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Nick Brandt Trilogy #1
On This Earth: Photographs from East Africa
Nick Brandt depicts the animals of East Africa with an intimacy and artistry unmatched by other photographers who choose wildlife as their subject. He creates these majestic sepia and blue-tone photos contrasting moments of quintessential stillness with bursts of dramatic action by engaging with these creatures on an exceptionally intimate level, without the customary use of a telephoto lens. Evocative of classical art, from dignified portraits to sweeping natural tableaux, Brandt's images artfully and simply capture animals in their natural states of being. With a foreword by Alice Sebold and an introduction by Jane Goodall, On This Earth is a gorgeous portfolio of some of the last wild animals and a heartfelt elegy to a vanishing world.
132 pages, Hardcover
First published September 29, 2005
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428 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 30, 2019
The forward was so eloquently written by Alice Sebold that I thought why have I not read another of her books recently. To paraphrase Ms. Sebold, Nick Brandt's sepia photographs of the wildlife and landscape of Africa are haunting, reverent, and wondrous. His work embraces shapes, forms, architecture, and the imagination. As stated in the introduction of Jane Goodall, these works of art instill emotions of awe, beauty, and sacredness. I paged through these breathtaking photos of an elephant herd traipsing through the savannah, wildebeest swarming across the river, a family of cheetahs gazing intently, hippos cavorting in the water, and a lion peering into the plains. He captures the essence of the individuality to the sweeping panoramas of the animals in their natural habitats. Take a look before this world disappears completely.
Want to read
March 13, 2017
July 22, 2017
This was a fabulous collection of photographs by Nick Brandt.
The Savannah is a place that I have always been drawn too. From books about the various flora and fauna, to documentaries on wildlife to the BBC's Big Cat Diary, to following photographers Simon King and Jonathan Scott. My attention and attraction to wildlife, to the animals of Africa has been the one thing that has always stuck by in since I was young. So naturally, I was drawn to photographs of this heaven on Earth.
Flipping through this book is simply not possible. You get hooked to the pictures. They draw you in. It's you who is there where Brandt was. It's you who the animals are looking at. Their grace in going about their lives unconcerned by the encroaching human can be seen. Each picture has a grey/brown colour. They capture the light and shadows of the landscape and give a beautiful detail to the animals in the shot. Yet, these portraits tell the sad reality of these magnificent creatures and the place they call home. The pictures haunt the reader for they resemble the same portraits one sees of people in past. People who have long left this planet. It's Brandt's way of reminding the reader that these animals, this garden of Eden is precious. It's in a state of peril and needs our attention and help. Too many people have given it the wrong attention. Too many have taken more then they give and now it's disappearing.
It's a sad reality, but the Savannah may soon disappear in our generation.
The Savannah is a place that I have always been drawn too. From books about the various flora and fauna, to documentaries on wildlife to the BBC's Big Cat Diary, to following photographers Simon King and Jonathan Scott. My attention and attraction to wildlife, to the animals of Africa has been the one thing that has always stuck by in since I was young. So naturally, I was drawn to photographs of this heaven on Earth.
Flipping through this book is simply not possible. You get hooked to the pictures. They draw you in. It's you who is there where Brandt was. It's you who the animals are looking at. Their grace in going about their lives unconcerned by the encroaching human can be seen. Each picture has a grey/brown colour. They capture the light and shadows of the landscape and give a beautiful detail to the animals in the shot. Yet, these portraits tell the sad reality of these magnificent creatures and the place they call home. The pictures haunt the reader for they resemble the same portraits one sees of people in past. People who have long left this planet. It's Brandt's way of reminding the reader that these animals, this garden of Eden is precious. It's in a state of peril and needs our attention and help. Too many people have given it the wrong attention. Too many have taken more then they give and now it's disappearing.
It's a sad reality, but the Savannah may soon disappear in our generation.
June 25, 2009
Incredible, breath-taking, stunning...ok, so now I'm just tossing the clichés as quickly as I can and all of them stick.
Wildlife photography is riddled with cliché and should provoke questions about process, access (how gained, the unintentional and intention consequences of publication, at what costs, etc.), and 'voice' being afforded its subjects.
Brandt's work is exceptional on a couple of technical points...he does not use long telephoto lenses to compress, 'reach' or create intimacy with his subjects. This is dicey work, as one might imagine, because to remove the 'remove', Brandt has to insert himself and his wider-angle perspective all the more closely to the animals. That's risky, of course, and this thrumms beneath the surface of some of these shots...you will turn a page, be taken by the image and its critical details of texture and composition...but accustomed as we are to seeing 'the wild' in an 'up close and personal' way, our familiarity is almost always through the presumption of long-reach, telephoto lenses. Again and again, I was captured by the image and then provoked by the circumstances of its creation...at what risk and at what consequence does such close shooting entail?
