Nick Garbutt

Surely you've seen the book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, and maybe you've heard of 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die, but how about 100 Animals to See Before They Die? I just became aware of the striking work of British wildlife photographer Nick Garbutt, although he has been at it for 20+ years (see slideshow). His award-winning photographs appear in exhibitions and magazines, and as prints and posters. In addition, Garbutt illustrates, leads tours, and publishes books and articles. His work has taken him all over the world, but back again and again to Madagascar, which he discusses in a lecture:

Extinction is forever, but it’s nothing new. Extinction is a natural process that paradoxically is one of the driving forces behind diversity and evolution. This talk is about the effects and influences we are having on other species and offers a snapshot into the trials and tribulations of some of the world’s most unusual and endangered species.

What makes his photos so compelling? I think it's the eyes...

Images from Madagascar: 1st) An adult female fossa stalks prey in the forest, 2nd) An adult black & white ruffed lemur, 3rd), Nick Garbutt's illustration of a fossa in a tree, 4th) Garbutt with an orphaned baby ring-tailed lemur, 5th) Garbutt with his solar-powered laptop.