Marsel van Oosten Nature photographer

The award-winning nature photographer tells Graeme Green about simplicity, Snoop Dogg, death metal, and the dire state of Mother Earth

The creator of so many iconic images, van Oosten looks back over his 15-year career to date and brings us up to speed on his latest photo book, on

Marsel van Oosten’s 15-year photographic career has been filled with many highlights, with expeditions from Namibia to Norway to Yemen, creatively capturing the natural world, from golden snub-nosed monkeys, lions and polar bears to rock formations and dragon blood trees. Along the way, he’s become the world’s only nature photographer to win the ‘Grand Slam’: the grand titles for Wildlife Photographer of the Year, International Nature Photographer of the Year and Travel Photographer of the Year. “It flew by,” he reflects.

Many of Marsel’s greatest images from the past 15 years – from classic, famous photos to previously unseen work – are collected together in his new book Mother, described as a tribute to Mother Earth. But talking to the Dutch photographer, now 52, there’s a hint of regret that he didn’t start working as a photographer earlier. Marsel initially graduated from the Royal Academy of Arts in Rotterdam with a BA in art direction and graphic design, and worked for 15 years as an art director for international ad agencies, winning awards including Gold Lions at the International Advertising Festival in Cannes. His art and design background comes through in his photos, which draw on the motto (often, questionably, credited to Leonardo da Vinci) “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”.

What was it like to look back on 15 years of expeditions and photos?

It’s been like a rollercoaster. Also, when I look back, I think, “Oh man, I should have started way earlier.”

At the same time, I think all the experiences I’ve had led eventually to me making this decision to become a nature photographer. If I hadn’t had that experience in my previous career, I may never have decided to do this in the first place.

Right: ‘Sleepy’, China. Marsel says: “When a panda cub is born, it is pink, blind and toothless, weighing only 90-130g — proportionally the smallest baby of any placental mammal. One to two weeks after birth, the cub’s skin turns grey where its hair will eventually become black. One month after birth, the colour pattern of the cub’s fur is fully developed.”