- Page 1 of 9
- View All
Talk to an Expedition Specialist
1.800.EXPEDITION (1.800.397.3348)
1.800.EXPEDITION (1.800.397.3348)
Meet the talented National Geographic photographers whose images you see on this site
Virtually every photo you see on this website and in our brochures, advertising, and emails was shot by our talented expedition photographers (with some exceptions, such as a new geography requiring images not in our library) and depict wildlife, vistas, or events that guests aboard experienced as well. Meet the talented National Geographic photographers, Lindblad-National Geographic certified photo instructors, and passionate naturalists responsible for the inspiring images in our photo library. It is through their talent and hard work that we are able to share the wonders of the wild world with so many people.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Jonathan Kingston is a photographer with National Geographic Creative and is currently based in Bend, Oregon. Jonathan fell in love with photography at the tender age of 10 months when his parents, after trying numerous other objects unsuccessfully, placed a camera on the floor in front of him to entice him to crawl. Jonathan’s life as a photographer did not begin until many years later when he migrated west.
National Geographic Photographer
Photographer Karen Kasmauski has produced 25 stories for National Geographic magazine on topics ranging from earthquakes in Japan to oil exploration in Alaska. She finds the personal stories behind the headlines, blending a warm human sensitivity with a photographer’s eye for detail to distill global issues into resonant images.
Read More
National Geographic Photographer
In a career spanning 40 years, Ken Garrett has photographed more than 60 feature stories for National Geographic and National Geographic Traveler magazines. His work has also appeared in Smithsonian, Air and Space, Archaeology, Fortune, Forbes, Time, Life, Audubon, Geo Germany, National Wildlife and Natural History magazines, among others. With an academic background in anthropology, Ken has documented ancient cultures, archaeological sites, and dramatic landscapes worldwide.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Emily grew up in Boulder, Colorado and Pullman, Washington. Her love of nature began as a child during family vacations spent exploring the mountains and deserts of the west. In contrast to her outdoor interests, Emily pursued an intensive young career as a classical violinist, culminating in degrees in history and music performance at the University of Washington.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Michael Nolan was born in Bitburg, Germany to an Air Force family stationed there. His first experience of the ocean came at age 12, when he learned to snorkel in the Italian Mediterranean. At age 17 he moved to Tucson, Arizona and became a PADI SCUBA instructor, before starting a SCUBA diving business that specialized in diving trips to the Sea of Cortez.
National Geographic Photographer
Jim Richardson is an American photojournalist working primarily for the National Geographic Society and as a social documentary photographer recognized for his explorations of small-town life.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Patricio, better known as Pato amongst his friends, was born in the Galápagos Island. His family moved to the islands from the mainland and settled on the island of Santa Cruz over thirty-five years ago. Pato had an enchanted childhood in the islands, where his keen interest in the wildlife of the Galápagos was born initially through catching lizards and observing how they lost their tails. His experiences in the islands have led him to teach visitors about the need to protect this rare and unique environment.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Erika is a contributing photographer and writer with National Geographic Travel magazine, and her work is represented by the National Geographic Creative Image Collection. Born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Erika fell in love with the outdoors and the cedar forests of the North during summer camping trips with her family. Her guiding experience began on the whitewaters of Colorado and in the mountains of Big Sky, Montana, and she blames her Wisconsin heritage for her resilience to freezing temperatures.
National Geographic Photographer
Dan Westergren has spent three decades producing award-winning images as a National Geographic Society photographer, photo editor, and social media strategist. Years after being introduced to the camera by an indulgent eighth-grade science teacher, Westergren became Director of Photography at National Geographic Traveler, where he developed a photographic aesthetic that has defined the magazine’s visual impact in print, digital, and social media.
National Geographic Photographer
Travel writer and photographer Christopher P. Baker has been hailed by National Geographic as: “One of the world's leading authorities on Cuba travel and culture.” He has written and photographed six books about Cuba, including the best-selling Moon Cuba and National Geographic Traveler Cuba guidebooks, plus Mi Moto Fidel: Motorcycling Through Castro's Cuba and the coffee-table book Cuba Classics: A Celebration of Vintage American Automobiles.
