For this series, shot for The Overview: Meditations on Nature for a World in Transition, British-Indian photographer Vivek Vadoliya traveled to Madagascar for the first time, enamored instantly with the island country’s beauty up close.

“For me, Madagascar was some far-out tropical landscape, seen in animated films or David Attenborough documentaries,” he said. “To experience it was even more mesmerizing than I expected.”

Through shots of vivid sunsets, grassy plains, and cerulean waters, Vadoliya manages to capture the deep earth tones of the island, its sublime colors and textures transferred to the final pages of The Overview book.

Standing within this biodiverse landscape, the London-based artist felt a “raw energy” from the ecosystems that have made homes here—lemurs jumping from forest trees, oceans filled with aquatic life, and countless birds circling clear skies. Even the way the island drastically  transformed from savanna to forest to sea was both powerful and inspiring for Vadoliya; he recognized that it demanded respect.

“There is so much vitality and beauty that it gave me so much respect for the power of Mother Nature,” he said.

As much as Vadoliya was enchanted by the richness of Madagascar, he also couldn’t help but notice the marks that humans had left. From high vantage points, he was able to gain a wider perspective of the landscape—witnessing not just the high spirals and waves of the ocean, but the details of the damaged terrain. For him, the view seemed destructive and at times incredibly beautiful. 

From this position, Vadoliya admits he felt incredibly small; yet, he could also easily recognize our large impact on nature, a sharp reminder of its elusiveness.

“It’s something precious and fragile that we have to hold onto.”