Joel Sartore

Joel Sartore, a long-time contributor to National Geographic magazine, founded The Photo Ark in 2006, initiating a 25-year endeavor to document approximately 12,000 species residing in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries worldwide. A dedicated wildlife conservationist through powerful imagery, Sartore embarked on this ambitious project to raise awareness about the extinction crisis and inspire global action for wildlife conservation. His unique photographic approach, capturing animal portraits against stark black or white backgrounds, emphasizes eye contact and intimacy to foster a deep connection between viewers and subjects. Earlier in his career, Sartore graduated from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln with a degree in journalism, and his early assignments for National Geographic honed his skills in nature photography, revealing the initial impacts of human activity on the environment.

In a testament to the broad reach of his work, the U.S. Postal Service released a pane of 20 stamps in 2022, prominently featuring photographs from Sartore’s Photo Ark project. Continuing his unwavering dedication, The Photo Ark documented its 16,000th species in August 2024, marking a significant step towards its overarching goal of documenting 20,000 species. Sartore’s work with the Photo Ark continues to highlight the beauty of global biodiversity and the urgent need to protect endangered species, with the project anticipated to reach its 17,000th milestone species, Birds-of-Paradise, on July 8, 2025.