Frans Lanting is one of the most prestigious figures in the photography industry. He and his wife Christine Ekstrom have created many photography-related books in the past 30 years. He photographed wild animals in a unique way and inspired generations of photographers and ecologists with his photography and environmental themes.
Frans Lanting was originally an environmental economist from the Netherlands, although the ecosystem research he was engaged in at that time was very novel. But he resolutely decided to switch to photography from 1979 to 1980. He has always been interested in taking pictures, but only after he arrived in the United States did he start to get in touch with and participate in the “outdoor photography” culture. In Europe, people do not have this kind of culture. Europe has a great natural history and culture, as well as a great photography culture, but the two have not come together. In the 1970s, nature photography was stagnant in Europe, but in the United States at that time, it was an art form. Photographers on the Great West Coast lead the way.
Frans Lanting used scientific analysis to look at what was going on in society. He had a deep understanding and passion for nature and wildlife, but at the same time, he thought he had a broader perspective than the traditional, narrow view that most wildlife photographers had at the time.
He never looked at nature in isolation, ignoring the bridging link between human society and the environment. In fact, it was one of the areas in which he developed an interest. Because of his European origin, when he started publishing photography books in North America, he was presenting something that editors had never seen before, like a breath of fresh air. He had no photographic education and became a self-taught man. Thus, a lot of conventions or stereotypes have been broken unconsciously. Therefore, his works can arouse the audience’s interest and curiosity more easily.
He was known as the one who has “the mind of a scientist, the heart of a hunter, and the eyes of a poet”