National Geographic Photographer
National Geographic photographer Andrew Coleman has traveled around the globe in search of amazing wildlife and landscapes. He is a regular contributor to National Geographic Traveler and the National Geographic website, as well as other publications, and is represented in the National Geographic Image Collection. Andrew has an insatiable appetite to be in the wild and, through his images, attempts to capture the extraordinary beauty of the natural world. Andrew has joined National Geographic Expeditions to Yellowstone National Park, Borneo, the Galápagos, the Arctic, Around the World by Private Jet, and Cuba. Over the course of his career, he has traveled, camera in hand, to some of the world’s most remarkable places, including Alaska, Jordan, Easter Island, Kenya, Peru, South Africa, and Uganda.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Juan Carlos was born in Quito, Ecuador. He spent part of his elementary schooling in the province of Cotopaxi, a beautiful area in the Ecuadorian Andes ringed by volcanoes. In 1989 his family moved to the Galápagos and settled in the highlands of Santa Cruz, the second largest island in this archipelago. It was here that Juan Carlos finished high school and gained his deep love for nature.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Celso was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador. At the age of nine he arrived in the Galápagos for the first time and he was profoundly touched by nature, observation, and isolation. When he saw the sharks, rays and turtles swimming in the bay, he was triggered by a sense of wonder that he did not feel before. Celso believes education is key to preservation. After graduating from the Naval Academy at the age of 17 he moved to New York to continue his education.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Jeff is an environmental filmmaker and adventure cinematographer. His passion for adventure has led him through rural Kenyan villages, atop erupting Guatemalan volcanoes and to the enchanted Galápagos Islands to film Hammerhead Sharks. Being an expedition filmmaker enables Jeff to combine his love for capturing beauty with his drive to protect the environment. In the words of Jacques Cousteau, “people protect what they love.” Inspired, Jeff created UGENA.org, the United Global Environmental News Agency, an online resource to inspire people to care about the environment.
National Geographic Photographer
Australian photographer Jason Edwards is the face of National Geographic Channel’s Pure Photography. Jason began his career as a wildlife and natural history photographer at the Melbourne Zoo, where he spent 11 years working as a carnivore and primate husbandry specialist for the Zoological Board of Victoria. He has photographed in dozens of countries, his commissioned assignments having taken him to every continent in the world.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
R. Aaron Raymond started his career as an underwater photographer, which blossomed from his love of the ocean. He grew up on a sailboat diving for abalone off the coast of California. He loves to photograph landscapes, nature, and wildlife—anything that allows him to capture fleeting moments and showcase the interaction of light and the natural world. Aaron has photographed life on all sides of the planet, from the depths of Madagascar’s oceans to the heights of the Himalayas, which he crested at 18,500 feet via motorcycle.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Christian was born on the island of Isabela in the Galápagos archipelago. He grew up on a farm and had a magical childhood devoid of cars, electricity, telephones—just pure nature and playful sea lions along the beach. At the age of seven, he moved with his family to Santa Cruz Island, the economic hub of the Galápagos Islands. His father began to work in tourism and took Christian around the islands during school vacations. It was during this time that Christian learned to love and understand the real value of this unique archipelago, and he decided to devote his life to its stewardship. A lifelong passion for nature and its creatures took root in his heart, and he eventually decided to become a naturalist, which he has now been doing for 18 years now.
National Geographic Photographer
For more than a decade, Erika Larsen has used photography to learn intimately about and document cultures that maintain strong connections with nature. She has followed Sami reindeer herders in the Scandinavian arctic and explored the significance of the horse in Native American culture for National Geographic magazine.
National Geographic Photographer
Gianluca Colla has traveled and photographed around the world, from the Arctic Circle to Africa’s deserts and from the Amazon to the streets of London. He has covered a diverse range of topics including the secrets of the longest-living centenarians in the world, a lost Da Vinci painting, and hidden mummies in Sicilian crypts. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including National Geographic magazine, Condé Nast Traveler, Newsweek, the New York Times, and the Washington Post.
National Geographic Photographer
Born and raised in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sisse Brimberg has been a regular photographer for National Geographic since 1976, when a Danish grant allowed her to study photojournalism at the Society. She worked as an apprentice in a commercial photo studio while attending photography school, and later operated her own studio in Copenhagen for five years before coming to National Geographic.
National Geographic Photographer
Award-winning filmmaker, photographer, and explorer Kip Evans has led or participated in more than fifty expeditions throughout the world, including recent assignments in Alaska, the Indian Ocean, Chile, and South Africa. As a photographer, he has worked on dozens of National Geographic Society projects since 1998, including the five-year Sustainable Seas project to explore and document the U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries. Kip has also served as an expert for National Geographic Student Expeditions in San Francisco and Monterey Bay. Kip’s images have been featured in books, exhibits, calendars, advertisements, and magazines worldwide, including National Geographic magazine, Patagonia, Apple Computer, The Wall Street Journal, Outside, Rolex, and Alert Diver. In 2014, Kip lived underwater for 17 days in the Aquarius underwater laboratory as an aquanaut with Fabien Cousteau's Mission 31. His photographs from the expedition were featured in hundreds of publications throughout the world, including the front cover of TIME for Kids and a double-page spread in TIME magazine.
