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Photographer and artist whose main goal is to showcase the human impact on the environment

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Born and raised in Madrid, Spain

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Currently in the Amazon photographing rivers and rainforests

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World Press Photo Award for Contemporary Issues

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Rainforests in the Amazon near Altamira, Para state, Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sao Felix Do Xingu municipality, in Para State, Brazil.

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What does the photographer know about the subject and why are they qualified to make a statement on it?

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What does the photographer know about the subject and why are they qualified to make a statement on it?

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"In the last 20 years, Beltra has dedicated his career to conservation and captured the beautiful, the comical, and the tragic side of nature through photography."

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A picture may be worth a thousand words, but the photographs of world-renowned conservation photographer Daniel Beltra have left countless viewers speechless.

In the last 20 years, Beltra has dedicated his career to conservation and captured the beautiful, the comical, and the tragic side of nature through photography.

"I have a strong sense of responsibility and a duty also to try to show what's happening so people know," Beltra told ABC News' Bob Woodruff this past July in Sumatra. "The wider the audience, the better, so we can do something together to try to solve this problem."

ABC News joined Beltra exclusively as he visited and documented Bukit Tigapuluh, the last remaining lowland forest on Sumatra.

Beltra's work in Indonesia is just one of the latest ventures on a long list of conservation projects that has educated a large global audience and been received with much deserved accolades.

Just this year Beltra was recognized with Prince Charles' Rainforests Project Award, the top prize of the Sony World Photography Awards 2009.

Click Here to See Beltra's Stunning Photographs From Across the Globe

Beltra was hand-picked by the prince to document the world's most beautiful and most endangered rain forests.

"Photographic imagery can tell a compelling story about the truth of the situation, and the truth is, if we lose the fight against tropical deforestation, then we lose the fight against climate change," Prince Charles said in a video message.

Giving a Forest Value

Prince Charles' organization aims to combat deforestation with incentives to keep the natural resources intact.

"The idea is to create a fund to compensate the country that still holds the big chunks of tropical rain forest, so the forest is more valuable standing than logged," Beltra said.

Tropical deforestation has struck Indonesia hard. With just 30 percent of its natural forest remaining, it is third, behind China and the United States, in carbon emissions worldwide.

"When I came here for the first time, I was really shocked by the deforestation, and there was basically almost nothing left," Beltra said.

'Trashing Our Planet Too Much'

Between 1985 and 2007 Sumatra lost approximately 55,000 square miles of natural forest.

"It's heartbreaking," Beltra said in an interview with ABC News. "The degree of destruction here, it's amazing. ... I want people to be aware of what's happening and do something. And in order to do something you need to understand that there's still 80 percent of the rain forest standing and it's so gorgeous. So that's why we need to try to protect that," he said.

When forests are burned or cut down, they release large quantities of carbon dioxide, which affects the planet's climate.

"Tropical deforestation around the world is responsible for 20 percent of the CO2 emissions worldwide, so if we stop tropical deforestation that's a great way to control global warming," Beltra said.

Beltra has seen his share of natural disasters. His work has documented melting icebergs in Antarctica and devastating forest fires in Africa.

But Beltra most vividly remembers the emotion he felt photographing the droughts that ravished the Brazilian countryside. Beltra saw devastation everywhere in a drought that hit the Amazon in late 2005.

Hard to Show Tragedy

"I was really stunned by what I saw," Beltrá said. "I do a lot of aerial photography and so we found stranded boats in the middle of huge sand dunes. The river was really, really very low. Millions of fish were dying."

It is not easy for Beltra to show so much tragedy and still keep people engaged. While his work can be difficult at times, Beltra said he remains optimistic that people are paying attention.

"People are getting more and more concerned about the direction we're taking as humanity in the planet," Beltra said. "I always say that in this world there's no Republicans or Democrats. There's not a right or a left. We're all under the same roof. It's our house. We need to take care of it."

Person of the Week: Photographing the Rain Forests

Beltrá shot more than 40,000 images in Sumatra. More than 100 of the most striking photographs will be bound in a limited-edition book that will be sent to world leaders, nongovernmental advocacy groups and corporate executies in advance of the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference this December.

With his poignant photography in the hands of some of the world's most prominent figures, Beltra said he hopes rainforest conservation will get more of the world's attention.

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Stunning! Photographs for Nature Conservation

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Daniel Beltra captures the beautiful, the comical and the tragic side of nature. He has dedicated the last 20 years of his much admired career to conservation. Because of his outstanding work, his photographs have led to much deserved accolades, and just this year Beltra has been recognized with...

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What is the photographer’s opinion or stance on the subject of this series?

