The sheer beauty of Nick Brandt’s photography

Born in 1966 and raised in London, England, Brandt studied Painting, and then Film at St. Martins School of Art.

He moved to America in 1992 and directed many award-winning music videos for the likes of Michael Jackson (Earth Song, Stranger in Moscow, Cry), Moby, Jewel (singer), Embrace, XTC, Badly Drawn Boy).

It was while directing “Earth Song”, a music video for Jackson in Tanzania, in 1995 that Brandt fell in love with the animals and land of East Africa. Over the next few years, frustrated that he could not capture on film his feelings about and love for animals, he realized there was a way to achieve this through photography, in a way that he felt no-one had really done before.

His photography bears little relation to the colour documentary-style wildlife photography that is the norm. He photographs on medium-format black and white film without telephoto or zoom lenses which means getting up close and personal with his subjects.

Just a little of Nicks vision and brilliance

Beautiful work that captures Africa's spirit