National Geographic Photographer
Tim Laman is a Ph.D. rain forest field biologist and wildlife photojournalist who has been a regular contributor to National Geographic since 1997. He recently completed his 18th article for the magazine. He is also a research associate in the Ornithology Department at Harvard University, and has a special passion for bird photography. He has turned his camera into a tool for communicating the stories of earth's little-known and endangered species and wild places.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Nicknamed “Indio” (Indian) because of his powers of observation and quiet nature, José has almost two decades of experience working as a naturalist and photography guide; as well as being recognized as an expert birder and nature photographer in Costa Rica. Costa Rica is rich in biodiversity — over 893 bird species have been recorded in the country. Since very young José spent all of his free time in the outdoors in the forest, where he soon fell in love with the birds. He particularly enjoys listening to their calls, and watching their behavior. Oddly enough, another one of Jose’s passions is science and technology, and because of this, he was among the first in Costa Rica to experiment with digital photography. As the technology quickly improved so did his love for it. He truly believes that nature photography is the perfect combination of both of his passions.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Fabio (Fe) Amador is a Senior Program Officer for the National Geographic Society/Waitt Grants Program, which is dedicated to funding exploratory research around the world. He has traveled and worked extensively throughout Latin America and is presently collaborating with research projects in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, Peru, El Salvador, and Madagascar. He has also traveled regularly to Cuba over the past five years on educational and scientific missions for National Geographic. As a trained archaeologist, his interest in Taino Indian culture (which spanned the Greater Antilles, including Cuba) is focused on the sacred landscape and the use of caves for ritual activity. In his role at National Geographic, Fabio uses imaging and visualization technologies to provide new ways of capturing data and to document the experience of conducting research and exploration. His initiative in supporting worldwide research has resulted in a workshop titled The Art of Communicating Science. This capacity building initiative is aimed at students, scholars, explorers, government agencies, and stewards of the cultural and natural patrimony, so that they can be trained in how to develop, design and use imaging technology to document, protect, and communicate the importance of their heritage through exploration, discovery, and storytelling. Fe's continued effort in communicating science has allowed him to use photography, cinematography, and other multimedia tools to reach large audiences through his public lectures at universities, presentations at international scientific and professional symposia, publications in scholarly journals and on National Geographicâs Explorers Journal and NatGeo News Watch online blogs.
National Geographic Photographer
Over two-plus decades as National Geographic contributing photographers, Diane Cook and Len Jenshel have shot more than ten feature articles for National Geographic magazine and many more for National Geographic Traveler. Their work spans nature and beauty, culture, the environment, and science, and is represented in more than 100 major museum collections worldwide.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
An editorial photographer and videographer based in Washington, D.C., Eric Kruszewski's multimedia work focuses on reportage and travel. His work is represented by National Geographic Creative, and he is a regular contributor to National Geographic's Image Collection.
National Geographic Photographer
Trevor Frost is a photographer, filmmaker, and National Geographic Expeditions Council Grantee. At the age of 22, he received his first grant from National Geographic to map and photograph caves in Central Africa. At 29, he completed his first feature story as a photographer for National Geographic magazine on gelada monkeys in the highlands of Ethiopia. With the support of the National Geographic Society, he is now working on a multi-year project to photograph and film saltwater crocodiles in Northern Australia using specially designed remote cameras. In addition to his own photography, Trevor has worked as a cameraman on a number of projects, including a three-year effort to document wild orangutans in Borneo with renowned wildlife photographer Tim Laman for the National Geographic Channel. Trevor is currently working on a film on orangutans that will premiere later this year. He has won several awards, and was chosen by Nick Nichols and the prestigious LOOK3 Photography Festival as one of the world's top emerging photographers. Trevor also works as an advisor with Focused on Nature, a non-profit based in Geneva that supports conservation projects globally. Trevor lives in Richmond, Virginia next to the James River.
National Geographic Photographer
Todd Gipstein has been a photographer, writer, producer, and lecturer for more than 40 years. He has worked with National Geographic since 1987. For many years, he was the Geographic’s Director of Multi-Image and an Executive Producer of Media. His photographs have been published in National Geographic and Traveler magazines and in many books. His award-winning documentaries for the Geographic have dealt with a diverse range of topics, including photography, nature, the environment, history, exploration, travel, and National Geographic itself.
National Geographic Photographer
Krista Rossow is a freelance photographer and educator based near Eugene, Oregon. Her specialty of travel photography has allowed her to travel the globe photographing everything from people and cultures to wildlife and landscapes. She sees the camera as a tool for understanding new cultures, meeting the locals, and exploring the natural world. She shoots nationally and internationally for travel publications such as National Geographic Traveler. Her latest assignments had her bumping down potholed dirt roads exploring a surfer’s paradise in Costa Rica and visiting a Zulu farm in the stunning countryside near Durban, South Africa.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
A childhood surrounded by the woods and streams of Pennsylvania initially sparked Alex’s curiosity about nature. That curiosity eventually led him to pursue degrees in biology and environmental studies at Boston College. During his time there he conducted research on carnivorous plants in Iceland and kelp forests in South Africa. Together these diverse experiences provided him with the background and passion to become a teacher.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Trained as zoologist and geologist, Stewart 's passion is the natural world. He has been exploring, photographing, teaching, and writing about biodiversity, geology, and the American Southwest for forty years and has worked with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic since 1981. Stewart also spent ten years as a field biologist for the Museum of Northern Arizona, a nonprofit institution dedicated to preserving the Colorado Plateau's natural and cultural heritage.
