A decade of patience, wonder, and wilderness is now bound between two covers. Jack Plant, a British-born photographer who splits his time between Squamish and the Great Bear Rainforest, has released his debut photobook, Spirit of the Great Bear, and will celebrate its launch with an exhibition and book signing at the Brackendale Art Gallery on June 3 from 7 to 9 p.m.
Plant first visited the Great Bear Rainforest in 2014, drawn by a childhood obsession with spirit bears that began with a National Geographic cover story he saw as a boy in England.
“I got obsessed,” he said. “When I became old enough to go out there, I went out and I saw one on my first trip, which was very, very lucky.”
What started as a visit became a decade-long commitment. Plant spent roughly half of each year in the rainforest, managing a lodge, guiding photographers, driving boats, and doing conservation work including garbage cleanups and fundraising film projects. The other half of the year he spent in Squamish, a town he stumbled upon while couch-surfing in Vancouver.
“It had everything from the mountains and the ocean, the two things that I really enjoy in this world,” he said.
While the spirit bears were a powerful draw, Plant says it was the Indigenous people who kept him returning.
“What really kept me coming back is the welcoming I felt from the indigenous people that have lived there for so many years,” he said. “They taught me how to be around animals, how to navigate their wilderness. I eventually felt like I was coming home every time I went back.”
The book itself was years in the making. Plant sifted through hundreds of thousands of images before narrowing them down to roughly 100, then worked closely with a designer to ensure each photograph was displayed thoughtfully on the page. Published by Figure1, the book features a textured spine and embossed lettering, details Plant says were important to him.
“We wanted to make sure people felt like they were holding a piece of art that wasn’t just a book,” he said. “Something they want to be proudly displaying in their home.”
The project also received support from the Audain Foundation and Kitasoo Xai’xais Stewardship, whose contributions Plant says were instrumental in achieving the book’s quality.
Plant’s photography style evolved significantly over the course of the project. Early on he described his approach as largely journalistic, focused on capturing a clean, clear image of an animal. Mentorship from renowned wildlife photographer Paul Nicklen, who wrote the foreword to the book, pushed him in a new direction.
“He taught me to pull back, capture the environment, look for patterns, look for symmetries,” Plant said. “It went from a journalistic style to more of an artist perspective.”
Among the book’s most affecting stories is one Plant is reluctant to spoil. It involves a photograph of a spirit bear taken alongside a man living with ALS who had the encounter on his bucket list.
“I was sat with a dying man who wanted to see and photograph a spirit bear,” Plant said. “I’ll leave the details for people that read the book.”
The response to the release has already exceeded Plant’s expectations. In its first month, it received 900 orders.
“I’m not like people have heard of me,” Plant said. “I know they’re buying it because of the book’s content. The initial response has been a pleasant surprise.”
For Plant, the hope is simple.
“The way I was inspired when I saw that National Geographic story, I would love it if there was one or two people inspired to go on a journey of conservation, or just go outside and be at one with nature,” he said.
Squamish residents will have the chance to meet Plant, have books signed, and view a gallery of framed photographs from the book at the Brackendale Art Gallery on June 3 from 7 to 9 p.m. Those interested can reserve their spot here.
