composed of 90% humans. We are a heavy toll on the planet and have squeezed out other species. Extinctions rates are one thousand times higher than average in the past. Sartore focuses our gaze on what remains.

Animals are Worthy

Sartore wants you to care about these animals, and he presents them to you using a personal artistry that compels you to see the specific being. "See me" each animal seems to say.  Color photos on black or white canvas emphasize the individual. Meet a Mandrill. Hazel eyes—all iris and pupil —stare past you as if they understand something you have lost. A long red nose bisects a milky face shield to form a face that sounds an alarm. Across the page, a Derbyana flower beetle fills the space: white, red, and green artistry as if this beetle is as important as the large mammal. Could this be?

A pink-tipped anemone surpasses the beauty of any Chihuly art sculpture with its tangled mass of chalky and rosy spires. Its neighbor, an East African crowned crane wears his spires and brilliant colors. The crane appears to address the anemone in an artistic artifice of relationship.

A Caracal luxuriates in front of a stark background and stares into your eyes. In opposition, a Silvery marmoset considers you. What are you? What will you do?

Each set of pictures is a study in respect. A Common garden snail stretches out regally. The facing page Cheetah looks back to the snail, creating a directional force that forbids us to dismiss the snail as we consider one of the most majestic animals in the animal kingdom.

The Photo Ark Sparks Biophilia

Readers are sure to spend hours in wonder in a visual feast of biophilia. Wonder can spark action. The forward by Harrison Ford (yes, Indiana Jones) suggests that if we consider species one by one, we can make a difference. The Photo Ark isn’t just a book. it’s a project. The diminishing biodiversity of animals calls for more pictures, concern, desperation, and action to save them.  There are more photos to be taken. See more pictures and videos at https://www.nationalgeographic.org/projects/photo-ark/. Spend time with this important collection. Look, then act for the animals that share our ark. As Harrison Ford says, “We are in the boat together.”