Wild Elephants - Conservation In The Age Of Extinction - Book Review

As many readers know, I am a good friend of Art Wolfe.  Art is one of those exceptional photographers.  His photography of wildlife, landscapes, abstracts and the human body leaves me as well as many others speechless. He has produced dozens of books in his career and his latest, Wild Elephants – Conservation in the Age of Extinction is a must-have.

I am a big book collector, as I know many of you are.  My coffee table is large and stacked with some of my favorites. I have enjoyed Art’s Wild Elephants for many hours.  The images are engaging, and as you look at them you have to admire the number of years it took to collect the incredible photography presented.

This is typical of all of Art’s books.  In another review I did of Art’s Trees book, you see the same thing.  Art works on these book projects for years.  He has a project planned out and he gathers images from his archives and goes out to shoot specific images he may not have done previously.

The Video

Art and I discuss his Wild Elephants book project.  It’s always great to catch up with Art and hear about his adventures in making this book.

The Book

The Wild Elephants book is 12×12 and 252 pages.  It has a gorgeous black and white outside cover and underneath that is a striking color hardcover that wraps around the book (see above).

I enjoy Art’s books because they are not only filled with great photographs but the text is always engaging and compliments and completes the experience of the book.  Wild Elephants is no exception.  The introduction is by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson and is very engaging, to say the least.

Dr. Samuel K. Wasser authors 14 pages of a very interesting segment that we should all be concerned with: “The Poaching Crisis.“  Wow, what an eye–opener.

And, of course, Art shares his experiences about the images in the book and the stories behind them.  Art’s stories are always engaging, and you have to admire the experience that Art has had and the pictures he has taken.  More than anything else, you can’t help become engaged with the passion he has for his photography and the elephants he is photographing.

As a further bonus for us nerdy photographers, Art includes “Photo Notes“ in the back of the book.  Here, Art includes a bit of information about the shot as well as the metadata that includes the camera, lens, and film or other digital information.

The Final Word

Once again, Art has outdone himself with an amazing book on elephants that are, simply put, some of the most amazing animals on earth.  You will come away after a few hours with this book awed by their beauty as well as their magnificence.

If you are a collector of photography books, then I know this book will find a place on your coffee table and in your heart.  Please, if you haven’t done so, explore Art’s website and see the diverse and incredible body of work he has produced.  I am privileged to count Art as one of my great friends and am grateful that I have had the chance to explore so many places on this planet with him.  Art is a truly amazing human being, and it should be very obvious once you experience his photography.

Wild Elephants is available from Amazon as well as Art’s own website.