Nick Brandt (British, b. 1966) is a professional photographer who works exclusively in Africa. He was born in London, England, and he studied Painting and Film at the Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design. In 1992, Brandt moved to California and made a name for himself directing music videos. He has worked with notable musicians such as Michael Jackson, Jewel, and Moby. During a 1995 shoot of Michael Jackson's Earth Song in Tanzania, Brandt was struck by the beauty of the animals and East Africa.
Read MoreDuring that shoot, he felt that he could not sufficiently express his love for animals in any way other than capturing them on film. In 2000, he embarked on a project to capture the beauty of East Africa before it disappeared due to human activity. Brandt prefers not to use zoom lenses because he feels the personality of the animals he photographs can only be well captured up close.
He has held solo exhibitions at different galleries all over the world, including the Shapiro Gallery in Sydney, Australia, the Bernheimer Fine Arts in Munich, Germany, and the June Bateman Gallery in New York, NY. Brandt's first book, On This Earth, features 66 photos he took from 2000 to 2004. The introductions to this book were written by Jane Goodall and author Alice Sebold.
In September 2010, the photographer formed the Big Life Foundation in in collaboration with conservationist Richard Bonham as response to the increased number of elephants that were being poached for their tusks; the foundation was formed to help in the conservation of Africa's wildlife and ecosystem. Brandt currently resides in Topanga, CA.
Text courtesy Blue Lotus Gallery.
