Endangered is not your average book for many reasons, the first of which started with its conception; to take a series of evocative images that capture the essence of an endangered species – so as to create or conjure strong emotions from the reader in an “experiment” to raise awareness to the species’ plight. Tim Flach’s images also create a passion to proactively care, which is achieved from the very first image that greets you. The front cover of Endangered showing a beautifully crowned sifaka, its eyes alert, wide, and looking straight out onto you, while its knees are brought in tight, arms encircling – a body posture familiar with self-protection – and it shoots straight at the heart.
Flach’s photographs vary as widely as the species immortalised in his images – though hopefully this will not come to be the last surviving record of them. The photos range not only in their framing (e.g. angle, close to wide shots), but more importantly from studio-portraits, to photographing species in their natural habitats. The studio images are crisp, well-lit and have a complimenting backdrop that amplifies their magnificence, such as the paler blue backdrop for the Hyacinth Macaw, its rich sea plumage being anything but lost. However, by intermingling studio images to those taken in their natural habitat, its helps to infuse a similarity to human portraiture – allowing us to see more closely the souls of the endangered species. It also directs the eyes to really focus on their beauty, whilst in contrast it shouts out that the context is all wrong – that in reality they should be in their natural environment, and not left to be artifacts in a museum.
In fact, not all of the species photographed in this book are still alive – some are taxidermies, though you would not know this at first, with Flach working to recapture the spirit of their life. But by including these extinct creatures alongside those still alive, Flach stresses that they too face extinction, and that the book’s title is not an empty truth but a reality. This is further emphasised by the inclusion that people once thought the idea of a highly-populated species – the passenger pigeon – becoming extinct as “absurd”. But by including the image of its now stuffed body (for none are alive today), Flach shows that it’s really these people who were absurd, and thereby warning us not to be the same.
Aside from capturing a diverse range of species, Flach has also included some of the surrounding and majestic landscapes; Northern Lights, ice fields, valleys – with the Danum Valley being captured in the early morning light and with rolling mists (it’s as dreamy as it sounds) – to underwater imagery. And while its often said that life below the ocean surface is otherworldly, Flach’s pictures create an entire universe. One photograph in particular appearing like the birthing of stars; the spawning of coral – and in a way, each one does bring life. These images stir the soul and the imagination, while reminding us that these ecosystems are also under threat.
There are certainly many characterful creatures in Flach’s photographs, their thoughts and emotions clear to see, from expressions of alarm; the raised brows of the macaque, to tender-loving moments between members of the ape family as they hold each other in an embrace, share a moment of curiosity, or place a tender kiss between the eyes – striking the reader with a tone of familiarity. Flach’s images also work beyond the conscious levels of emotion to encompass a reflection of the text, such as in the golden snub-nose monkey; their eyes downcast, their head lowered, the words next to them explaining they’re “…harassed and herded for viewing…” the image further echoing this.
At times multiple photographs have been taken of the same species, from iconic animals such as polar bears to lesser-known species such as the monarch butterfly. Each helping to highlight a different characteristic, while shining a new light and angle – in the possible hope it will resonate. I have certainly spent many an hour re-examining and looking at the pictures, finding I feel something indescribable and new each time.
Towards the back of the book is a photo index providing more information and, in some cases, the only information – with the reader being left to focus on the emotive images without distraction. These snapshots of information, and those elsewhere in the book emphasise the importance of these creatures, and the danger posed to them. In the case of the index it highlights risk status, reasons as to why they’re endangered, facts about them, details of the location, range of habitat – and the conservation efforts in place.
Direct and to the point, the information in the book provides the reason for the endangerment; disease, human interference (poaching, pet industry) and habitat loss (farming, climate change) – naming but a few. There are also moments of sheer shock, for example in reading about the brutal and murderous attacks on the Okapi Conservation Project and those that worked there. However, this is NOT a book without hope; it shows successful breeding, the existence of creatures long thought gone, to new tactics being used in the fight for their survival, such as for the ‘ploughshare tortoise’ (no spoiler and such a fantastic photograph).
Without trying, you’ll come away from Endangered having learnt a great deal. The information readily moving from being thought-provoking and terrifying – “ninety-two percent of Chinese habitat has been lost in the last thirty years…”, to ones of stunning interest – that olm’s have been around for a hundred-and-forty-six million years; and fun facts – with one species having “local dialects”. Others are historically interesting, or downright astounding with a particular species having an evolutionary reaction to protect themselves against hunters.
Tim Flach’s Endangered leaves you just as mesmerised by the last image as you were by the first, often torn between that tempting itch to turn to the next photograph, as much as you can’t tear your eyes away from the current one – with no two image’s in Flach’s camera ever being the same.
Endangered carefully translates the urgency to preserve and safeguard the future of these species, without ever being preachy. The information is well-presented and with an excellent prologue and epilogue by Jonathan Baille (who at the time of writing, was the Chief Scientist at the National Geographic Society, whilst formerly being the Director of Conservation Programmes at the Zoological Society of London), and with the captions provided by writer Sam Wells, who worked with numerous conservationists. But most of all Tim Flach’s wondrous images seek, and achieve, a connection between ourselves and wildlife, creating an admiration for, and an urgency in protecting, what only nature can provide; true beauty.
Other Notable Works by Tim Flach:
- Whom Am I? A Peek-Through-Pages Book of Endangered Animals 2019
- More than Human 2012
- Fierce Beauty: Preserving the World of Wild Cats 2011
- Dogs 2010
- Equus 2008
Book Edition Information:
Publisher: Abrams
ISBN: 978-1-4197-2651-4
Cover Photograph: Tim Flach
Presented Edition: 2017 Hardback
Background image courtesy of Jesse Dodds on Unsplash
