Photographer Paul Nicklen desires to encourage individuals to cease “thrashing the planet”

In his 30 years as a photographer and cinematographer, Paul Nicklen has skilled all of it—from dwelling on the ocean ice, to surviving aircraft crashes and dislocated shoulders, to sleeping many nights beneath the celebs. And on this unpredictable wilderness, he finds the deepest sense of peace. “It’s all the time been the reverence I’ve for nature. I imply, I don’t wish to get too non secular or anti-religious, however that is my church, and that is the place I discover all the things is smart,” Nicklen advised National Geographic. “I’ve had nothing but reverence for nature since I was a little kid.”

Nicklen has dedicated his life to documenting our blue planet’s incredible beauty—and this July, he’s publishing his latest book of photos, Reverence, out from Hemeria on July 28, which coincides with World Conservation Day. From images of rare bear species in British Columbia to color-changing squid in Indonesia, Nicklen’s book encapsulates his career as a photographer and his raw love for nature. 

Nicklen hopes his passion might spark a love for conservation in readers.  “If the work could be powerful enough that people all of the sudden wake up and feel something and recognize that we’ve lost so much on this planet … seventy percent of biodiversity is gone, but there’s still so much more worth fighting for, ” he says. “And then, to create that emotional connection for people, that’s often enough for them to get involved.”