Jann Arthus-Bertrand

Barge on the White Nile near Bor, Jonglei, South Sudan (6°11’ N, 31°33’ E)

Wind turbines of Banning Pass, near Palm Springs, California, United States (33°55’ N, 116°42’ W).

Yann Arthus-Bertrand was born in 1946. From a young age he had a passion for he environment and animals. When he was 20 he became the director of a nature reserve in central France. He also traveled to Kenya at the age of 30 to study lions for three years. That is where his art started. Yann used a camera as a tool to capture his observations of the lions. He also worked as a hot air balloon pilot while in Africa. It is where he learned to take pictures from the air. It also gave him the view point of the “overall picture” of the area and its resources. 

As a photographer Yann collaborated with Géo, National Geographic, Life, Paris Match, Figaro Magazine. He then started a project called “Earth From the Air.”  The book compiled from the images has sold over 3 million copies and the outdoor exhibition has seen by about 200 million people. Yann also did the documentary “Planet Ocean.” The film was about the importance of oceans in the ecosystems. Yann sees himself as an environmentalist before an artist.