111 Best Wildlife Photographers in the World

Top 111 Wildlife Photographers in the World

 Last Updated: 22 Jan, 2020 By

Usually, we give credit for the popularity of every successful individual to his skills but thank God I chose to write the introduction of this blog after completing rest of its part because it has opened my eyes to details that I saw in an imperceptible light. There is indeed so much more than skills that make one successful and popular in a particular field and those are the instincts of perseverance, courage to let go a comfortable life, not giving into failures and incessant experiments and introspections. Truly, each wildlife photographer in this blog has something so specific and inspirational on offer leaving me with goosebumps while writing most part of this write-up. Some of them have been chased by bears, some bitten by snake/other deadly animals, and some, well, spent months and months in freezing cold/scorching deserts to get that perfect shot that made them a legend. Indeed, the stories of these 111 wildlife photographers in the world have to be told and read because there is significantly a life lesson of when there is a will there’s a way. So, without any further delay, let’s get into a wildlife safari with these top wildlife photographers, in no particular order as each is a legend on his/her own.

Martin Bailey, Japan

Martin Bailey

Based in Tokyo, Japan, Martin Bailey is amongst the most popular wildlife photographer in the world. His work has been published in various leading magazines and has been included in one of the 30 Most Influential Photographers of The Decade lists. He is also a successful Podcaster and blogger, X-Rite Coloratti member, Phase One Brand Ambassador, and Craft & Vision author who also popular as a tour and workshop leader.

Achievement/Awards:

  • Mentioned in 30 Most Influential Photographers of the Decade List

Personal Website: www.martinbaileyphotography.com

Social Media Handles:

Jon Cornforth, United States

Jon Cornforth

Settled in Seattle, Jon Cornforth is an award-winning wildlife photographer who enjoys challenging himself in new and odd destinations. Along with his successful wildlife photography career he maintains a strong presence in environmental groups and raises awareness through his photography. His Instagram Handle says he photographs in land, underwater, and sky.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2012 International Conservation Photography Awards: Third Place Underwater
  • 2012 International Conservation Photography Awards: Honorable Mention Wildlife
  • 2012 Nature’s Best Photography Awards: Honorable Mention Underwater
  • 2011 Nature’s Best Photography Awards: Honorable Mention Underwater
  • 2010 International Conservation Photography Awards: Second Place Underwater
  • 2010 International Conservation Photography Awards: Honorable Mention Landscape
  • 2008 Edmonds Art Festival Photography Competition: Grand Prize
  • 2008 Northwest Environmental Photography Awards: Honorable Mention Wildlife
  • 2007 Northwest Environmental Photography Awards: Honorable Mention Landscape
  • 2007 Nature’s Best Photography Awards: Honorable Mention Landscape
  • 2005 Vancouver Mountain Film Festival: Grand Prize
  • 2005 Vancouver Mountain Film Festival: Second Place Mountain Landscape
  • 2004 Nature’s Best Photography Awards: Honorable Mention Landscape
  • 2004 Banff Mountain Photography Competition: Honorable Mention Landscape
  • 2003 Outdoor California Photography Awards: Honorable Mention Natural Environment
  • 2002 Outdoor California Photography Awards: Photograph of the Year

Personal Website: www.cornforthimages.com

Social Media Handles:

Jess Findlay, Canada

Jess Findlay

From Vancouver, Canada, Jess Findlay amongst the most celebrated wildlife photographer. Jess is an award-winning photographer who has bagged prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition amongst other accolades. His work mostly depicts the animals’ and environment’s story and has been displayed at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington DC, the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, Canada, and the London Natural History Museum in the UK.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2011: International Youth Photographer of the Year Award
  • 2014: BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award

Personal Website: www.jessfindlay.com

Social Media Handles:

Stefano Unterthiner, Italy

Stefano Unterthiner

From Aosta Valley, Italy, Stefano Unterthiner is reckoned to be one of the best wildlife photographers of all time. Stefano took up photography at the age of 17 and is a Ph.D. in Zoology. He has been one of the important photographers at National Geographic. His work depicts his concern over nature conservation and relationship between man and wildlife. Stefano is also a writer of the book The Night of the Bears, Diary of a Wildlife Photographer in the Finnish Taiga and he has been reckoned as the most awarded Italian photographer of all time at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year with first prize winning in the year 2008, 2011, and 2016.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2000: ‘Mario Pastore’ Award
  • 2004: Best young journalist for the environment
  • 2011: Second Prize in Nature Category at the World Press Photo
  • 2017: Green Career Award

Personal Website: www.stefanounterthiner.com

Social Media Handles:

Tim Laman, Japan

Tim Laman A renowned wildlife photojournalist and field biologist, Tim Laman credits his childhood that he spent in Japan as a main motivation to pursue a career in wildlife photography. He is known to be a regular contributor in National Geographic the journey of which began with the research in the rainforest canopy in Borneo. His write ups and photography depict a message for wildlife conservation specially of the endangered species like Orangutans, Proboscis Monkeys, and Hornbills. Tim’s work has helped him bag a number of awards, including the first place in the Underwater category in Nature’s Best International Photography awards; he has also earned the highest honor of the North American Nature Photography Association in 2009 as the Outstanding Nature Photographer and ten images of his have won recognition in the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2009: Outstanding Nature Photographer by North American Nature Photography Association
  • 2016: Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Personal Website: www.timlaman.com

Social Media Handles:

Frans Lanting, United States

Frans Lanting Frans Lanting has been reckoned as one of the greatest contemporary wildlife photographers in the world. His work involve documenting the never seen before tribal traditions in Madagascar. Lanting is a celebrated photographer whose pioneering photo essays on rainforest ecology in Borneo, emperor penguins in Antarctica, and the endangered puffins in the North Atlantic, have been published worldwide. He has been an in-house photographer for National Geographic and once his images from a year long journey around the globe filled an entire issue of the magazine. Lanting is also an established writer and his books include Islands of the West (1986), Madagascar, A World Out of Time (1990), and Feathers (1982); Okavango: Africa’s Last Eden (1993, 2012), Life: A Journey Through Time (2006), Jungles (2000), Penguin (1999), Living Planet (1999), Eye to Eye (1997), Bonobo (1997), Forgotten Edens (1993). In the year 2000, his book Eye to Eye was one of the 50 most influential nonfiction books of the 20th century by National Public Radio-KQED.