I'm drawn back again and again to these images, beautifully presented here in this book. They are archival in the way that provocative art is always archival...but the provocation here is not smash-face obvious. While the animal subjects are clearly the big appeal here, Brandt's use of landscape is also quite stunning.
I dare you to browse this book in a book store or library an NOT be immediately tempted to buy a copy for yourself or to send to someone else. Really.
Wildlife photography is riddled with cliché and should provoke questions about process, access (how gained, the unintentional and intention consequences of publication, at what costs, etc.), and 'voice' being afforded its subjects.
Brandt's work is exceptional on a couple of technical points...he does not use long telephoto lenses to compress, 'reach' or create intimacy with his subjects. This is dicey work, as one might imagine, because to remove the 'remove', Brandt has to insert himself and his wider-angle perspective all the more closely to the animals. That's risky, of course, and this thrumms beneath the surface of some of these shots...you will turn a page, be taken by the image and its critical details of texture and composition...but accustomed as we are to seeing 'the wild' in an 'up close and personal' way, our familiarity is almost always through the presumption of long-reach, telephoto lenses. Again and again, I was captured by the image and then provoked by the circumstances of its creation...at what risk and at what consequence does such close shooting entail?
I'm drawn back again and again to these images, beautifully presented here in this book. They are archival in the way that provocative art is always archival...but the provocation here is not smash-face obvious. While the animal subjects are clearly the big appeal here, Brandt's use of landscape is also quite stunning.
I dare you to browse this book in a book store or library an NOT be immediately tempted to buy a copy for yourself or to send to someone else. Really.
May 18, 2016
Breathtaking, Stunning, Inspiring, Warm, Gripping & Remarkable! A Strikingly Beautiful Read! I Loved It!
March 3, 2019
Amazing, breathtaking....
September 16, 2020
Beautiful work of art.
July 8, 2021
Stunning.
February 25, 2017
HUGE BOOK!
October 6, 2014
In a sense, it seems kind of funny to be claiming here that I've "read" On This Earth by Nick Brandt. But then again, for me, a Nick Brandt book is unlike any other work of photography that I've encountered. Brandt is aiming for, and frequently gets, a photo of the soul of the animals he's photographing. Frequently with his photos you get a sense that the elephant or chimpanzee - or whoever the subject is - is a being of great emotional sophistication. Thanks to Brandt's effort to get portraits of animals and not the standard action photos, we often get glimpses of what seems to be the real animal. So, back to the concept of "reading" Nick Brandt: to do these wonderful photos / animals justice you can't be in a hurry. And if you are the loss is yours because if we slow down and look deeply we may just get some real insight into the majestic creatures that we share this planet with.
May 31, 2011
This coffee table book offers some magisterial photographs of East African wildlife, including elephants, lions, and cheetahs. Some of the photographs are are sepia-toned and others are "blue-toned" which add to their dramatic effect. Brandt offers a very evocative portrait of the large animals of East Africa. This is a quality production from beginning to end. Well worth perusing.
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July 6, 2011Here's the thing...I went to Africa, saw these beforehand, was so inspired that I wanted to something similar, but I had some of the same guides he did apparently and he doesn't sound like a nice person and I'm putting it diplomatically. Can't we get the pictures we want or paint the way we must without harming others who help us?
July 5, 2012
The most beautiful photography collection that i have seen in a long time, each one is so emotive you really feel what Brandt was trying to do! I wish i could say more but this was a book i baught for a friend and now i wish i had my own copy its just to stunning for words!
July 17, 2012
Nick Brandt's photographic style is true art. He doesn't use camera tricks or Photoshop, instead he uses patience, trust & hard-work to produce the quality of photography printed on these pages. He will transport you to Africa on the first page & you won't want to leave by the last page.
December 7, 2015
This book is my favorite type of book, a book of photographs. THis book had amazing pictures of all the animals of Africa; the Cheetas, elephants, monkeys, giraffes to name a few. This is visually stunning book.
February 28, 2008
These pics, taken w/o a zoom lens, are amazing.
August 5, 2008
Incredible photographs, simply incredible. If you have even the slightest interest in photography, africa or animals then this is a worthy purchase.
May 23, 2011
Gorgeous photography! This book is one to own for your personal collection.
June 26, 2011
Nick Brandt depicts the animals of East Africa with an intimacy and artistry unmatched by other photographers who choose wildlife as their subject.
December 18, 2022
A stunning book of B & W photos that “lives” in my living room & I pick up regularly.
September 20, 2008
No words just amazing black and white pictures of East African Wildlife
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews