Earth to Sky: Among Africa's Elephants, A Species in Crisis by Michael Nichols. Published by Aperture Foundation, Incorporated, 2013. 1st Ed hardcover, no dust jacket as issued. Elephants are among the earth's most sentient beings. They remember, they experience grief and joy, fear and love. Indeed, as our knowledge of these extraordinary creatures increases, the more they transcend all preconceptions of animal behavior. Michael "Nick" Nichols, longtime photographer for National Geographic as well as the magazine's editor-at-large for photography, has been working with African elephants for more than twenty years. In Earth to Sky he tells their story through poignant images that bring us directly into their habitat the lush forests and open savannas, or stark landscapes ravaged by human intervention-to observe the animals' daily engagements and activities. Nichols's photographs are accompanied here by the words of such celebrated figures in the field of conservation as Lain Douglas-Hamilton, J. Michael Fay, Peter Matthiessen, Cynthia Moss, David Quammen, and many others. In addition, Nichols engages us in his photographic journey with personal and informative introductions to each of the book's four chapters-exploring life in the wild, the ivory trade, family interactions, and programs for orphaned elephants. The survival of elephants is under dire threat from humankind, most immediately from the market for ivory. More than twenty-five thousand elephants are slaughtered each year, and their ivory is sold at astronomically high prices to countries such as China, Japan, the Philippines, and Singapore. African elephant refuges are under siege; many park rangers...
Category
American 21st Century and Contemporary Photography