Achievement/Awards:

  • World Press Photo
  • BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year
  • Sierra Club’s Ansel Adams Award
  • Knight in the Royal Order of the Golden Ark, the Netherlands (highest conservation honor)

Personal Website: www.lanting.com

Social Media Handles:

Suzi Eszterhas, United States

Suzi Eszterhas

Suzi Eszterhas is a known name in the photography field. This award-winning wildlife photographer is recognized by her work of documenting animals’ family life and their newborns. Amongst her interesting encounters with wildlife include hugging a baby whale, swimming with sloths, escaping from curious grizzly bears and chasing by a green mamba. Her photographs have been published in more than 100 magazine covers and stories were published in TIME, Smithsonian, BBC Wildlife, GEO, Popular Photography, Ranger Rick, and National Geographic Kids. She is also an engaging speaker and an author who has published almost nine books so far. Suzi has won Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition, National Wildlife Photo Contest, and Environmental Photographer of the Year Competition amongst other accolades.

Achievement/Awards:

  • Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition Winner
  • National Wildlife Photo Contest Winner
  • Environmental Photographer of the Year Competition Winner

Personal Website: www.suzieszterhas.com

Social Media Handles:

Andy Rouse, United Kingdom

Andy Rouse, United-Kingdom

A wildlife photographer who took up professional photography at an age of 32, Andy Rouse is surely a name everyone recognizes. He is known to donate several of his pictures to wildlife conservation societies. His images are said to be the voice for the species that cannot speak and has made him bag more than 20 photography awards. He has 17 books to his name and for consecutive seven years, he has won prizes in the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition which include the Gerald Durrell Award for Endangered Species. He is the holder of the RGS Cherry Kearton award as well. Andy is an avid canon explorer which he says inspire him to continue to innovate and produce good work.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 20+ International Awards
  • 7 Awards in BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition
  • Gerald Durrell Award for Endangered Species

Personal Website: www.andyrouse.co.uk

Social Media Handles:

Joel Sartore, United States

Joel Sartore

Joel Sartore is a renowned name in photography world who is also an influencing speaker, author, teacher, conservationist, National Geographic fellow, and regular contributor to National Geographic magazine. Along with his brilliant wildlife photography what catches the eye is his sense of humour. He specializes in documenting the lives of endangered species, which is well-depicted in his 25-year documentary project called the Photo Ark. In addition to National Geographic, he is also a regular contributor to Audubon, Geo, the New York Times, and Smithsonian. Joel’s work have been the subject of many national broadcasts, which include National Geographic’s Explorer, NBC Nightly News, NPR’s Weekend Edition and Fresh Air with Terry Gross, and the Today Show.

Personal Website: www.joelsartore.com

Social Media Handles:

Christopher Dodds, Canada

Christopher Dodds

A full-time freelance nature and wildlife photographer, blogger, lecturer, nature photography workshop & safari leader/instructor, and photography educator, Christopher Dodds has an experience of 30 years which can be definitely seen in his work. He has combined his lifelong passion for nature with his technical expertise to become one of the top nature and wildlife photographers of the time. Chris travels to exquisite locations across the world photographing, teaching nature photography workshops and leading nature photography safaris. He is a Master Coloratti; an ambassador, lecturer and educator for the prestigious X-Rite Photo Coloratti initiative. Chris’ images has appeared in several leading magazines and newspapers and among countless private collections in the world. He likes to capture an unobtrusive, close and intimate view of his subject’s lives; at their level and without disturbance. He spends enormous time carefully learning every detail about his subjects, their behavior, and their lives in order to create meaningful photographs. As an educator and workshop/safari leader, he enjoys sharing his photography knowledge of how to create perfect images that are filled with visual impact. In August 2012, Chris became the inaugural member of the prestigious Northern Explorer of Light program; he remained an ambassador, contract photographer, lecturer and educator for Canon Canada for five years until switching to Sony mirrorless camera system in August of 2017. Chris’ photography workshop & safari business has a loyal client base that follows him from Alaska, to Newfoundland, Florida to Africa, to capture stunning photographs under Chris’ expert guidance. His widely-read blog has emerged as a “go to” resource for aspiring nature photographers from across the world.

Personal Website: naturephotographyblog.com

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Will Burrard-Lucas, United Kingdom

Will Burrard Lucas A young wildlife photographer from UK, Will Burrad-Lucas spent part of his childhood in Tanzania and he confesses this is what has drawn his interest into wildlife. Lucas is known to be the founder of a company that specializes in products for remote and camera trap photography; and a website that offers a range of educational resources and safaris for photographers. He is said to have developed his own DSLR camera trap system for photographing shy and nocturnal animals. He is an avid wildlife conservationist who donate his time and images to help wildlife fundraising activities.

Achievement/Awards:

  • National Historical Museum Finalist 2014: Special Award for TimeLapse (While working as duo with his brother)

Personal Website: www.burrard-lucas.com

Social Media Handles:

Mike Cavaroc, United States

MIKE CAVAROC, UNITED STATES

From video game nerd to TEDex Speaker on wildlife photography, Mike Cavaroc has come a long way to have been acknowledged as one of the eminent photographers. Born and brought up in a concrete jungle, Mike had a childhood like any other kid living in closed spaces but it was his moving to Texas for college that unveiled for him a world of opportunity in wildlife photography and ever since Mike has not looked back.

