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Visitor Information: The RPS Gallery and coffee shop will be closed on Saturday 7 December

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CREDIT: Art Wolfe

Art Wolfe photographs the creatures of the night

The RPS Honorary Fellow explores the Earth's nocturnal landscapes – and the creatures that inhabit them

A leopard (Panthera pardus) heads out for a night of prowling in Okavango Delta, Botswana.
Captured on film.

Acclaimed nature photographer Art Wolfe HonFRPS has been roaming the Earth for more than 40 years, bringing its most alluring landscapes to a wide and appreciative audience. “I photograph what’s beautiful on the planet,” proclaims his Instagram account.

In Wolfe’s latest book, Night on Earth, the Washington-born conservationist introduces us to a nocturnal world – and the wildlife that inhabit its haunting, moonlit landscapes. His night-time images, influenced by a love of painting, cast an entirely different light on nature. This is, after all, the son of commercial artists who himself studied fine art and art education at university.

We bring you six wildlife images from Night on Earth, including the white rhinoceros – the second-largest mammal after the elephant – and the endangered green turtle.

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A Northern saw-whet owl (Aegolius acadicus) in Washington, USA, prepares to leave its nesting cavity after having fed its young.
SLR camera, 80-200mm lens, f/11 for 1/60 second with flash, Fujichrome Velvia film.

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CREDIT: Art Wolfe

White rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) and calf, Etosha National Park, Kunene, Namibia.
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens, f/5.6 for 1/8000 second, ISO 4000.

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CREDIT: Art Wolfe

King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus), South Georgia Island, British Overseas Territory.
Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II, 70.0-200.0 mm f/2.8 lens, f/22 for 0.6, second, ISO 400.

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CREDIT: Art Wolfe

Green sea turtle hatchlings (Chelonia mydas), Mnemba Island, Tanzania.
Canon EOS-1D X, EF24-70mm f/4L IS USM lens, f/18 for 1/200, second, ISO 4000.

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CREDIT: Art Wolfe

White-footed sportive lemur (Lepilemur leucopus), Toamasina, Madagascar.
Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II, 500mm +2x lens, f/9 for 1/25 second, ISO 200.

Discover nocturnal landscapes by Art Wolfe HonFRPS in the September/October 2021 issue of the RPS Journal.

The RPS Journal is available exclusively to members. Join us to receive our award-winning magazine and read more inspiring features. Explore full member benefits here