Ami Vitale
Nikon Ambassador and National Geographic magazine photographer Ami Vitale has traveled to more than 100 countries, bearing witness not only to violence and conflict, but also to surreal beauty and the enduring power of the human spirit. Throughout the years, Ami has lived in mud huts and war zones, contracted malaria, and donned a panda suit— keeping true to her belief in the importance of “living the story.” In 2009, after shooting a powerful story on the transport and release of one the world’s last white rhinos, Ami shifted her focus to today’s most compelling wildlife and environmental stories.
Her photographs have been commissioned by nearly every international publication and exhibited around the world in museums and galleries. She is a founding member of Ripple Effect Images, an organization of renowned female scientists, writers, photographers and filmmakers working together to create powerful and persuasive stories that shed light on the hardships women in developing countries face and the programs that can help them. She is also on the Photojournalism Advisory Council for the Alexia Foundation.
Currently based in Montana, Ami Vitale is a contract photographer with National Geographic magazine and frequently gives workshops throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia.
3 words to describe Nature?
Healing. Connecting. Inspiring
3 things Nature taught you?
To slow down
To observe
To marvel
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Montana
Kenya
Planet Earth
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Humbled
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Like we are in an intricate web and deeply connected to one another
When you see any volcano, it makes you feel...?
I have never seen one up close. But I imagine in awe
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Ephemeral
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Respectful
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Like snuggling up with a good book
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
All the above
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being? It's off the charts important.
10 is not enough
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Sneaking out at night to sleep on my dad's boat. I always loved being on the water from as early as I can remember.
Chris Burkard
Chris Burkard is an accomplished explorer, photographer, creative director, speaker, and author. Traveling throughout the year to pursue the farthest expanses of Earth, Burkard works to capture stories that inspire humans to consider their relationship with nature, while promoting the preservation of wild places everywhere.
Layered by outdoor, travel, adventure, surf, and lifestyle subjects, Burkard is known for images that are punctuated by untamed, energized landscapes and peak moments of adventure. He has accumulated an audience of over one million followers to become a globally recognized social influencer.
Burkard is often central in synthesizing the creative projects he is involved in, across stakeholders. His holistic and visionary perspective has earned him opportunities to work on global, prominent campaigns with Fortune 500 clients, appear as a TED speaker, develop specialty product lines, teach national and international photography workshops and publish a collection of books, including a children’s book. Along with his team, Burkard is based out of his full-scale production studio and art gallery near his hometown in Central Coast California.
At the age of 30, Burkard has established himself as a global presence and influencer, accomplishing a prolific portfolio, connecting people from around the world and producing some of the most recognized creative work of our time.
3 words to describe Nature?
Beautiful. Vast. Wild.
3 things Nature taught you?
Patience
Freedom
Joy
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Yosemite
Highlands of Iceland
Pacific Ocean
I owe a lot to each of these places.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Calm
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Excited
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Disbelief. . . I cant even believe they are real. Did a trip flying around the volcanos in the Aleutian Chain. Still think I'm coming down from that experience..
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Excited, most of my favorite moments of my life have occured in that 30 minute window before and after sunset!
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Relaxed. Time for a good book.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
I don’t enjoy wind. It’s the most jarring of the elements. I'm more tired after being outside in the wind all day then if it was raining, sunny, or snowing.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
The ocean will always be where I am most comfortable. I grew up in a small beach town on the California coast more known for it's clam chowder then waves but I spent my whole childhood in the ocean. It will always be an important part of my life.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
9. Only thing above is my family.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I was lucky enough to grow up on the central coast of California which lends itself to a life lived outdoors. My first memory of being outdoors is for sure days spent on the beach with my family in Pismo. That’s where my fascination with the ocean began and why I started trekking up and down the coast in search of waves, which eventually led to searching along coastlines around the world!. I remember my mom paddling me out on a boogie board pushing me off into the water and saying the ocean is your friend. I was always scared but I loved the beach.
Jacques Andre Dupont
Considered by many to be an authority in marketing, sponsorship and the development of large-scale cultural projects, JACQUES-ANDRE DUPONT is the President of L’Équipe Spectra and 3 of the biggest Festivals in Montreal - the International Jazz Festival, the FrancoFolies, & Montréal en Lumière.
Dupont supports the musical development of the next generation of Québécois artists thanks, among other endeavours, to the creation of the Blues Camp for teens during the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, and staging a series of concerts presenting high school, cegep and university students. In 2017, following the publication of a report by the Conseil des Montréalaises (Montréal Women’s Council), he launched the Hirondelles, an all-female safety team dedicated to maintaining the security and well-being of festival fans and vulnerable people. He is also responsible for many projects addressing the sustainable development of the group, including making the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal carbon neutral, an international first at the time.
He is also a passionate photographer whose work focuses on wildlife and nature. His images have been featured in several major medias like Canadian Geographic, National Geographic, Africa Geographic, Wildlife Photographic, Outdoor Photography, Paris Match, the London Telegraph, China News, La Pravda, etc. His pictures have been selected/or won several photo competitions internationally and have been been exhibited in several countries around the world. With is photography he only wants to achieve one simple goal: bring the beauty of nature into light.
3 words to describe Nature?
Grand. Fragile. Us
3 things Nature taught you?
The more I connect with it, the happier I am.
Even the ugliest animals are beautiful.