Personal Website: www.freeroamingphotography.com

Social Media Handles:

Charles Glatzer, United States

Charles Glatzer

Charles Glatzer of Chas is considered one of the most influential photographers in the world. He is also reckoned to be one of the most sought after educators and speakers. He is a diverse photographer who has earned more than 40 awards for his work in portraits, weddings, advertising, catalog and product, editorial reportage, professional sports, and underwater photography. His work is also been featured a number of times in many publications worldwide including National Geographic, Outdoor Photographer, Popular Photography, National Parks, Discover Diving, Smithsonian, Professional Photographer, Birder’s World, Birding, Nature Photographer, EOS, Digital PhotoPro, and many more. He also continues to be on the judges’ panels for both national and international photographic competitions.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 40+ Awards in photographic competition, advanced education, and service to the profession

Personal Website: www.shootthelight.com

Social Media Handles:

Kirk Norbury, United Kingdom

Kirk Norbury Known for its English landscape and time-lapse photography, Kirk Norbury is a celebrated photographer who believes in enjoying the diversity. Kirk also enjoys wildlife photography and has a number of clicks that has earned him a lot of accolades. He runs workshops from time to time and also take out time to pen down some useful blogs on photography.

Personal Website: www.kirknorbury.co.uk

Social Media Handles:

Richard Peters, United Kingdom

Richard Peters

Richard Peters is another award winning photographer and mostly known for its work with dramatic lights. He is an engaging speaker and writer who loves to share new things with photography enthusiasts. He has been an important speaker at some notable venues like London’s Natural History Museum, The Photography Show at the Birmingham NEC and events in Antwerp and Portugal. His well-written articles are also featured in UK’s photographic press including Professional Photographer Magazine, Digital Photographer, N-Photo, Amatuer Photographer, Practical Photography, Outdoor Photography and more.

Achievements/Awards:

  • European Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Personal Website: www.richardpeters.co.uk

Social Media Handles:

Austin Thomas, United Kingdom

Austin Thomas

Great love for nature and wildlife brought Austin Thomas to the world of photography. He is a celebrated photographer who has earned several accolades for his work. Many of his images have been published in BBC Wildlife Magazine and at several places internationally. In 2010, his work was broadcasted on local BBC News. Austin’s passion for photography can be seen in his pictures that mostly convey a dire need for wildlife conservation.

Personal Website: www.austinthomas.co.uk

Social Media Handles:

Elliott Neep, England

Elliott Neep

After bidding goodbye to his IT Marketing & Sales career in 2002, Elliott Neep began what today is his legendary journey into photography. Winning the first award in 2005 as a Wildlife Photographer of the Year that boosted his confidence, Elliott chose photography as his full-time career. Along with being a great photographer, Elliott has been a Tour Leader to Mara-Serengeti Eco-system, Svalbard, East Africa and India. His work has been published by major photography publications like BBC Wildlife magazine and the National Press. He has also bagged several awards including Wildlife Photographer of the Year, International Photography Awards, Windland Smith Rice Nature’s Best.

Achievements/Awards:

  • Wildlife Photographer of the Year
  • International Photography Awards
  • Windland Smith Rice Nature’s Best

Personal Website: elliottneep.com

Social Media Handles:

Rathika Ramasamy, India

Rathika Ramasamy-1

Rathika Ramasamy holds an important place as one of India’s foremost wildlife photographers. She was also selected as one of the top bird photographers in India by ‘Birds of India’ in 2008. Rathika’s photography motto says it all, “Every time I press the shutter, it’s one step closer to Mother Nature,” which clearly shows her concern for conservation. Her work has been published both in India and internationally and she has also contributed for the calendar for the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi that featured birds of the campus. Rathika also has two photo books which were published in 2010 and 2014.

Achievements/Awards:

  • Feb 2015: “Inspiring Icon Award” by Sathyabama University, Chennai
  • March 2015: Jury Member for 4th National Photography Awards, organized by Photo Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
  • June 2015: The International Camera Fair Award for the outstanding performance and achievements in wildlife photography
  • 2016: Jury Member for the Siena International Photo Awards, and URBAN 2016 Photo Awards, Italy

Personal Website: www.rathikaramasamy.com

Social Media Handles:

Jayanth Sharma, India

Jayanth Sharma

Another celebrated wildlife photographer in India, Jayanth Sharma took up photography as his full-time career in 2004 and ever since his achievements are in plenty and worth mentioning. Jayanth is a co-founder and CEO of Toehold, a company that believes in depicting rarely seen perspectives from offbeat domains and far corners of the natural world.

Achievements/Awards:

  • Highly Honoured – Nature’s Best Photography Windland Awards 2016
  • Honourable Mention – Global Arctic Awards 2014
  • Finalist – Saevus Nature’s Trailblazer Assignment
  • Third Prize – Sanctuary Asia Wildlife Awards 2007
  • Special Mention – Better Photography Contest 2008
  • Special Mention – Sanctuary Asia Wildlife Awards 2008

Personal Website: www.toehold.in

Social Media Handles:

Kalyan Verma, India

Kalyan Verma

A photographer, explorer, naturalist and filmmaker, Kalyan Verma has several accolades in his bag. He works as a freelancer for channels like Nat Geo and BBC and over a decade has contributed still images to National Geographic, Nature, The Guardian, BBC Wildlife, GEO, Smithsonian, Lonely Planet and other magazines. He collaborates with wildlife scientists, conservationists, policy makers, activists and educators on activism, documentation, conservation action, and books and film projects.

Achievements/Awards:

  • Sanctuary wildlife photographer of the year 2005
  • BBC wildlife photographer of the year 2013

Personal Website: www.kalyanvarma.net

Social Media Handles:

Sandesh Kadur, India

Sandesh Kadur

A pack of talent, Sandesh Kadur is one of India’s most popular wildlife photographer who enjoys seeing the world from a different angle. Sandesh’s work has been published widely and has attained both national and international fame. His documentaries on king cobras and clouded leopards have been aired on the BBC, Discovery, and National Geographic networks. Sandesh is said to use his skills to encourage wildlife conservation, and a few years ago, he even founded a media and visual arts company that focuses on creating content that inspires conservation.

