11.) Ronan Donovan — Genevieve Kerr

Ronan Donovan is a National Geographic explorer with a love for the natural world. He works for National Geographic as a wildlife photographer and environmental advocate. Donovan has completed several projects documenting different species around the world. Some of his assignments for National Geographic include documenting the iconic gray wolves of Yellowstone National Park, and his current assignment in Uganda recording the conflict between chimpanzees and humans bought on by deforestation.

Donovan’s photographs allow us a view into the natural habitat of some amazing wildlife. Through these images we can step into the life that these wild creatures live, and gain more of an understanding of what they go through every day. Viewing wild animals in such a raw, unfiltered way makes the viewer appreciate those animals and acknowledge the importance of protecting them and the environment. The most powerful photographs are the ones where the animal is looking directly at the viewer, like the two photos of wolves posted below. That eye contact engages the viewer and builds a connection that becomes way more complex than simply looking at a picture of an animal. The nature of the photos of the wolves in particular challenges the viewer, making it impossible to not step into that creature’s world for just a moment and think about the struggles that animal goes through every day just to survive. Part of that struggle is brought on by human interaction, and Donovan’s photos document just that.