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What is the photographer’s opinion or stance on the subject of this series?

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"I find inspiration in the beauty and complexity of nature. The fragility of our ecosystems is a continuous thread throughout my work. My photographs show the vast scale of transformation our world is under from human-made stresses."

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How does the photographer express his or her opinions on the subject of this series?

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Primarily, a lot of Beltrá's photographs are taken from the air. He says that by doing this it "more easily allows for the juxtaposition of nature with the destruction wrought by unsustainable development."

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Started his career with the photo bombings by the Basque separatist organization Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) while he was a student at the Complutense University of Madrid.

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Beltrá started his career with photos of bombings by the Basque separatist organization Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) while he was a student at the Complutense University of Madrid. He went on to work at EFE and the Gamma photo agency while also photographing assignments for Greenpeace.

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What does the photographer know about the subject and why are they qualified to make a statement on it?

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What does the photographer know about the subject and why are they qualified to make a statement on it?

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Beltrá travled to the Gulf of Mexico to photograph the oil spills, which deeply inspired him.

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Daniel Beltrá is the winner of the 2011 Veolia Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award 2011. His striking still life of eight brown Pelicans, rescued from the Gulf of Mexico oil slick, is currently exhibited at the Natural History Museum, London. Well known for his conservation photography, Daniel's work has featured in some of the biggest publications in the world, including The New York Times, Newsweek and Le Monde and has been exhibited extensively. He was born in Spain and lives in Seattle, USA.
Hello Daniel, you won this year's Veolia Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. How did that feel?
It's a tremendous honour. It's such a dream for any photographer, in fact. But I believe what's more important is what was happening in the Gulf of Mexico. We are all guilty of having a very short-term memory. So the Wildlife Photographer of the Year shining a light on the problem was really great. The BBC gave it extensive coverage, which helped people to really understand the scale of the problem.
How did you come to be in the Gulf of Mexico to capture the winning shot?
I was there for Greenpeace. When the year began in 2010 all I wanted to do was have a holiday after a very busy 2009 working on Prince Charles' Rainforest Project, but it got very busy very quickly. When the spill happened at the end of April I thought it sounded like an interesting project to shoot. I instantly felt people needed to know more about what had happened. Then I got the call from Greenpeace' picture editor. They didn't have to say a word when I got the call. I simply said: "The Gulf?" and the answer was, straight away, "Yes". I left for Louisiana that same day.
Did you have the image of the pelicans in mind or was it a chance occurrence as part of your assignment?
It was a combination of things. We were at a facility for cleaning birds. For the first week myself and other photographers were offshore taking photographs of the spill. At some point the oil reached the coast and it was the pelicans' nesting season. It was especially cruel to learn they had only been taken off the endangered species list the year before. I tried to get permission to spend a day with them and it was actually during my second trip to the gulf that I took this shot. They were held in a wooden box and they spray them with light oil which mixes with the heavy oil. What's captured in the image is the oil running off their feathers and on to a white sheet. I had no lighting or tripod. The opportunity came every 30-minutes or so, in bursts of 5/10 seconds because they didn't open the tiny little door more than that. I did crop the image a little because there were some distractions in the frame. But basically, aside from some sharpening and saturation, what you see is what I got.

Much of your conservation photography generates an emotional response, often turning an unflinching eye to subjects that are difficult to look at - do you look for this in a photograph?
I have a background as a photojournalist. Finding beauty or emotion is a way to tell a story. Of course I would like to make more books to help tell those stories. I'm interested in people thinking about what they're looking at and the implications of the way we live our lives. There are 7 billion of us on this planet and if we want to be here for the long haul we're going to have to start taking care of it. The oil spill was, of course, awful but beauty can be found in it, as strange as that may sound.
Which of the other entries to the competition struck you as possible winners of the competition?
There were several. Stefano Unterthiner 's image was fantastic. It's a photo of geese on a frozen lake. It struck me as being so beautifully composed. It's quite classic in its composition and I think it's a phenomenal photograph. But it's hard to single out one image from the bunch. There were so many great ones.
How does it feel to have your image exhibited in the Natural History Museum?
The Natural History Museum is a dream place. Since a kid I've had two passions: photography and the natural world. My image of the place is walking around there as a kid with the big dinosaur bones. Being there and receiving such an award was an amazing honour. One of the big achievements in my life, for sure.
To what extent do you think photographs help raise awareness of global conservation issues?
I think photography is a tremendously powerful tool. To raise awareness is quite straightforward, to create change is hard. We remember images much better than text or even moving images. But how do you quantify the results? Are we on the right path? That's another story. It's very easy to take yourself too seriously and forget what it is you're shooting. But really we photographers are just taking pictures - there are much more important things in life.