Achievements/Awards:

  • CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year
  • Nature’s Best Award
  • International Conservation Photographer Award
  • Two nomination for a Green Oscar at Wildscreen

Personal Website: www.sandeshkadur.com

Sudhir Shivaram, India

Sudhir Shivaram

An engineer-turned-wildlife photographer, Sudhir Shivaram is known for its brilliant work in Indian wildlife photography. His work has won accolades for their sound technicality and evocative character. Shivaram has also been the brand ambassador for Canon for 8 years and is one of the founding members of the photo-sharing site called India Nature Watch. He widely promotes wildlife conservation and regularly contributes wildlife images for raising awareness.

Achievements/Awards:

  • 2012: Sanctuary Asia Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012
  • 2013: Image featured as cover shot of National Geographic Traveller India
  • 2014: Won the National Geographic Yellow Border Award
  • 2014: Speaker @ The Adobe Photography Symposium 2014
  • 2015: Recognised as India’s 5th most influential person in photography industry in India (No.1 influential photographer in India)
  • 2015: Became the 1st person in the world to broadcast the Masai Mara Great Migration LIVE on Facebook
  • 2016: Recognised as India’s 3rd most influential person in photography industry in India (No.1 influential photographer in India)
  • 2017: Recognised as No.1 most popular photographer on the internet In Top 20 Wildlife Photographers Of The World On Web
  • 2017: Speaker @Adobe MAKE IT Australia
  • 2018: Recognised as India’s No.1 most influential person in photography industry in India during the Asian photography 2018 awards

Personal Website: www.sudhirshivaram.com

Social Media Handles:

Dave Watts, Australia

Dave Watts Dave is a leading Australian photographer who has immense love for natural history. He holds a record for being the first person to photograph the endangered Orange-bellied Parrot in South West Wilderness of Tasmania for which he also won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award by BBC. Dave’s photos have been featured on a wide range of products including greetings and postcards, calendars, diaries, T-shirts as well as advertising. He has also been honoured by Australia Post who used several of his wildlife images on postage stamps and First Day Covers. His work is widely published in prestigious magazines like National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, Geo (Germany), Geo (Australia), Australian Geographic, Airone and Nature Australia. He considers himself a non-technical photographer and mostly credits his emotional connectivity with animals that lead him in taking good pictures.

Achievements/Awards:

  • First person to photograph the endangered Orange-bellied Parrot
  • Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award by BBC
  • Honoured by Australia Post with the use of several of his wildlife images on postage stamps and First Day Covers
  • Two images of Rock Wallaby used by Australian Mint as a design of 2 solid silver 1oz coins

Personal Website: www.davewattsphoto.com

Antoni Kasprzak, Poland

Antoni Kasprzak Wildlife Photographer

Antoni Kasprzak is a Polish wildlife photographer who is known for his Clash of Eagles still image which also won him National Geographic Best Animal Photo Award in 2008. Though there is no information on Antoni over the internet (so little that we could not find his large image of him, and hence had to use the picture of his best work), he seems to be a popular face in world’s wildlife photography scene.

Achievements/Awards:

  • 2008: National Geographic Best Animal Photo Award

Cyril Ruoso, France

Cyril Ruoso Wildlife Photographer

Photo: #

A celebrated French wildlife photographer, Cyril Ruoso is known for his extensive travelling of 20 years in search of wildlife stories mostly about tropical rainforests. He confesses that his interest in wildlife photography was influenced mainly after the encounter with Borneo Orangutan. Primates have been his focus for decades, and in his last feature he showed macaques diving in the sea and cracking open shells with stone tools. These last few years, amphibians became another obsession of Ruoso and he photographed the biggest frog of the world in Cameroon, and showed common frogs in snow and in icy water in the french Alps. His work has been published in several prestigious magazines like National Geographic US, Terra Mater, Paris Match, Figaro Magazine, Terre Sauvage or BBC Wildlife and has also been the subject of various exhibitions.

Achievements/Awards:

  • 2008: Wildlife photographer of the year
  • 2011: Wildlife photographer of the year
  • 2016: Wildlife photographer of the year Finalist

Personal Website: www.cyrilruoso.com

Social Media Handles:

Steve Winter, United States

Steve Winter There are very few people in the world who make their childhood dreams come true, and Steve Winter is amongst those few. As a child Steve wanted to be a photographer for National Geographic and travel the world, well, the dream did come true when in 1991 National Geographic appoint him. Ever since there has been no looking back with Steve remaining engaged due to attack by rhinos in India; stalking by jaguars in Brazil; charged by a 11-foot grizzly in Siberia; and trapped in quicksand in the world’s largest tiger reserve in Myanmar. His bizarre experiences do not end here, Steve has spent six months in a tent at -40 below zero tracking snow leopard; he has also flown over erupting volcanoes, and visited villages where the natives had never seen a blonde foreigner or a camera.

Achievements/Awards:

  • BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year
  • BBC Wildlife Photojournalist of the Year
  • Two-time winner of Picture of the Year International’s Global Vision Award
  • 1st prize winner in the Nature Story category from World Press Photo in 2008 and 2014

Personal Website: www.stevewinterphoto.com

Social Media Handles:

Brian Skerry, United States

BRIAN SKERRY

An award-winning photojournalist, Brian Skerry has recently in 2017 has bagged a title of Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year. Skerry specializes in marine wildlife and underwater environments and since 1998 has been working for National Geographic as a contract photographer. From covering stories of the harp seal’s struggle to survive in frozen waters to the alarming decrease in the world’s fisheries, from dolphin intelligence to stories on predatory sharks, Brian Skerry has contributed brilliant work to Nat Geo. His work has also been featured in publications like Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, BBC Wildlife, Paris Match, GEO, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Smithsonian, Esquire, Audubon and Men’s Journal. He is reckoned to be the only person to win the Peter Benchley Award for Excellence in Media.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2010: 50 Greatest Photographs Of All Time
  • 2014: National Geographic Photography Fellow
  • 2015: Nikon Ambassador
  • 2016: National Geographic Photographer’s Photographer Award
  • 2017: Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year
  • Pictures of the Year International
  • Nature’s Best, Communication Arts
  • Peter Benchley Award for Excellence in Media

Personal Website: www.brianskerry.com

Social Media Handles:

David Maitland, England

David Maitland

A naturalist whose quirky ways has won him several awards in the wildlife photography field, David Maitland is a personality is someone you must know about. David has this thing for elucidating the intricacies of nature in his photography that has given him the position of world’s best nature photographers. He is a winner of several awards including the European Wildlife photographer of the Year in 2008. In Fev 2013, he has series running on BBC 2 in collaboration with Prof. Brian Cox called “Wonders of Life.”

