Tim Flach is an internationally recognised British photographer whose work explores the complex relationship between humans, animals, and the natural world. Born in London in 1958, he studied at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design before beginning his professional career in photography in the early 1980s.
Although animals are at the centre of his practice, Flach has often resisted the traditional label of wildlife photographer. His interest lies not only in documenting animals, but in examining how we see them, how we assign meaning to them, and how photography can influence our emotional connection to other species. This approach has resulted in a highly distinctive visual language that moves between portraiture, fine art, science, and conservation.
His first major body of work, Equus (2008), explored the horse and the extraordinary diversity of the equine family. It was followed by Dogs Gods (2010), a visually striking study of dogs and the complex relationship between humans and one of the species closest to us. More Than Human (2012) then broadened his enquiry to consider the ethical, scientific, and cultural relationships between humans and animals.
With Endangered (2017), Flach turned his attention more directly towards conservation, photographing species facing extinction and asking how imagery might help create empathy and awareness. His belief that photography can strengthen our connection to nature has become increasingly central to his work.
Birds (2021) explored the extraordinary evolutionary diversity of birds, tracing their lineage from feathered dinosaurs to the species we know today. The project combined beauty, science, and evolutionary history while continuing Flach’s wider investigation into how humans perceive and relate to the natural world.
His latest major project, Feline (2025), turns to both domestic and wild cats. Through more than 170 photographs, the project explores their evolution, cultural history, physical diversity, and enduring relationship with humans. It continues Flach’s interest in the boundary between scientific enquiry and emotional connection, while introducing a new chapter to his long-term exploration of the animal kingdom.
Across these bodies of work, Flach’s photographs are distinguished by their remarkable clarity and sculptural quality. By often approaching animals with the visual language traditionally associated with human portraiture, he encourages viewers to look longer and reconsider familiar assumptions about other species.
Flach has received an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Photographic Society and an Honorary Doctorate. He is also a Senior Research Fellow and Artist in Residence at the Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing at Linacre College, University of Oxford, and serves as President of the Association of Photographers.
At the heart of Tim Flach’s practice is a simple but increasingly urgent idea: that emotional connection can change the way we value and protect the natural world. His photographs bring animals physically and psychologically closer to us, combining beauty with curiosity, science, and an underlying concern for the future of the species with which we share the planet.
