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.