Achievement/Awards:

  • Veolia Wildlife Photographer of the Year
  • 2008: European Wildlife photographer of the Year

Personal Website: davidmaitland.com

Danny Green, United States

Danny Green A nature loving photographer, Danny Green considers his grandfather to be the major influence and reason behind turning into a wildlife photographer. Danny enjoys photography in United Kingdom and Shetland Isles, he confesses is his favourite destination. In June 2014, Danny got his work published in National Geographic, however, before and after of this achievement his work has been featured widely in publications like RSPB Images, Naturepl and NHPA. He also runs a photography tour agency which specializes in tours in UK and abroad.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2005: Wildlife Photographer of the Year (Highly Commended)
  • 2007: Wildlife Photographer of the Year (Category Winner), International Wildbird Photographer
  • 2008: International Wildbird Photographer (Category Runner-up)
  • 2009: Wildlife Photographer of the Year (Category Winner)
  • 2009: Natures Best (Bird Behaviour Category Winner)
  • 2009: Natures Best (Mammal Behaviour Highly Honoured)
  • 2009: Natures Best (Macro World Highly Honoured)
  • 2009: GDT – European Nature Photographer (Highly Commended)>
  • 2009: British Wildlife Photography (Highly Commended)
  • 2009: NPN – Fauna Gallery (Winner)
  • 2010: GDT – European Nature Photographer (Highly Commended)
  • 2010: British Wildlife Photography Awards (Highly Commended)
  • 2010: British Wildlife Photography Awards
  • 2011: GDT – European Nature Photographer (Highly Commended)
  • 2013: British Wildlife Photography Awards (Highly Commended)
  • 2015: 5 British Wildlife Photography Awards (Highly Commended)
  • 2016: 2 British Wildlife Photography Award (Highly Commended)
  • 2016: Natures Best (Honoured)

Personal Website: www.dannygreenphotography.com

Social Media Handles:

David Lloyd, United Kingdom

David Lloyd

David is yet another established wildlife photographer who is from New Zealand but is based in London. His work is won him several awards since the inception 1991. David enjoys black & white photography and uses a fine art style for it. He has confessed that places like Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Botswana, and Richmond Park are some of his favorites for his photography venture.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2011: Wildlife Photographer of the Year (Specially Commended – Black and White)
  • 2012: Windland Smith Rice Awards Nature’s Best (Highly Honoured)
  • 2014: Wildlife Photographer of the Year (Commended – Mammals), 2 Windland Smith Rice Awards Nature’s Best (Highly Honoured)
  • 2016: GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year (Winner), 2 Outdoor Photographer of the Year (Commended)

Personal Website: www.davidlloyd.net

Social Media Handles:

Michael AW, Australia

Michael AW

Michael Aw is named as one of the most influential wildlife photographers in the world by Outdoor Photography. He has bagged more than 65 international awards for his excellent contribution in the field of wildlife photography. Michael is an author, conservationist, and explorer who holds specialization in underwater photography. His work has published widely in BBC Wildlife, National Geographic, the Smithsonian, Nature, Ocean Geographic, Asian Geographic, Nature Focus, Times, Discovery and many more. Michael is an active member of the Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers and a Fellow International of The Explorer Club NY, where the prominent Fellows include Sir Edmund Hillary, Roald Amundsen, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, David Doubilet, Emory Kristof and Sylvia Earle. He is also a founder of OceanNEnvironment, which is a charity organization registered with Environment Australia.

Achievement/Awards:

  • There is a long list of awards that Michael has been honored with, check the complete list here.

Personal Website: www.michaelaw.com

Social Media Handles:

Karen Lunney, Australia

Karen Lunney

An award-winning Australian wildlife photographer, Karen Lunney is appreciated widely for her work of states of transition, liminal space, a place of possibility, the light of dawn and dusk, the ocean-land interface and the migration of animals. Her work has been featured in several news and on-line publications like National Geographic book and “Mono” – a book of black and white images published by 1x.com.

Achievement/Awards:

  • Winner of the 2015 Moscow International Photography Awards (MIFA) Wildlife Category
  • Second Place 2015 Moscow International Photography Awards (MIFA) Nature Category
  • Third in the 2015 International Photography Awards (IPA) Travel and Tourism Category
  • A Silver with Distinction and Silver Awards in the 2015 APPA
  • A Gold and two Silver Awards in the 2015 QPPA
  • Silver medalist 2015 Prix de la Photographie (PX3)

Read more about her achievements here.

Personal Website: www.karenlunneyphoto.com

Annette Bonnier, United States

Annette Bonnier

Annette Bonnier confessed her childhood interest in different cultures and people. In 1979, Annette got her first break as Documentary Photographer at the University of Florida. Later, Annette learned professional photography under the guidance of Mary Ellen Marks, David Allen Harvey and Steve McCurry. In her photography career, she got an opportunity to spend time in a housing project with a drug addict and her 7 children; across India with elephants and their mahouts; in a propeller plane with ‘Brothers to the Rescue’ searching for refugees; among the southern tribes of Ethiopia; and meeting some of the transformed men in Sing Sing Prison. Her work has been published in the New York Times, Tropic Magazine (Miami Herald), The Independent, BBC Wildlife Magazine, Wanderlust Magazine, and Loft Magazine.