National Geographic Photographer
Documentary photographer and visual anthropologist Alison Wright has photographed nine books, including the National Geographic guidebooks on London and Great Britain, as well as The Dalai Lama: A Simple Monk, which is based on her two-decade friendship with the Dalai Lama. A frequent contributor to National Geographic Traveler magazine, Alison is a recipient of the Dorothea Lange Award in Documentary Photography and a two-time winner of the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award. She was recently named “The Most Compelling Woman in the Travel Industry, 2014” by Premier Traveler magazine and a 2013 National Geographic Traveler of the Year as someone who travels "with a sense of passion and purpose." The American daughter of British parents, Alison holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and the U.K. and attended school in Cornwall, England.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Jonathan was born into one of only a handful of families that reaches back five generations in Galápagos, in the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, on San Cristobal Island. He first left the islands when he won a highly-coveted scholarship to finish his studies in the U.S. This was the start of his life-long passion for science and languages.
National Geographic Photographer
Over the past several years, photographer Jasper Doest has captured a stunning diversity of images chronicling the lives of Japanese macaques. His “snow monkey” photographs received recognition in the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition and appeared in National Geographic magazine. Through his photographic work, Jasper tries to give a voice to those who can’t speak our language or are often misunderstood, emphasizing the beauty and fragility of our planet. Jasper is a regular contributor to the Dutch editions of National Geographic and National Geographic Traveler magazines, and he is a Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers.
National Geographic Photographer
For more than half his life David Doubilet has spent his days underwater. Doubilet took his first underwater photograph off the Jersey Shore when he was 12 years old, using a Brownie Hawkeye camera sealed in a rubber bag. Searching for brighter colors and more varied marine life than the continental U.S. could offer, Doubilet set his sights on the third largest barrier reef in the world, set off the coast of Andros Island in the Bahamas. There he spent his summers leading dives and photographing marine life. Doubilet shot his first story for National Geographic as a junior at Boston University in 1969.
National Geographic Photographer
Stephen Alvarez is an award-winning National Geographic photographer and filmmaker who produces global stories about exploration, adventure, culture and archeology. He has published over a dozen feature stories in National Geographic Magazine. On assignment he has traveled from the highest peaks in the Andes to the depths of the deepest cave in the world. His latest National Geographic story on the Origins of Art led from early human sites on the southern coast of Africa to Paleolithic art caves in France and Spain. For the past two years, he photographed the Seven Natural Wonders of the World with Microsoft Smartphones (nationalgeographic.com/Microsoft/SevenWonders). His images have won awards in Pictures of the Year International and Communication Arts, and have been exhibited at Visa Pour L'Image in Perpignan, France. Recent appearances include NPR, PBS, and CBS Saturday Morning. Stephen is also a frequent consultant and commenter on how new photographic technology is changing the world.
Read More
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
David feels fortunate to live a lifestyle of adventure and travel in the outdoors, where he applies his passion for photography and videography to documenting adventure sports and conservation projects around the globe.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
A passionately curious person by nature, Adam spends his time exploring remote destinations around the world with like-minded adventurers and sharing his extensive knowledge about the local flora and fauna. He specializes in the sexual reproduction of marine organisms making his lectures not only educational and eye opening, but extremely entertaining!
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Walter was born in a very small town on the mainland of Ecuador. His first trip to the Galápagos was when he was 12 years old, visiting friends and aunt, who had moved to the islands. From the first moment he saw the Islands, he fell in love with them and knew then where his future home would be.
National Geographic Photographer
Mark Thiessen has been a photographer with National Geographic since 1990. He is widely published in all areas of the National Geographic Society, including National Geographic magazine, National Geographic Adventure magazine, and National Geographic Traveler magazine. National Geographic books that feature Thiessen's work include Return to Midway, which documents the discovery of the U.S.S. Yorktown, and Baseball as America, a look at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
National Geographic Photographer
Bob Krist is a freelance photographer who works regularly on assignment for magazines such as National Geographic Traveler, Smithsonian, and Islands. During his work, he has been stranded on a glacier in Iceland, nearly run down by charging bulls in southern India, and knighted with a cutlass during a Trinidad voodoo ceremony. He won the title of "Travel Photographer of the Year" from the Society of American Travel Writers in 1994, 2007, and again at the 2008 convention. In 2000 his work was honored at the Eisenstaedt Awards for Magazine Photography in New York City.
