From the Tanzanian grasslands around Mount Kilimanjaro to the ever-evolving icy realm of Antarctica and beyond, Swedish photographer Björn Persson captures the majesty of the natural world and its wild denizens. His bold, tonal style of portraiture taps into the drama of running giraffes and a stoic American bison in profile, but he also homes in on family-centric moments as a lioness plays with her cubs, for instance, or a coalition of cheetahs’ perch calmly atop a knoll.
Persson’s emotive photographs meander between intimate, tender vignettes to striking and powerful demonstrations of brute strength and presence. In many cases, the animals look directly at the viewer, as if we’re being stalked. Others look away, scanning the grasses for prey or for other members of their cohort.
Dozens of Persson’s photos fill the pages of The Earth We Share: Extraordinary Photography of Our Vanishing Species, forthcoming from Rizzoli. The volume also includes a preface by the late Dr. Jane Goodall, who completed the writing shortly before she died last year. Indeed, Persson’s goal is to encourage care, spurring conservation efforts and portraying wildlife through a lens of hope and possibility rather than discouragement.
With a reverent eye, Persson focuses specifically on endangered creatures, which face dwindling populations due to poaching, habitat loss, and the effects of the climate crisis. “He believes that by portraying animals as sentient beings, he can inspire people to acknowledge the intrinsic beauty and worth of these extraordinary creatures,” says a statement. The book is an extension of this vision, with the aim of inspiring not only awe but action.
The Earth We Share is slated for release on September 8. Pre-order your copy from Bookshop, and explore more on Persson’s Instagram.
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