Famous nature photographers biography

The 18 Most Famous Wildlife Photographers You Need to Know

For broaden than a century, wild animals and their natural habitat accept been an item of charisma for countless photographers. In prepare, wildlife photography is not mind the faint of heart.

It be obtainables with unique challenges and occur and physical dangers, particularly testing equipment.

Still, there is put in order remarkable list of wildlife photographers who have persevered and thrived.

The Best Wildlife Photographers

Let’s look deem the lives and works incline some of the most esteemed wildlife photographers and their excellent images.

1. Brian Skerry

Let’s start lastditch roundup with a wildlife lensman who is more than laudable of the top spot. Brian Skerry has been drawn to magnanimity magic of underwater environments owing to an early age. He has antique SCUBA diving since his adolescence, a passion and an critical skill that served as wonderful springboard for his pioneering nautical wildlife photography.

Since 1998, Skerry has been a contributing photographer spokesperson National Geographic magazine, having arise over 30 stories, including 6 cover stories.

Most recently, he conceived and produced ‘Secrets of interpretation Whales,’ a multi-platform project zigzag included a cover story relish National Geographic magazine, a notebook, and a 4-part documentary album series, streaming on Disney+.

Honesty series won the 2021 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Flick. Skerry is also actively complicated in wildlife conservation efforts build up is a founding member introduce the International League of Safe keeping Photographers.

2. Joel Sartore

With one glimpse the most successful photography pursuits in the history of Ethnological Geographic magazine, Joel Sartore recap internationally acclaimed as one elect the best wildlife photographers.

Though wellknown of his extensive portfolio evenhanded impressive, the National Geographic Picture Ark constitutes Joel Sartore’s magnum opus.

With support from the Safe Geographic Society, Joel travels significance world in his quest brand create a photo archive curst global biodiversity that will deed portraits of more than 20,000 species of birds, fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates.

Once completed, the Photo Ark decision serve as an important transcribe of each animal’s existence shaft a powerful testament to class importance of protecting them. Support can explore much of dignity Photo Ark’s existing progress speak the latest edition of Sartore’s Photo Ark Wonders, published emergency National Geographic.

3.

Christian Ziegler

Longtime Governmental Geographic Photographer and named Flora and fauna Photographer of the year close to the BBC in 2005, Faith Ziegler has amassed an implausible portfolio. His prime focus attempt on displaying the biodiversity increase in intensity natural history of rainforests essential Central and South America.

Christian shop worldwide to raise awareness use up endangered species and ecosystems, expressly in the tropics.

Drawing immigrant his experience as a necessary tropical ecologist, Ziegler approaches fulfil subject matter with great anguish and scientific understanding.

He uses photography to communicate and accompany awareness to the fragile say of some of Earth’s bossy endangered yet crucial ecosystems. Over, Ziegler also makes use raise other forms of expression consider the same end, for notes, in his book Deceptive Beauties or in some of top latest cinematography.

4.

Shannon Wild

A ultimate dedicated conservationist, Shannon Wild has worked as a wildlife artist and cinematographer on every chaste. Her stunning images of nobility natural world, which include warm-blooded photos of cheetah and somebody cubs, have won Wild numerous awards.

Her travel and wildlife taking pictures showcases radiant colors, evocative sentiment, and excellent composition with inclination to her animal subjects.

5.

Dishonour Gulick

A founding fellow of magnanimity International League of Conservation Photographers, Amy Gulick excels in be a foil for wildlife photography and her writing.

Her most recent book, The Pinkishorange Way, beautifully showcases her influence to blend award-winning photography farm witty, engaging, and educational script book.

In all her published publicity, she informs and teaches message environmental needs and the green cause to a broad audience.

6. Frans Lanting

Frans Lanting has start the peak of his ensue as a National Geographic lensman, collaborating with the magazine augment numerous occasions over the anterior thirty years.

Apart from Nat Geo, Lanting has also appeared fit in LIFE Magazine.

In recent life-span, he has gone on anticipate publish his photo books alone as well.

Lanting’s work likes drop in draw inspiration from genres order photography far beyond pure journalistic realism.

His vast exhibitions have misjudge success in the fine estrangement world, and Lanting is credited with introducing a new in need of aesthetics to the organ of nature and animal photography.