National Geographic Photographer
Santa Fe-based photographer Ralph Lee Hopkins is founder and director of the Expedition Photography program for the Lindblad-National Geographic alliance. For more than 20 years he has lead expeditions from the Arctic to Antarctica and points in between.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Alberto fell in love with nature as a young child. Born and raised in Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico, he spent most of his childhood exploring the Chairlel Lagoon and the Tamesi River. Each morning he would patiently wait in his rowboat for sunrise to witness the great groups of migrating birds that would land on the water. His father taught him from a very early age to understand, love, and respect nature. As a result of his upbringing, Alberto became biologist and decided to follow his passion and became a naturalist. At age 21, Alberto began working with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic in Baja California. Since then he has been sharing interests that range from bird biology to undersea exploration to wildlife photography with thousands of guests.
National Geographic Photographer
National Geographic photographer and naturalist Jeff Mauritzen traveled to Africa, South America, and the Pacific on assignment photographing wildlife for the Society's most recently published Animal Encyclopedia. Jeff is also a seasoned and popular photography expert, guiding and lecturing on natural history-focused trips for National Geographic Expeditions. His adventures have immersed him in vivid landscapes in all seven continents and more than 60 countries around the world. Whether capturing 360-degree panoramas of wildlife along an African savanna or photographing sharks in the Pacific depths, Jeff’s work expresses an unwavering passion, respect, curiosity, and awe for the natural world. An avid traveler and explorer, Jeff has lived in Venezuela and Ireland, as well as at sea aboard seven different ships. His photography is represented by National Geographic Creative and has appeared in over a dozen National Geographic books, the Society’s website as well as a feature in National Geographic Traveler Magazine.
National Geographic Photographer
Author, photographer, filmmaker, and National Geographic Emerging Explorer Sandesh Kadur uses images, both still and video, to expose the need for conservation and encourage protection of the world’s biodiversity. With subjects ranging from king cobras to clouded leopards, his documentary films have appeared worldwide on National Geographic, the BBC, the Discovery Channel, and elsewhere. His photographs have appeared in numerous books and magazines. Sandesh’s many awards include CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year, the Nature’s Best award, the International Conservation Photographer award, two Green Oscar nominations at the Wildscreen film festival, and the 2013 North American Nature Photographers Vision Award.
National Geographic Photographer
Massimo Bassano has worked as a freelance photojournalist since 1990. His work appears in National Geographic Traveler and National Geographic online edition, as well as many publications throughout Europe. Massimo's photographic subjects know no bounds—his recent assignments have covered social issues, international travel, fitness and health, fashion, and portraiture. In 2004, he was awarded a Ph.D. in journalism from the Italian Association of Journalism.
National Geographic Photographer
During his eight years on the National Geographic staff, photographer Jonathan Irish launched and directed the National Geographic Adventures program. He specializes in documenting adventure lifestyles, landscapes, and cultures abroad. Jonathan has photographed on all seven continents, and has shot a variety of assignments in Antarctica, Patagonia, and beyond. His photography has appeared in National Geographic and The New York Times, on BBC, CNN, and elsewhere. For the 2016 centennial of the U.S. National Park Service, Jonathan is on a year-long road trip with an Airstream visiting and photographing all 59 of America’s national parks.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Born and raised in Canada, Karen received her B.Sc. in biology from the University of Waterloo, her M.D. from the University of Western Ontario and interned at McMaster University in Hamilton. Detouring from hospital hallways, Karen soon became a whitewater guide and published photographer, fulfilling a passion for knowledge that began with botany and led to geology and ornithology.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Doug grew up hunting in the woods and fields of Iowa before moving to Montana where he developed a deep appreciation for the fragility and beauty of nature and he put away guns and picked up a camera.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Lauren has lived, worked, and traveled from the historic districts of the northeastern U.S. to the dramatic landscapes of the American west.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Andrew was born in Adelaide, South Australia and (mis)spent his youth surfing and kayaking in the ocean, as is the case for many Aussies! After graduating from medical school there, Andrew spent a year working as a surgical resident in Santa Barbara, California where he was introduced to rock climbing. Taking up this adventure activity with a passion, he began to explore the mountainous regions of the world and volunteered his skills in Nepal and India where he has led numerous treks. While documenting his experiences there on slide film, Andrew began contributing photos to what was then the Lonely Planet image library, which provided the impetus for him to concentrate more keenly on using the creative side of his brain.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
For over 20 years, Brenda has used her photographs of the world to celebrate its beauty, and inspire others to protect what we have. Brenda grew up exploring the woods, lakes, and coastlines of New Jersey and New England and her family traveled regularly throughout the eastern U.S., camping, hiking, backpacking, and canoeing. She spent most of her childhood engaging with nature in some form or another and learning about animal behavior. When her father taught her some photography at 13, Brenda soon combined her love for nature with her newfound passion, and several years later her adventure began as a freelance photographer, teacher, and writer.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Since 1995, Rikki Swenson has traveled widely with Lindblad Expeditions–National Geographic, and was a founding member of the Photo Expedition program. A graphic designer for 20 years, Rikki owned a small agency, handling projects for large corporate clients. In 1995 she began a book project for Lindblad Expeditions that changed the course of her career. Working as photo editor and designer, she collaborated with Jack Swenson, Sven-Olof Lindblad, and Ralph Hopkins, to produce Baja—A Special Expedition to Baja and the Sea of Cortez. After that, her focus and passion moved to the expedition travel industry.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
David has worked for Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic since 1993 on six continents and in over 65 countries. David is interested in many of the natural sciences, particularly ornithology, geology and marine biology; he most enjoys contrasting the broad perspectives provided by world travel with detailed investigations of local ecosystems on land and in the sea.