Personal Website: www.annettebonnier.com

Social Media Handles:

Matthew Smith, Australia

Matthew Smith A world renowned Ocean Photographer who is based in NSW, Australia, Matthew Smith decided at an early age what he wanted to with his life. His love for underwater photography brought him to Australia where he says that he has world’s biggest playground at his feet, the Pacific Ocean. Matthew enjoys transitional photography and this is why, you can see his work is half over half underwater. Matthew’s collection of his favourite images compiled as “A Parallel Universe: Windows Beneath the Waves” has won him several accolades and his work has been exhibited over 70 countries in 5 continents.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2014: Australian Geographic ANZANG Nature Photographer of the Year
  • 2014: Ocean Geographic Picture of the Year (1st, 2nd and 3rd Prize Winner)
  • 2014: BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Underwater Photography Contest Winner
  • 2016: The Valerie Taylor Award for Outstanding Achievement (Honorary Mention)

Personal Website: mattysmithphoto.com

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Connor Stefanison, Canada

Connor Stefanison

A British Columbia based photographer, Connor Stefanison confesses that at and age of 17, Mountain Biking first sparked his interest in photography. He was greatly influenced by the outdoor, and before he could realize, his interest shifted from sports to nature. Connor’s work is a reflection of the knowledge he gained throughout his life engaging in various outdoor activities. He is a celebrated and widely published photographer who has also won numerous awards for his excellent photography portfolio.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2011: Canadian Geographic Canadian Wildlife Photography of the Year (Birds category, Honourable Mention)
  • 2012: Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards. Plant Life category (Highly Honoured)
  • 2013: Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Eric Hosking Portfolio Award
  • 2014: Big Picture Natural World. Landscape category (Runner up)
  • 2015: GDT Fritz Polking Junior Prize, Wildlife Photographer of the Year (Rising Star Portfolio Award)
  • 2016: Big Picture Natural World. Winged Life category (Finalist)
  • 2016: Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards (Wildlife category, Highly honoured)
  • 2017: National Wildlife Federation. Landscapes & Plants (Honourable Mention)

Personal Website: www.connorstefanison.com

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Moose Peterson, United States

Moose Peterson

Known for his splendid work of photographing the life history of North America’s endangered wildlife and wildplaces, Moose Peterson is amongst the best American photographers to receive the D1 in 1999 making him the only wildlife photographer in the world to shoot strictly digital in the those days. Moose is the winner of several awards including the John Muir Conservation Award and has been Nikon US Ambassador.

Achievement/Awards:

  • Nikon USA Ambassador
  • Lexar Elite Photographer
  • John Muir Conservation Award

Personal Website: www.moosepeterson.com

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Ole Jørgen Liodden, Norway

Ole Jørgen Liodden

A conservator, an author and expedition leader, Ole J Liodden is a widely acclaimed photographer based in Norway. A Master’s in Natural Resource Management, Resource Economics and Environmental Politics, Liodden uses his photography as a way to get more interest in environmental issues in the Arctic and also marine ecosystems. He was chosen as one of the photographers for the Wild Wonders of Europe project and in 2015 he founded Penguin World and in 2016 he started the Polar Bears & Humans project. His experience as a photo guide and expedition leader taken him to destinations like Svalbard, Antarctica, Alaska, Africa, New Zealand, Russia Far East and the Galapagos. In past 10 years, he has authored 8 books and some of them has won him several awards.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2016: GDT European Photographer of the year (Highly Commended: ARCTIC KING)
  • 2016: GDT European Photographer of the year (Highly Commended: AFTER THE HUNT)
  • 2016: Kuwait Grand Photography Contest (2nd place: LIVING ON THIN ICE)
  • 2016: ARKTIS – LIVET I EN VERDEN AV IS OG SNØ (Norwegian and Swedish version)
  • 2015: SVALBARD EXPOSED (English version)
  • 2014: GDT European Photographer of the year (Runner-Up: TURBULENCE)
  • 2014: GDT European Photographer of the year (BIRD CLIFF)
  • 2012: Arctic Global Award, BBC Photographer of the year
  • 2012: Nordic Nature Photo Contest (NNPC)
  • 2012: GDT European Photographer of the year (Runner-Up: LIVING ON THIN ICE)
  • 2012: GDT European Photographer of the yea
  • 2011: BBC Photographer of the year (Joint Runner-Up: MIDNIGHT TERN)
  • 2011: BBC Photographer of the year (Specially Commended: SNOW KINGS)
  • 2011: GDT European Photographer of the year, GDT European Photographer of the year
  • 2011: GDT European Photographer of the year, 101 GODE FOTORÅD FOR NATURFOTO (NORWEGIAN version)
  • 2007: HALLINGDAL (NORWEGIAN version)

Personal Website: www.oleliodden.com

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Craig Jones, Australia

Craig Jones Craig Jones is known for its click-as-you-see-it photography, which construes that there is no use of friendly animals, hot spots, bait and the pre-arranged perches or props as well as digital manipulation but only capturing of images as seen on the ground. Craig believes in responsible photography and endeavours to capture pictures where the object itself expresses its beauty, fascination and grace. Craig runs successful workshops and photo tours.

Personal Website: www.craigjoneswildlifephotography.co.uk

Social Media Handles:

Chris Packham, United Kingdom

Chris Packham

A nature photographer, naturalist, author and tv presenter, Chris Packham is indeed a renowned face in wildlife photography. Chris is also a conservationist, campaigner and a filmmaker and has also been seen with Jimmy Fallon on his show along with this, his tv presenter portfolio include BBC’s BAAFTA Award winning Springwatch, Autumnwatch and Winterwatch series. He presents notable natural history series such as Nature’s Weirdest Events, World’s Weirdest Events, World’s Sneakiest Animals, Cats V Dogs, The Burrowers, Inside the Animal Mind, Operation Iceberg and Secrets of our Living Planet. A multiple award winner, Chris inculcated the interest in the wildlife and ever since there has been no looking back.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2016: Critical Acclaim for his biography, Fingers in the Sparkle Jar: A Memoir

Read more about his achievements here.

