Evoking Empathy for Nature

Tim Flach is one of my favourite animal portraitists. If such a genre exists but I’d offer that he both invented and defined it.

Evoking Empathy through Animal Portraiture is a talk that he gave at Gresham College. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it in person this time but know Tim through the Association of Photographers when I was a member many years ago.

_Renowned photographer Tim Flach is known for his stylised animal portraits. He has dedicated his career to documenting biodiversity and conveying empathy for our planet’s endangered creatures. Driven by a desire to share stories of the natural world, he collaborates with scientists to research how imagery can better lead to pro-environmental outcomes. _

The natural world faces unprecedented threats, challenging historical perceptions of nature as inexhaustible. Photographer Tim Flach draws on his acclaimed works, including Endangered, More Than Human, and Birds, to reveal how photography transcends traditional wildlife representation. By employing critical anthropomorphism and human portraiture techniques, Flach’s images foster empathy and kinship with animals. Collaborating with social scientists, he illustrates how visual storytelling evokes emotional responses and inspires conservation action, showcasing the profound intersection of art, science, and social awareness in the Anthropocene.