National Geographic Photographer
Photographer and climber Tommy Heinrich first learned to scale mountains at an early age in Patagonia and the Andes. In 1995, he became the first person from Argentina to reach the summit of Mount Everest. In 1998, he reached the summit of Lhotse, the world’s fourth-highest mountain, and has continued since with many more ascents in the Himalayas and Karakorum, documenting the thrill of the expeditions and life in the world’s greatest mountains.
National Geographic Photographer
Brian Skerry is a photojournalist specializing in marine wildlife and underwater environments. Since 1998 he has been an assignment photographer for National Geographic magazine covering a wide range of subjects and stories. An award-winning photographer, Brian is praised worldwide for his aesthetic sense as well as his journalistic drive for relevance. His uniquely-creative images tell stories that not only celebrate the mystery and beauty of the sea, but also help bring attention to the large number of issues that endanger our oceans and its inhabitants.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Max Seigal grew up in beautiful Boulder, Colorado, and spent his early years working at his parent’s veterinary clinic, which sparked his love for animals. At a young age, Max fell in love with conservation and travel. He studied abroad in both Costa Rica and the Bahamas during high school, and went on to graduate summa cum laude from Ohio Wesleyan University with degrees in environmental science, zoology, and economics.
National Geographic Photographer
Award-winning photographer and filmmaker Rich Reid has specialized in environmental and adventure photography for over two decades. On assignment with National Geographic Adventure magazine, he cycled Alaska’s Inside Passage by ferry and explored California’s Gaviota Coast by bike and kayak. North American Nature Photography Association elected Rich as a Fellow for his significant contributions to the nature photography industry, and he was a finalist for the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year for his time-lapse video documenting forest fire ecology.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Steve Morello has had a long and colorful career in the natural history world. Born in New Jersey he was lucky to be able to summer on the shores of Cape Cod. Whether it was exploring the tidal pools, snorkeling along the beach, or hiking in the dunes, it all came together to instill in him a deep connection to the natural world. It was no surprise that he would return to the Cape as a whale researcher in his adult years. It was on the Cape that Steve first became involved in guiding, and for 15 years acted as naturalist on whale watching boats in the Gulf of Maine. Steve worked with groups creating environmental education material for school programs and soon found another one of his passions, photography.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Jennifer Davidson is a photographer and photo-educator based in the Texas Hill Country. Her photography captures the pulse of a place and the stories being lived out within it. A seasoned and avid traveler, she spends much of her time in the Western U.S. and Latin America, exploring the landscapes, cultures, and wildlife that make these regions special.
National Geographic Photographer
After starting out as a skateboard photographer in the 1990s, Keith Ladzinski began using the special lighting techniques he had learned from sports photography to shoot outdoor adventure stories. As a result, his unique photos have been featured in National Geographic magazine, Discover, Men’s Journal, Outside, Runner’s World, ESPN magazine, and the front page of the New York Times. His assignments for National Geographic have taken him to some of the most remote and untouched places of the world’s seven continents and have included a 45-day expedition to Antarctica’s Queen Maude Land, a climbing expedition on karst rock towers in Southern China, and a story about France’s Verdon Gorge. Also an accomplished filmmaker, Keith and his partners at 3 Strings Productions have produced more than 20 films around the world. Keith is based in Boulder, Colorado.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Eric began work with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic in 2006 as a means to see the world, work with great photographers and engage his environmental studies degree beyond the classroom. His initial years with the company were spent working the waters of Southeast Alaska and Baja California. His move to the National Geographic Explorer in 2008 helped earn him the experience and knowledge needed to establish himself as a trusted boat handler, naturalist and respected photographer in nearly all the environments Lindblad-National Geographic travels.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
One steady constant in Ian’s life has been the ocean. Born by the rocky shores of mid-coast Maine, his family repatriated to far north Queensland in Australia early on in his life where he became a dual-citizen and sparked his passion for exploring new environments. Living only an hour away from the Great Barrier Reef served to direct, if not focus, the exhilaration of discovery and set him on his current path. Returning to native soil for education, Ian was fascinated by altogether too many subjects, leaving him with a bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College in Psychobiology, focusing on animal behavior and perception, and with minors in Astronomy, History, and Environmental Science.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Ralph is a freelance underwater and environmental photographer based in San Diego, California. Having grown up in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, Ralph’s love of nature and the outdoors came at a young age. He holds a graduate degree in marine biodiversity and conservation from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography where he used the economic value of a surfing wave along with photography to stop the construction of a marina project that would have ruined a lagoon, a critical sea turtle nesting habitat, and a world-class surf break.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Rich Kirchner has worked as a naturalist in Antarctica, Alaska, the Bering Sea, Baja and the High Arctic, including Greenland, the Canadian Arctic and Iceland. His 25 years as a professional wildlife photographer has granted him international publication credits included in magazines such as Geo Germany, Geo France, Natural History, Audubon, National Wildlife and Ranger Rick, as well as more than a hundred books.