Personal Website: www.chrispackham.co.uk

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Chad Cocking, South Africa

Chad Cocking

A professional field guide in Timbavati Private Nature Reserve and a photographer based in South Africa, Chad Cocking enjoys capturing the special moments of daily life in his camera and writing vividly descriptive blogs on tips and tricks of clicking good pictures in the wild.

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Peter Cairns, Scotland

Peter Cairns

Peter Cairns is so much more than a photographer but likes to address himself as nature and conservation photographer. He is the founding director of The Wild Media Foundation, the Social Enterprise behind projects like Tooth & Claw, Highland Tiger, 2020VISION and the Scottish Nature Photography Festival. Peter also founded SCOTLAND:The Big Picture, a company that is dedicated to produce visual media promoting the benefits of a wilder Scotland. He also serves as a Board Member of Scottish rewilding charity Trees for Life, and a Senior Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers.

Personal Website: www.petercairnsphotography.com

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Shekar Dattatri, India

Shekar Dattatri

Shekar Dattatri is a National Award Winner wildlife filmmaker and photographer in India. He confessed of being fascinated by the wildlife at a tender age of 13 when he first joined the famous Madras Snake Park as a student-volunteer. Shekar has a number documentaries under his belt that not only won him national acclamation but international as well. He also have have worked for world’s leading broadcasters of wildlife programmes, including the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, and the BBC Natural History Unit. He is the co-founder of Conservation India, an online portal and has closely worked with NGOs in India.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 1987: National Award for Best Scientific Film
  • 1989: National Award
  • 1992: National Award
  • 1992: Special Jury Award at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival
  • 1992: Top honor at the Sondrio International Film Festival
  • 1992: Best Nature Film Award at the Tokyo Earthvision Festival
  • 2004: Rolex Award for Enterprise

Read more about his achievements here.

Personal Website: www.shekardattatri.com

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Sunjoy Monga, India

Sunjoy Monga

A photographer, conservationist, naturalist, and author, Sunjoy Monga stated to have got the inspiration to be amidst the wild at the age of 5; his interest grew more with visiting the then Borivali Forest where he remembered to have seen his first peafowl dancing and a snake that left him mesmerized. Apart from the fabulous wildlife photographer that he is, Sunjoy has authored a few books that have done extremely well. His book, Birds in Mumbai mentions 350 species of birds that can be seen in the city itself. Sunjoy is also associated with Bombay Natural History Society and has also chosen on the Tumbhi advisory panel.

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Paul Hilton, Hong Kong

Paul Hilton A photojournalist and wildlife trade consultant based in Hong Kong, Paul Hilton is a known name when it comes to conservation. His 2015 undercover footage of the illegal wildlife trade won him a lot accolades from around the world. Paul is also the member of prestigious, International League of Conservation Photographers and has authored a decent number of books on conservation of wildlife. He has also received a plethora of awards for his conservation efforts comprising coverage of shark fin trade across the globe; documenting a newly-discovered blue whale migration; life onboard long-lining fleets from Taiwan, China, Philippines, and Indonesia; satellite tagging of humpback whales; and sustainable pole-and-line tuna fisheries worldwide.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2012: A World Press Photo Award
  • 2012: Wildlife Photographer of the Year
  • 2014: Wildlife Photographer of the Year
  • 2016: Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Read more about his achievements here.

Personal Website: www.paulhiltonphotography.com

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Gideon Knight, United Kingdom

Gideon Knight Probably one of the youngest wildlife photographers in this list of top wildlife photographers in the world, Gideon is just 18 years old and is a winner of several awards for his outstanding photography which he states is done around his hometown, London. Gideon received his first award in the year 2012 as Times Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year – Runner-up, ever since he became a known face in the wildlife field. In 2016, he bagged the award for the Young Photographer of the Year.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2017: RSPCA Young Photographer Awards – Overall Winner
  • 2017: RSPCA Young Photographer Awards (15-18) – Category Winner
  • 2016: Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 – Grand Prize Winner
  • 2016: Wildlife Photographer of the Year (15-17 years) – Category Winner
  • 2015: ZSL Animal Photography Prize – Judges’ Choice Junior Photographer of the Year
  • 2015: ZSL Animal Photography Prize ‘The Perfect Moment’ – Junior Category Winner
  • 2013: Junior Scottish Nature Photographer of the Year – Overall Winner
  • 2013: Suffolk Wildlife Trusts Young Wildlife Photography Awards – Highly Commended

Read more about his achievements here.

Personal Website: www.gideonknightphotography.zenfolio.com

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Thomas Vijayan, India

Thomas Vijayan

A Canada based photographer, Thomas Vijayan is the fourth Indian that has bagged the Photographer of the Year Award. Thomas developed the love for the wild at the age of 10 when he said that he carried around his analog camera. He believes in not only capturing the beauty of the wildlife but the picture should bring a change in the thought of human beings who are destroying it.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2017: Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Personal Website: www.thomasvijayan.com

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George Stoyle, United Kingdom

George Stoyle

Winner of the British Wildlife Photography Awards 2016, George Stoyle photography history goes back to 1996 when he travelled to New Zealand with his Kodak Advantix APS (Advanced Photo System). George Stoyle is now a celebrated wildlife photographer whose USP is the underwater photography that he drew his attention in Honduras where he got a job as a coral reef ecologist. He has also made short films for the Smithsonian Institution, Glenmorangie Distillery, Scottish Natural Heritage, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and had a few appearances on the BBC.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2016: British Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Personal Website: www.georgestoyle.com

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Greg Lecoeur, France

Greg Lecoeur Photographer

A renown underwater photographer, Greg Lecoeur has been appreciated for his excellent camera work and his images and stories are published in several international magazines. He is a France based photographers whose passion have taken to him to places like Galápagos and then continued to Ecuador, Florida, Bahamas, Honduras, Yucatán, Baja California, California, Hawaii and British Columbia. Greg is an ambassador for Nauticam and Aqualung brands who support him during his adventures.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2016: National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
  • 2016: SIPA Photo Contest of the Year
  • 2016: Ocean Views Photo of the Year
  • 2016: National History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year
  • 2016: Ocean Geographic Pictures of the Year
  • 2016: OCEAN ART Underwater Portrait of the Year
  • 2016: United Nation Underwater Life
  • 2016: Montier Festival Photo Nature Photographer of the Year

