The making of these photographs was made possible by the unwavering support of my colleagues, without whom this work would not have been realized. These are some of those people.
Design
David Meredith is the designer of this book and has been a collaborator on many of my projects. His love of images (being a photographer himself) brings along a respect and understanding that seems to inform the design and elevate the work.
Post Production
My retoucher, Justin Cohen, and I have worked together from an early stage. We have had the good fortune of developing our skills in tandem, and his loyalty and creative contributions have been instrumental in all of the work in this book. From the beginning of this project, he has devoted hundreds of hours to making these images what they are. Like a printer in a traditional darkroom, he enhances, highlights, and shadows, which injects depth and form into the image. Justin’s unique background as an illustrator and sculptor enable him to simultaneously work in the minutia while seeing the image as a whole. I find that his enhancement brings us even closer to the animals.
Crew
I would also like to express my gratitude to everyone at my studio who has worked so hard to bring this project together. Thanks to my assistants: Dallas Raleigh, Nick Lee, Michael Roberto, Marcus Guillard, and Jackson Nash and to my studio manager and producer, Shannon McDowell and Veronica Madrigal, who have provided the tools and logistical creativity that brought this project together.
The Handlers
Throughout the course of shooting all of these creatures, I met many people who have devoted their lives to caring for animals, often times allowing them into their homes and caring for them as their own. Many animals that are in their care have been rescued or have retired from zoo living. My thanks go to Nick Toth, Lawrence Forcella, and Andrew Simmons.
Also my thanks go to:
Alex Vlack, who has nourished my work from the onset and who edited the essay.
My wife, Nicole Bergen, and our son, Ethan, who are the lights of my life without whom my world would be dim.
My parents Susan and Alan, and my siblings, Sharon, Jennifer, and Jason, who have encouraged me in all of my efforts as a photographer and who exposed me to the medium at the earliest stage.
Sandy Kavalier, my friend, teacher, and overall source of guidance in all matters of life and creativity.
Graham Nash for contributing his words to this book and also to his family for all of their support and inspiration.
And finally, I have been lucky to meet Geoff Blackwell and Ruth Hobday who approached me about making the book and have made incredible efforts to see that this project was realized on a broad scale. They have provided uncompromised support for my vision.