“What makes my photo book and conservation project special is that I don’t want to highlight the negative circumstances. The world is not altered by more horrible pictures of dehorned, bleeding rhinoceros. Through my photos, I want to pay tribute to these magnificent beings and share their incredible beauty, thus spreading the inspiration and desire to engage. Instead of creating despair, I want my book to fill people with admiration … The aim is to spread attention about African endangered animals, and raise funds going directly to their protection. African animals have existed much longer than us humans. The rhino for example, is over 30 million years old, and the first modern humans appeared only about 200,000 years ago. Still, in only the last 20 years, we have almost managed to wipe them out from the face of the Earth.”
—Björn Persson, photographer/author. The Real Owners of the Planet
I’ve been talking with longtime friend (and flommist) Stefan Hattenbach about this project for awhile. And he has been working as graphic and type designer bringing elegance to this book project.
For Björn, it’s a labor of love from decades of involvement.
This is the “first publication in a long term plan of photography books about threatened species around the world, we are focusing the fundraising to lions. Together with the independent conservation organisation The Perfect World Foundation … we will help and support African conservation projects that really make a genuine, hands on difference.”
And a big part of the profits will go to wildlife conservation through continued efforts to bring awareness to wat is happening on our largest continent.
The Real Owners of the Planet has about a week to go on Kickstarter. Please donate if you can. The photography – and rewards – spectacular.
—steve mehallo
Flommist Steve Mehallo is a graphic designer, illustrator, font designer, educator, foodie and gadfly. He is the creator and founder of FLOMM!
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