It is the best smelling thing ever.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
My three favourite nature spots so far (because I want to see them all!) are
The Serengeti plains of Tanzania because it was love at first sight for me;
Yellowstone National Park, because this where I knew right away I would become a nature and wildlife photographer;
And my own backyard forest in Bolton West, Quebec, because I am the luckiest man in the world to have this in my own backyard every day.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Peaceful. Probably the infinity of it, with the suiting sound of the waves
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Curious! I want to explore it… Find an owl nest or a fox hole. And walk along a trustful moose (which happened to me this spring)
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Small and scared. Will my number come up today?
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
A sunrise? Alive, energized, happy to be up early in the day, and looking forward to what’s next. A sunset? happy, relaxed and looking forward to a glass of wine to celebrate the day that just ended so well.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Hoping for a spectacle: the drums, the light show… It’s better than Cirque du Soleil!
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Wanting to snuggle with my wife, as usually it is winter and -20 celsius outside, at our home that we named Domaine des Vents (Field of Winds), for it is really the windiest place.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I think I am an African plains person. That is why I love also so much the Serengeti AND Yellowstone (as it is called the Serengeti of America…).
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10, and then some! For the last 20 years I have been suffering from anxiety attacks on a regular basis… I guess that stress is my Achilles' heel… But since the last few years, nature photography has been the most amazing medicine for me…
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
It's the blue hour, just after the sunset. My dad took me fishing, north of Quebec city. And suddenly, for the first time ever, I hear the call of the loon. Wow! It sounds like a wolf. I am mesmerized by it. Since then, every time I hear a loon calling I go right back to that day, where I was so well, with my dad.
Annie Griffiths
One of the first women photographers to work for National Geographic, ANNIE GRIFFITHS has photographed in nearly 150 countries during her illustrious career. She has worked on dozens of magazine and book projects for National Geographic, including stories on Lawrence of Arabia, Galilee, Petra, Sydney, New Zealand, and Jerusalem.
In addition to her magazine work, Griffiths is deeply committed to photographing for aid organizations around the world. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Ripple Effect Images, a collective of photographers who document aid programs that are empowering women and girls in the developing world. In just five years, Ripple’s work has helped 24 non-profits raise over ten million dollars.
Griffiths has published 4 books, is an accomplished speaker and a regular guest on NPR, The Today Show and other media outlets.
Annie has received awards from the National Press Photographers Association, the National Organization of Women, and the White House News Photographers Association.
3 words to describe Nature?
ESSENTIAL. COMFORTING. ENDURING
3 things Nature taught you?
TO PAUSE
TO GASP
TO BE HUMBLE
3 most treasured Nature spots?
MY CABIN IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN
MY LITTLE HOME ON A LAKE IN VIRGINIA
ANY NATIVE PRAIRIE
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?
SMALL, PEACEFUL
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
SAFE
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
HUMBLE
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel…?
GRATEFUL
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?
THAT ALL LIVING THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET A DRINK
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel…?
CAUTIOUS
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I’M A LAKE PERSON
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
SO MANY. THE MIRACLE OF FIREFLIES, CATCHING TOADS AND FROGS, CREATING A FORT OUT OF AN OLD SNAG, CATCHING CRAYFISH WITH A PIECE OF CORN ON A STRING. MARVELING AT SPIDER WEBS.
Flemming Bo Jensen
FLEMMING BO JENSEN is a Fujifilm ambassador, official Red Bull photographer and renowned music photographer. Music, especially electronic music, is a big part of what makes his heart beat. For him, being able to combine music and photography is a dream come true. Since November 2009 he has lived as a nomad. He was the former Head of IT in a Danish Government agency, but wanted to see new horizons and left Copenhagen and his job in 2009. He has been on the road for more than 7 years now, and is still wandering the world, although can usually be found in Copenhagen during the summer months, enjoying the music festivals. He is the author of the ebook GET IN THE LOOP – How To Make Great Music Images.
3 words to describe Nature?
Awe-inspiring. Heals. Home.
3 things Nature taught you?
I was born and brought up on a dairy farm, so here goes: Respect and love for our planet, nature and animals. Where I truly belong. And a cow standing on your 8 year old foot will not move and not care how much it hurts.
- oh as I started traveling, I learned a 4: Nothing more dangerous than a wounded mosquito!
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Arches National Park, Utah, USA. Rottnest Island, Western Australia. My home country and landscapes of Himmerland, Denmark.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
I was born on a farm, not near water so it used to make me feel great fear and a little bit drawn to it at the same time. Now that I learned how to swim and free-dive it still makes me feel fear - but now I want to go in it and explore!
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Peaceful, in a fairy tale, carrying mosquito repellent, afraid we will someday have no more forests.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
I will let you know when I see one!
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
I am not a morning person so sunrises are rare, unless they happen at 10am in the Scandinavian winter and I can have a coffee with it! Sunset makes me feel like bliss, like we are given a few minutes glimpse into a possible state of the world if we tried harder to protect nature, a few minutes where everything is alright.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Time to get the cows inside :)
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Cold. The wind is always cold in the Nordics.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Desert. I love wide open spaces.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10. My body couldn't breathe without it. My soul couldn't live without it.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I used to take our dogs for long walks down the fields, just to be out there alone (featuring cows), in a wide open space feeling that everything is possible.