Robert B. Haas

Robert B Haas often gets up at 4AM to tackle his other life’s purpose. He has to order kerosine, brief pilots, and make sure to not miss the first morning light. Safety is important. A special safety harness holds the smart Texan when he leans far out of the window of his chartered Cessna.

Haas flies over Africa. "If I could return to only one  place in my whole life it would be Africa. I love animals. I love to be with these amazing creatures and to photograph places where time seems to have stood still."

Robert Haas’ career as an aerial photographer began in Africa. In the 1990s, a successful businessman in the USA, went on a photo safari and subsequently shot his first beautiful color photographs. “I belonged there; I felt it; I was at peace.” he recounts of his first experiences on safari. Since then he oscillates back and forth between the business world, meandering streams and places which can only be discovered by plane. He has extensively explored and photographed America as well, "The change was good for me, because my spirit became more open and let me see the world through different eyes."

Robert B. Haas was born in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, in 1947. He is the author and photographer of a series of seven photographic books, including A Vision of Africa (1998), Predators (2001), African Critters (2002 edition), Ten Days on the Chobe (2002), Through the Eyes of the Gods: An Aerial Vision of Africa (2005), Through the Eyes of the Condor: An Aerial Vision of Latin America (2007), and African Critters (2008).  Through the Eyes of the Gods (2005), Through the Eyes of the Condor (2007), and African Critters (2008 edition) were each published by National Geographic.

Since 2002, Haas has focused his artistic endeavors primarily on aerial photography, in an effort to capture the grandeur and mystique of Earth’s continents from this unique perspective. Haas’s first book with National Geographic, aptly titled Through the Eyes of the Gods, was published in 2005. An aerial vision of Africa, Through the Eyes of the Gods has been translated into 17 languages and sold more than 115,000 copies worldwide.  In his second work with National Geographic, titled Through the Eyes of the Condor published in 2007 and also translated into 17 languages worldwide, Haas devoted his creative energies to Latin America, crisscrossing this vast region to create an aerial portrait of its volcanic peaks, lush rivers, colorful wildlife, and culturally diverse peoples from the vantage point of helicopters and small planes.  Through the Eyes of the Gods and Through the Eyes of the Condor are two of the most successful and widely distributed single-photographer books ever published by National Geographic.

Haas’s photographs have appeared in exhibits in New York, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Denver, Miami, El Paso, Japan, Germany, Mexico, the People’s Republic of China, the Czech Republic, Spain, Australia, Venezuela, Serbia, Hungary, and Slovenia. His work has also been featured on CBS News Sunday Morning and CNN, and in National Geographic Magazine, TIME Magazine, Forbes Life, American Way Magazine, and numerous other publications around the world.

Throughout his photographic career, Haas has donated issues of his books and all royalties to schools, libraries, nonprofit foundations, and wildlife conservation organizations throughout the world. In 2002, Haas was recognized by The WILD Foundation and the United Nations Environment Programme for his contributions on behalf of endangered species and the environment.

Haas is Chairman of the Board of Haas Wheat & Partners, a Dallas-based private investment firm that specializes in strategic equity investments. The Firm’s national reputation as a leading strategic investor has been established over the past few decades in a series of noteworthy acquisitions, including Dr Pepper Company and The Seven-Up Company.  A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School, Haas has endowed professorships and been a frequent lecturer at both institutions.