Joel Sartore was born June 16, 1962, in Ponca City, Oklahoma, and grew up in Ralston, Nebraska. As a kid, he looked through his mother’s Time-Life picture books. One image stayed with him: Martha, the last passenger pigeon, photographed before she died at the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914. A species that once numbered in the billions, gone.

He studied journalism at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, graduating in 1985. After working for a local newspaper for six years, he sent his work to National Geographic. For two years, he kept sending photos. Finally, in the early 1990s, he got his first assignment. His early stories focused on grizzly bears, gray wolves, endangered species across America. His work appeared in Life, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, Time, and Audubon Magazine.

In 2006, he started the Photo Ark. The goal: photograph every species living in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries around the world. Approximately 12,000 species. A 25-year project. The first subject was a naked mole rat at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo. He photographs each animal against a black or white backdrop, filling the frame completely. A moth gets the same treatment as a bear. Every creature receives a formal portrait, regardless of size or popularity.

By August 2024, he had photographed the 16,000th species across over 60 countries. In 2017, PBS released a miniseries documenting the project. In 2022, the U.S. Postal Service released a pane of 20 stamps featuring endangered animals from the Photo Ark. He was named National Geographic Explorer of the Year in 2018. His books include Photo Ark: A World Worth Saving, The Photo Ark Vanishing, Birds of the Photo Ark, and RARE: Portraits of America’s Endangered Species.

His philosophy is direct: “It is folly to think that we can destroy one species and ecosystem after another and not affect humanity. When we save species, we’re actually saving ourselves.” He lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, returning home between assignments to continue the work.

His strengths: pioneering studio portraiture approach to wildlife photography, ability to create emotional connection with overlooked species, relentless dedication to multi-decade documentary project, use of photography as conservation tool.

Career highlights: Photo Ark documenting over 16,000 species across 60+ countries, National Geographic Explorer of the Year 2018, U.S. Postal Service endangered species stamps, PBS miniseries and worldwide exhibitions, National Geographic contributor for over 30 years.