A Shadow Falls

Nick Brandt's portraits of some of the last surviving large mammals of East and Southern Africa reveal soulful beings who bear the individualized imprint of a life in nature. His new book reproduces 57 never-before published images in stunning tritone plates at large size. Photographer Nick Brandt has made it his mission to portray the last survivors of what were once vast populations of large mammals in East and Southern Africa. Brandt photographs lions, cheetahs, gorillas, zebras and elephants with a gripping style. To make these photographs, Brandt takes long, difficult trips into the field, negotiating with the human bureaucracies that control access to the wild subjects he seeks. He uses none of the apparatus of the wildlife photographer; rather, nature is his art studio, where majestic subjects sit for his lens. Mary Ellen Mark describes these photographs as both 'epic and iconic'; Jane Goodall remarks that, 'they inspire a sense of awe at the beauty of creation and the sacredness of life'. "A Shadow Falls" reproduces 57 never-before published images in stunning, over sized tri-tone plates. A text by Brandt about the fate of Africa's large animals is complemented with an introduction by philosopher Peter Singer.