National Geographic Photographer
National Geographic Photographer Michael Melford has produced 18 stories for National Geographic Magazine and over 31 stories for National Geographic Traveler magazine, including eight covers. Born in New York, Michael received a Bachelor’s in Photography from Syracuse University, in 1973 and started his early career in New York City in 1977.
National Geographic Photographer
A climber and visual storyteller, Cory Richards was named National Geographic Adventurer of the Year in 2012. Through his work in some of the planet's most remote places, he has carved a niche as a leading editorial and expedition photographer. Cory’s camera has taken him from the controlled and complex studio to the wild and remote corners of Asia, Africa, Pakistan, and the South Pacific—all in the attempt to capture not only the soul of adventure and exploration, but the beauty inherent in our modern society. Cory’s photography has appeared in National Geographic magazine, Outside, and the New York Times, and his film work has won awards at nearly every major adventure film festival, including the grand prize at the Banff Mountain Film Festival.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Antonio is Ecuadorian, although he was raised in Catalonia. He has been a naturalist in the Galápagos since 1994. He studied sciences in a boarding school in England for two years, and he spent four years in medical school in Spain. He then dropped out, to follow Darwin’s footsteps around the wide world.
National Geographic Photographer
Award-winning travel and editorial photographer Susan Seubert has photographed more than 20 feature stories for National Geographic Traveler since joining the magazine as a contributor in 2004. Her subjects range from Canada to the Caribbean and Texas to Thailand. Her work has been recognized by the department of journalism at Columbia University with an Alfred Eisenstadt Award and most recently by the North American Travel Journalists Association for excellence in photography. In addition to being widely published and exhibited, she also lectures regularly about her work at such institutions as Harvard University and the Portland Art Museum.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Aura’s connection with the islands dates generations as her grandparents had moved to the Galápagos in the 1930s. Her mother was born on Floreana Island and Aura fondly remembers childhood memories of family visits during summer vacations. Who knew those little black birds she observed so naively as a child were the world famous Darwin finches? Or that the lava lizards she was so scared of were unique in the world?
National Geographic Photographer
Chris Rainier is a National Geographic Society Fellow and documentary photographer who is highly respected for his documentation of endangered cultures and languages. In 2002 he was awarded the Lowell Thomas Award by the Explorers Club for his efforts on cultural preservation, and he was recently been elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society of London, specializing in Cultural Studies.
National Geographic Photographer
A Pulitzer-Prize winner and National Geographic Photographer, Jay’s work has appeared in 15 of the high-profile "A Day in the Life of…" series. His work also has won several awards in the World Press International Competition, including the Golden Eye award, and the Sigma Delta Chi Award for Distinguished Service in Journalism.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Jack is a Seattle-based guide, wildlife biologist and professional photographer. For the past thirty years his photographs have appeared in prominent magazines, calendars and books including publications by Smithsonian, Audubon, and National Geographic. He has co-authored a photographic book on Baja California, and also a photo identification guide to the killer whales of Southeast Alaska.
National Geographic Photographer
Award-winning photographer, journalist, and author Kike Calvo (pronounced key-keh) specializes in culture and environment. He has been on assignment in more than 90 countries, working on stories ranging from belugas in the Arctic to traditional Hmong costumes in Laos.
National Geographic Photographer
Macduff Everton is a contributing editor at National Geographic Traveler, where he has photographed more than 20 stories from Paris to Beijing to Big Sur. His other editorial clients include Condé Nast Traveler, Life, LA Times Magazine, NY Times Magazine, Outside, and Smithsonian.
National Geographic Photographer
During the past 25 years, Phil Schermeister completed more than 40 major assignments for the National Geographic Book Division, National Geographic magazine and other National Geographic publications. He has photographed on assignment in more than 40 National Parks around the United States and has published six single-photographer books with National Geographic, including Range of Light, Our National Parks and America's Western Edge. Some of his other assignments have included coverage of Quechua Indians in the Andes of Peru, Tarahumara Indians in Mexico’s Copper Canyon and Native Americans across the Western United States. Phil is drawn to high-latitudes, and has photographed all types of natural landscapes from National Parks, Seashores, and Recreation Areas to Wild and Scenic Rivers and National Wildlife Refuges. In his search for “decisive moments” in nature, Schermeister seeks to find drama in the changing light and seasons as the forces of nature continue to sculpt an unfinished natural landscape.
