Wild Life

By bringing wild animals into his studio, Brad Wilson offers a unique and beautiful perspective on our non-human neighbors that sets a new standard in animal photography. Most nature books capture animals in their native habitats. Brad Wilson decided to try a different approach—bringing animals into his studio and photographing each against a solid black background. The results are electrifying. By minimizing the distractions of background, Wilson allows us to focus solely on the animals. This book allows the reader to fully appreciate each animal’s expression, posture, size and the remarkable textures and colors of fur, hides, or feathers. As he explains in the introduction, Wilson faced enormous challenges in undertaking this project. He needed to find animals that responded to trainers, for his own safety as much as for the need for the animals to remain still. At the same time, he had to be patient with the animals’ own impulses. As he notes, "I was facing subjects that did what they wanted with no regard for me or my artistic agenda. Specific verbal directions were replaced by patient waiting and observation…. In the midst of our modern human civilization with all its technological complexities, animals still remain stark symbols of a simpler life and a wilderness lost." From giraffes and zebras to owls and eagles, from chimpanzees and baboons to alligators and elephants, this gorgeous collection celebrates the beauty and dignity of the animal kingdom like no other book before it.