You made a Bob Book with us, can you tell us a bit more about it?
Stuart Smith is a phenomenal designer who was hired to make a book as part of the Prince's Rainforest Project Award. He helped me make a prototype book of my photographs from the Gulf. It was one of the first books of my work - and I was extremely impressed with the quality. This was the first time I'd seen a book made print-on-demand. It is a sequence of images, no captions and no other text. The image of the pelicans had to feature at the end as it's an image that keeps my feet on the ground. It's a very clear example of what we're doing to the world.
Is there a photograph you really wish you'd taken?
That's a great question. At WildPhotos (held in October, WildPhotos plays host to some of the world's finest wildlife and environmental photographers - including winners of the Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition) there's a section called 'I wish I'd Taken That'. Jack Dykinga 's image of a mountain reflected in water is just stunning. I call him the Ansel Adams in colour. He's a very talented guy. His work reminds me of why I do what I do. And I really wish I'd taken that photography - or any of his photographs for that matter.
Conversely, is there a photography you want to take?
It's difficult to select one. What I would say is that an image that would help us change, preserve and protect our home is the image I want to take. I would definitely say that I look for images that will help to bring attention to conservation issues. I think pictures are an incredible way to do that.
What's your advice to aspiring wildlife photographers?
I wouldn't want to give advice to wildlife photographers because I don't consider myself a wildlife photographer. I think of myself as a conservation photographer. But what I would say is this: work in your back yard. The best thing you can do is find subjects near home. You can go back regularly and work them and be a tough editor and only show your best work. So that's my advice: only show your best work! (laughs)
Anything else, what's next?
I'm still working on the rainforest. My problem is finding the time for everything. I don't have a big studio. I'm a small operation. I want to go back to the Amazon and I want to complete a project on aerial photography in the US. Other than that I will continue to shoot conservation photography - it's what I know and love.

All photography by Daniel Beltrá

© 2015 Bob Books Ltd. 241a Portobello Road, London W11 1LT

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Bob Books - Interview: Wildlife Photographer Of The Year 2011 Daniel Beltrá

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Daniel Beltrá is the winner of the 2011 Veolia Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award 2011. His striking still life of eight brown Pelicans, rescued from the Gulf of Mexico oil slick, is currently exhibited at the Natural History Museum, London.

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Events leading up to the photos from Brazil

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Events leading up to the photos from Brazil

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Described as an "aerial view of a log sorting yard carved from the Amazon rainforest"
taken in 2013

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Events leading up to the photos from Brazil (cont)

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Events leading up to the photos from Brazil (cont)

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"Smoke reveals a single tree as a fire burns the Amazon rainforest, clearing the way for cattle or crop farming"
taken in 2008

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Where did the images appear or who sponsored their production and publication?

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Where did the images appear or who sponsored their production and publication?

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All of Beltrá's work is on his website, organized by category for each issue.

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What kind of viewers will this photo reach?

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People fighting to end destruction of rain forests, conservation of land, and protecting the animals/wildlife in the forests.

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To spread awareness of the destruction of forests and how it is effecting the area, and people in it, and surrounding it.

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Events leading up to the photos from the Democratic Republic of Congo 

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Events leading up to the photos from the Democratic Republic of Congo 

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"Piles of slash are burned to clear the rainforest land for agricultural production"
near Onane, Democratic Republic of the Congo
taken in 2009

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How is the destruction of rain forests effecting the animals in it? 

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How is the destruction of rain forests effecting the animals in it? 

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Many animals become orphans after their parents are killed

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Spanish photographer Daniel Beltrá won the 2009 Prince's Rainforests Project (PRP) award at the Sony world photography awards. His prize was a fully funded trip to three of the world's major rainforests in Brazil, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Here is a selection of photographs from DRC which will be shown alongside his images from the Amazon and Indonesia in an exhibition at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London (3 October-6 December), Hotel de Ville, Paris (3-14 October), and the Alexa Centre, Berlin (27 October-7 November)

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In pictures: Daniel Beltra's photographs of deforestation in the Democratic Republic of Congo

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Spanish photographer Daniel Beltrá won the 2009 Prince's Rainforests Project (PRP) award at the Sony world photography awards. His prize was a fully funded trip to three of the world's major rainforests in Brazil, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

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posts pictures of his work and advertises for people wanting to end wildlife crime

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"By bringing images from remote locations where human and business interests and nature are at odds, I hope to instill a deeper appreciation for nature and an understanding of the precarious balance our lifestyle has placed on the planet."

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posts about his work, projects he is currently working on, and work he has published/ is publishing