National Geographic Photographer
Underwater photographers David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes are married partners who work together as a team to produce National Geographic stories from equatorial coral reefs to beneath the polar ice. David estimates he has spent nearly half his life in the sea since taking his first underwater photograph at the age of 12 with a Brownie Hawkeye camera sealed in a bag. Between them, Jennifer and David have photographed and explored the ocean depths in such places as New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Tasmania, Scotland, and Antarctica. David has photographed stingrays, sponges, and sleeping sharks in the Caribbean, as well as shipwrecks in the South Pacific, the Atlantic, and at Pearl Harbor. He has produced more than 70 stories for National Geographic magazine and several books, and has received the Explorers Club’s prestigious Lowell Thomas Award and the Lennart Nilsson Award in Photography.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Born in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Linda and her Air Force family moved extensively throughout the U.S. when she was a child. Linda continues to travel and explore a broader spectrum of the world as a naturalist with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic. Linda earned her B.Sc. in horticulture from the University of Arizona in 1985 and worked with this degree in the commercial cactus industry for sixteen years.
National Geographic Photographer
Becky Hale is a studio photographer on staff with National Geographic in Washington, D.C. Her work is wide-ranging and includes portraiture and still photography illustrating complex scientific and cultural stories. Becky’s images have appeared in articles about the evolution of artificial hearts, invasive species and advances in organ regeneration. She is a regular contributor to National Geographic magazine. Fieldwork has taken her around the globe—from the Arctic Circle to southern Chile. She’s photographed whooping cranes from an ultralight, set up a portrait studio inside the cold-storage locker in a morgue, and driven through Idaho shooting portraits of ranchers and environmentalists grappling with the reintroduction of wolves. In her life beyond National Geographic, she’s the mother of two small redheads who try their best to evade her camera.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Growing up at the base of the Cascade Mountains in the tiny Oregon town of Sisters meant that Ryder was surrounded by wilderness. A childhood of hiking, fishing, hunting for arrowheads, camping, and upland bird hunting resulted in the outdoors feeling far more comfortable than hectic city streets. His passion for the outdoors has perpetually grown and, upon graduating from the University of Oregon, he embraced his wanderlust with even greater vigor. His adventures eventually led him to working with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic as a photo instructor.
National Geographic Photographer
Born at home into the house his father built in rural Vermont, Ronan Donovan has spent his adult years immersed in the natural world. A biologist turned photographer and filmmaker, he spent 2011 in the canopy studying wild chimpanzees in Uganda, Africa through Harvard University. The experience inspired his desire to use visual storytelling as a way to reach a greater audience. Ronan's photographic journeys include weeks filming puffins on a remote island in Scotland, and he recently spent an entire year living inside Yellowstone National Park documenting the live of wolves for National Geographic magazine. His photographs have hung on the walls of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and his film work has aired on PBS Nature. When Ronan isn’t working, he’s exploring the mountains around his home in western Montana.
National Geographic Photographer
Over two-plus decades as National Geographic contributing photographers, Diane Cook and Len Jenshel have shot more than ten feature articles for National Geographic magazine and many more for National Geographic Traveler. Their work spans nature and beauty, culture, the environment, and science, and is represented in more than 100 major museum collections worldwide.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
For more than 20 years David Jaffe has guided and taught a variety of audiences about our natural world and our connection with it. His childhood interest in natural systems eventually brought him to Evergreen State College where he earned a B.S. in Environmental Studies and Geology, followed by a M.S in Applied Ecology from the University of Vermont. Mingling an academic background with experience working around the world in exceptionally diverse environments, he is able to efficiently observe, understand, and interpret natural and cultural history.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Sharon’s degrees in psychology and anthropology from Eastern Washington University have given her a good base to pursue her profession as a naturalist and photographer. She has developed a portfolio of images encompassing her many interests, including photographs from travel, herbal medicine, ethnobotany, indigenous cultures, and natural and cultural history.
National Geographic Photographer
Flip Nicklin was born with both diving and photography in his blood. His grandfather dove while wearing hard hat gear for construction. His father, Chuck, is a diver and underwater cinematographer, who taught his sons to become scuba divers. By the age of fourteen, Flip was helping his father teach people to dive off of the coast of Southern California, in La Jolla.
National Geographic Photographer
Tyrone Turner is an award-winning photojournalist whose assignments have taken him from Brazil to Baghdad. A native of New Orleans, Tyrone has shot images of New Orleans and the Louisiana Bayou for several National Geographic magazine articles, including “New Orleans: A Perilous Future” in the August 2007 issue and a special edition on Hurricane Katrina that was published in the fall of 2005.