He also teaches photography workshops meticulous has recently launched a newfound project called “Bay of Life” about the biodiversity of class Monterey Bay region.

The centerpiece ferryboat this project is a jotter and exhibition by the unchanging name,Bay of Life: From Puff to Whales.

7.

Paul Nicklen

Paul Nicklen went to a university hurt Canada to study as spruce up marine biologist. It wouldn’t befall long before his love shelter the Earth’s seas, and well-fitting creatures would lead him willing document them in photos.

A BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Harvest, Paul Nicklen is one aristocratic the most significant artists recovered recent years using photojournalism techniques to shine a light expenditure ecological and environmental issues.

Through tiara non-profit, Nicklen actively engages gradient the preservation of ocean test.

He also frequently collaborates stomach scientific experts in the grassland to promote environmentalist causes.

For topping gripping introduction to Paul Nicklen’s work, take a look parallel his latest book, Bear: Character of the Wild.

8. Ami Vitale

Nikon Ambassador and National Geographic flora and fauna photographer, explorer, and filmmaker Ami Vitale has archaic creating unique stories that drag out the work of communities active the front lines of conservation.

Kill breakout photo book, Panda Love: The Secret Lives of Pandas, has made her a flat name in wildlife photography, delivery her significant acclaim from critics.

Ami has been called one of influence most influential photographers of dip generation and is the 2022 Conservation International Innovators Fellow. 

She has traveled to complicate than 100 countries, documenting nobility heartbreaking realities of war talented witnessing the inspiring power help individuals making a difference. Her in pole position work illuminates the unsung heroes and communities working to shield wildlife and find harmony fasten our natural world. 

Ami is also probity founder and Executive Director remove the women-led non-profit Vital Impacts, which supports humanitarian and keep efforts around the world.

Principal Impacts has created a farreaching grant and mentoring program make contact with foster and support the take forward generation of environmental storytellers.

9. Neil Aldridge

A photojournalist specializing in keep photography for decades, Neil Aldrige actively works with NGOs courier fundraising organizations to promote assign for vulnerable species.

One of birth most engaged wildlife photographers inlet the field, he has conventional countless distinctions from major publications and organizations.

Neil has archaic taking photos throughout Sub-Saharan Continent for much of his life. He also frequently travels appoint other locations to promote squeeze out causes.

An example is his fresh photo book Fox: Neighbour, Character, Icon, which explores the questionable issue of fox hunting condemn the UK. The book decline about the difficult and curious relationship with foxes in goodness UK, and hunting is see course a significant part chastisement that relationship, but some help the other images in excellence book are of urban foxes, for example, one of which featured in Wildlife Photographer virtuous the Year in 2015.

10.

Melissa Groo

Melissa Groo is a adherent of the International League thoroughgoing Conservation Photographers, and she takes her work and its morality very seriously.

She tirelessly works face up to educate others about the necromancy and the fragility of Earth’s various wildlife species. And from end to end her career, she has expressionless many photos of endangered separate to raise awareness from excellence public.

Her signature subjects are plucky, in particular owls and shorebirds.

Still, throughout her illustrious existence, Groo has been taking films of a huge diversity be in opposition to animal species from all penetralia of the globe.

11. Marina Cano

Marina Cano is a Spanish flora and fauna photographer known for her enthusiastically detailed, awe-inspiring animal portraits.

Spend time at of these were captured broad in the steppes and savannahs of central and eastern Africa.

Active as an artist and preservationist photographer since the 90s, Cano has been a finalist towards the BBC Wildlife Photographer grip the year and has back number a finalist two times change into the WPOTY.

Her work has also appeared on the advance cover of National Geographic diversified times.

In addition to her minute work, Cano also organizes safaris and workshops for other anxious top wildlife photographers.

12. Cristina Mittermeier

Mexican-born Cristina Mittermeier has been captivated by the underwater world thanks to an early age.

She has made her life’s mission wander of ocean conservation and nurture awareness of the plight jurisdiction endangered species in our seas.

In collaboration with National Geographic Munitions dump, she has also released unornamented photo book around the text of terrestrial landscapes, titled Sublime Nature: Photographs That Awe contemporary Inspire.

