Exploring why we photograph animals – in pictures

A new collection of wildlife photography aims to help understand why people have photographed animals at different points in history and what it means in the present. Huw Lewis-Jones explores the animal in photography through the work of more than 100 photographers in Why We Photograph Animals, supporting the images with thematic essays to provide historical context

Main image: A seven-month-old cheetah in the back of an SUV hisses at a rescuer’s outstretched hand, western Somaliland, 2020 Photograph: Nichole Sobecki/Thames & Hudson

  • Tree swallow, Grand Teton national park, 2019

    ‘I wish to show the hidden beauty of bird flight. In changing the perception of time, in revealing these patters, I hope these images help top connect more people with the infinite beauty of nature’ – Xavi Bou. Why We Photograph Animals is published by Thames & Hudson
    Tree swallow, Grand Teton National Park, 2019

  • Dalmatian puppies, from the series Dog Gods, 2010

    ‘The evidence shows overwhelmingly that when people connect to the character of an animal it evokes empathy. In Dog Gods our canine companions were my focus. The book went to 15 editions in different languages’ – Tim Flach
    Dalmatian puppies, from the series Dog Gods, 2010

  • Flora Aiken, of the Iñupiaq, gives thanks to the first bowhead whale of the spring season, from the series People of the Whale, 2017

    The Iñupiaq have a rich spiritual life, which centres on the gift of the whale to the community. The whale here is tied up after being towed to the ice’s edge and is awaiting the village to come and help haul it on to the ice
    Flora Aiken, of the Iñupiaq, gives thanks to the first bowhead whale of the spring season, from the series People of the Whale, 2017

  • A seven-month-old cheetah in the back of an SUV hisses at a rescuer’s outstretched hand, western Somaliland, 2020

    The cheetah had been intercepted by a joint team from the Somaliland Ministry of Environment and Rural Development (MoERD), supported by CCF and Torrid Analytics, after a tip-off from an anti-trafficking source and lengthy negotiations
    A seven-month-old cheetah in the back of an SUV hisses at a rescuer’s outstretched hand, western Somaliland, 2020

  • Hengifoss sheep, Iceland, 2017

    ‘I enjoy the limitations and the challenge of photographing a wild animal in its natural habitat. I can’t direct it, change its posture or adjust the light: it’s just me and my camera making the most of what’s out there. Limitation is and always will be the soul of photography’ – John Bozinov
    Hengifoss sheep, Iceland, 2017

  • Arctic fox stealing a snow goose egg, Wrangel Island, 2011

    ‘My anxiety grows every year. The world that I am filming is in danger. Abundance diminishes. Many wild animals and birds have disappeared, many are on the verge of extinction, many will disappear whether we like it or not. But I am also witness to remarkable human efforts to protect species in their habitats... Photography now is a powerful tool in nature conservation. Photos affect the consciousness of people and they begin to look at nature in a different way’ – Sergey Gorshkov
    Arctic fox stealing a snow goose egg, Wrangel Island, 2011

  • Tiger rangers study photos to identify individuals for conservation efforts and to combat wildlife crime, Thailand, 2010

    ‘Photography is everywhere and to me it’s everything. It enables us to see the world, to appreciate other cultures and to expand our minds. Photography is being open to all possibilities’ – Steve Winter
    Tiger rangers study photos to identify individuals for conservation efforts and to combat wildlife crime, Thailand, 2010

  • Honeybees colonise a black woodpecker nest cavity, Germany, 2019

    ’Photography is freezing the moment. It gives us the chance to pause, to concentrate on a moment in a world where everything is moving, everything is getting faster and faster, where everything disappears so quickly’ – Ingo Arndt
    Honeybees begin colonising a black woodpecker nest cavity.

  • Children with orangutans, Denmark, 2016

    In 2016, the photographer Jo-Anne McArthur worked with the Born Free Foundation on the EU zoo inquiry, which examined the state of zoos and aquariums across the EU. McArthur visited dozens of facilities across nine countries. These images highlight the problems of keeping animals in captivity, and make up the majority of images seen in her book, Captive
    Children look through a zoo window at orangutans, Denmark, 2016

  • African elephant at the edge of Victoria Falls, Zambia, 2007

    ‘This is the only photograph in the world with an elephant at the Falls, an extremely rare sighting. The image also contains all the elements that I’m after in my photography style’ – Marsel van Ooosten
    African elephant at the edge of Victoria Falls, Zambia, 2007

  • The Tweets, a trio of budgerigars, Canberra, Australia, 2018

    ‘Photography is a chance to show respect for the things someone loves. People photograph animals for all kinds of reasons, but for me it’s about celebrating the wonder of the natural world and trying to rekindle inside each person a love for the animals we share our world with’ – Leila Jeffries
    The Tweets, a trio of budgerigars, Canberra, Australia, 2018

  • Park ranger and a school of bigeye trevally, Cabo Pulmo, Mexico, 2015

    ‘Once in a while, I get an email from people telling me that, thanks to a photograph that they saw somewhere, they began scuba diving. Some mentioned the photographs helped them lose their fear of underwater animals or the fear of not knowing what is beneath them in the water. If you begin to dive, you will love the ocean and that’s the very first step towards sea protection and sea regulation’ – Anuar Patjane
    Park ranger and a school of bigeye trevally, Cabo Pulmo, Mexico, 2015

  • The Cobra Feast, Jaipur, India, 2016

    ‘The Fantastical Feasts project is a series of constructed images featuring live animals eating around elaborate banquet tables. It is exhilarating and nerve-racking. It starts with imagining what the centrepieces at a cobra party would look like or what wolves might enjoy eating – then the scavenger hunt at the local market begins. I arrange everything as meticulously as I can and then completely surrender control to the subjects, waiting with bated breath to see what they do’ – Claire Rosen
    The Cobra Feast, Jaipur, India, 2016
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