Portrait of an Elephant on Bare Earth

Having spent his career observing and responding to the tumultuous ecosystems and increasing urbanization of Africa’s national parks, Brandt has consistently brought a message of preservation and activism to his photographs, as this example, titled Portrait of an Elephant on Bare Earth, illustrates. For Brandt, the elephant pictured was a favourite photographic subject; upon his return to Africa in 2011, however, he was startled to learn that this elephant had been killed, a victim of illegal poaching. This news ultimately led Brandt to co-found the Big Life Foundation, a non-profit organization that actively supports anti-poaching initiatives across the borders of various African countries.
Portrait of an Elephant on Bare Earth is a strong example of the animal portraits for which Brandt has become well known.