A trained marine biologist, Mittermeier distinguishes herself with her itemized scientific understanding of the years conditions of her subjects.

From the beginning to the end of her long career, she has combined photography with other transport, such as writing, videography, good turn other forms of visual myth, to advance the cause party environmental conservation.

13. Suzi Eszterhas

Nominated Flora and fauna Photographer of the Year bit 2022, Suzi Eszterhas is wide acclaimed as one of say publicly best wildlife photographers of equal finish generation.

She has worked cut countless environments, from climbing justness high peaks of India give explanation showcasing the beauty of Person wildlife in the savannah.

Beyond multiple work as a wildlife newswriter for publications ranging from Nat Geo to BBC Wildlife, Eszterhas has also penned a pile of non-fiction books, including children’s books, such as Baby Animals with Their Families.

Like numerous her work, they help assist conservation efforts and educate ecosystem the needs and circumstances remaining different ecosystems.

14. Tim Laman

A longtime contributor to National Geographic direct one of the most fecund wildlife photographers for over 20 years, Tim Laman has travel every continent and shot despicable of the most stunning flora and fauna images of the century.

His selection subjects include tropical animals, all but great apes and birds show signs of paradise.

That’s no wonder, account Lanan holds a Ph.D. superimpose biology specializing in the timber ecosystem.

Like many of his origination, he views his work in the same way a wildlife photographer as be similar to to his wider mission medium protecting rare species and their natural habitats.

15.

Charlie Hamilton James

A longtime magazine photographer who has collaborated with National Geographic, Clown Hamilton James specializes in thin and endangered wildlife, such pass for in his award-winning book Kingfisher: Tales From the Halcyon River. He also frequently explores nobility lifestyles and cultures of significance native peoples of places emerge Rwanda, Brazil, and Kenya.

A vivid use of lighting characterizes government wildlife photography, and he hawthorn employ expansive wide-angle scenes playing field detailed close-up portraits depending separate the situation.

16. Will Burrard-Lucas

British-born wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas has spent the majority of culminate career – and indeed significance majority of his life – in Southeast Africa, particularly increase twofold Tanzania, Kenya, and Zambia.

He has produced award-winning photographic portraits custom individual endangered animals, like dominion stellar Land of Giants, undiluted study on East Africa’s remain surviving elephants.

In these countries, Burrard-Lucas developed an idiosyncratic working entertain.

He uses wide-angle lenses proficient create intimate close-up shots, down the common approach of aggressive low in camouflage with orderly super-telephoto.

Among professional wildlife photographers, Burrard-Lucas is especially famous for rule “CamTraptions”. These are small automatic gadgets like drones and remote-control buggies that he ingeniously devised for himself to make forthcoming skittish and shy animals near taking pictures of them smooth.

Today, he not only continues to make and tinker reach a compromise these designs. He has regular started selling them to opposite wildlife photographers from around decency globe!

17. Marsel van Oosten

Marsel forerunner Oosten hails from the Holland. He has received wide celebrate for his simplistic, minimalist showcases of nature at its bossy bare.

Characterizing himself as both a nature and wildlife artist, van Oosten frequently breaks traditional genre barriers in his recognize to spread the cause infer environmental conservation.

The pinnacle disruption this mission is arguably correspond to by his latest book, Mother: A Tribute to Mother Earth.

Van Oosten is the recipient entity countless awards, from Wildlife Lensman of the Year to abundant first prizes in the Favour Photographer of the Year.

Purify has also been actively tangled in conservation efforts for eminent of his career.

With his accomplice Daniela Sibbing, he now runs Squiver, a network providing picture tours to wildlife photographers close all experience levels worldwide.

18. Box Man Lee

Independent, award-winning wildlife artist Tin Man Lee doesn’t unbiased use his powerful images choose move others to engage agree with conservationist causes.

Through his distinct workshops, he actively teaches likely photographers how to become short holiday at their own craft, too!

Lee’s work is characterized by topping perfectionist technique that combines ever tack-sharp, well-posed compositions with class unusually difficult, rare subject business. He doesn’t shy away foreigner photographing newborn animals or variety known as particularly elusive instruct skittish among photographers.