Personal Website: www.greglecoeur.com

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Vadim Balakin, Russia

Vadim Balakin Though Vadim Balakin has very little on About page on his website, his work and awards do the talking. A celebrated wildlife and nature photographer from Russia, Vadim is known for his pictures on environmental issues and landscape beauty. Vadim has been awarded National Geographic Russia Grand Prix – “The Best Wildlife Photographer of Russia 2017 along with several other awards in different countries for his outstanding contribution in the wildlife sector.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2017: National Geographic Best Wildlife Photographer of Russia
  • 2014: AC-FOTO German Mega Photo Circuit, The Better Photography Magazine Photograph of the Year
  • 2012: “Arctic Awards 2012” (Russia)

Read more about his achievements here.

Personal Website: www.vadimbalakin.com

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Brent Stirton, South Africa

Brent Stirton

Brent Stirton is a well-known documentary maker and photographer based in South Africa. He is also the senior Getty Image photographer who captures photographs in diverse genres and wildlife photography is one of them. Brent has been recognized by the United Nations for his work on the Environment and has won the National Magazine Award for his work in the Democratic Republic of Congo for National Geographic Magazine. His work on a documentary on Virunga National Park in Conflict for National Geographic Television won the Emmy for Best Documentary Feature as well as a Bafta Award for Best Documentary. He is also a Canon Ambassador and is one of 12 photographers representing Canon photography.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2016: National Geographic Magazine Photographer’s Photographer Award

Read more about his achievements here.

Personal Website: www.brentstirton.com

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Christian Ziegler, Germany

Christian-Ziegler-Wildlife-Photographer

A photojournalist by profession and a tropical ecologist by training, Christian Ziegler is a known face in the wildlife photography world. He has been a researcher and associate for communication in Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and is one of the founding fellows of International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP.com). Christian has travelled extensively in Europe, Central- and South America, Africa, Southeast Asia and Australia with main focus on tropical forest areas. He has dedicated more than 10 years’ time in tropical forests around the world. He lives on the edge of a rainforest National Park in Central Panama and is an award-winning photographer whose photos convey a message of conservation. He is known for his scientifically informed documentation of tropical ecosystems and species, and research conducted in the field. Christian focuses on conservation oriented themes, ecological context and the illustration of relevant processes. He holds technical specialty especially in the use of advanced digital camera trap systems. With the use of engaging and informed storytelling, Christian’s aspire to highlight species and ecosystems that are under threat. He has been an author/photographer of a famed coffee-table book on tropical ecology. His another photo book about wild orchids and their pollinators have also been able to catch a lot of attention. He is a regular contributor to National Geographic Magazine and has been published widely in various other prestigious magazines. His work has also been exhibited across the globe and he has been invited a lecturer around the world as well.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 1995, 1997: GDT (German association of Nature Photographers) Nature Foto Festival Lünen
  • 1997: Photographic Workshop with Art Wolfe
  • 1998: Fieldwork with Frans Lanting on BCI for two weeks
  • 1999: Annual summit of NANPA in San Diego, short presentation, GDT Nature Foto Festival, Category Winner in annual competition
  • 2000: GDT Nature Foto Festival, Category Winner in annual competition, Annual summit of NANPA in Las Vegas, short presentation
  • 2001: BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year: category winner (behavior all other animals), European Nature Photographer of the year: Category winner (animals), highly commended (story)
  • 2002: European Nature Photographer of the year: Highly commended (mammals and story)
  • 2003: European Nature Photographer of the year: Highly commended (wild places)
  • 2004: SI staff photo contest: image of ants wins science category, exhibit at Ripley Centre, BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Category winner (behavior all other animals)
  • 2005: European Nature Photographer of the year: Category winner (other animals)
  • 2007: Picture of the Year International, second price “Nature story”: Red-Eyed Tree Frog, China International Press Photo: Gold medal in the natural history/ science story category, BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year: runner up (Behavior mammals), Invited speaker at WILDPHOTOS
  • 2008: Picture of the Year International, specially commended “Nature story”: Tropical Bats, Wildlife Photographer of the Year: specially commended (Animals in habitat), National Wildlife Federation Wildlife Photographer of the year: Grand Prize winner
  • 2009: NANPA Vision Award for an outstanding upcoming photographer
  • 2011: European Nature Photographer of the Year, specially commended, all other animals
  • 2012: European Nature Photographer of the Year: specially commended, birds, Ranger Rick Photographer of the Year
  • 2013: World Press Award, winner, nature singles (Cassowaries)
  • 2014: World Press Award, winner, nature story (Bonobos)
  • 2015: World Press Award, winner, nature story (Carnivorous plants)
  • 2016: World Press Award, winner, nature story (Chameleons)
  • 2017: NANPA Outstanding Photographer Award, Wildlife Photographer of the Year: winner (Behavior birds)

Read more about his achievements here.

Personal Website: www.christianziegler.photography

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Davide Lopresti, Italy

Davide Lopresti Photographer An Italian underwater photographer, Davide Lopresti is said to have found his inspiration from the surroundings he grew up in. Belonging to the fishermen community, water, and sea creatures were always quite close to Davide’s heart, however, his attraction towards photography he confessed is out of fun and a bit by chance. Davide first starting photography only to communicate the beauty of his region to others but later he felt photography has more in store for him. Davide is a successful photographer and his work has found appreciation widely.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2016: Underwater Photographer of the Year
  • 2014: National Geographic Italia Award
  • 2013: SEA International Photo Competition Award

Personal Website: www.davidelopresti.net

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Dan Bolt, United Kingdom

Dan Bolt Wildlife Photographer Holding on to his IT job, Dan Bolt has managed to become one of the best underwater photographers in the world. Based in the UK, which he considers as an ocean of opportunities, Dan is a passionate photographer who has also won a number of awards including British Underwater Photographer of the Year 2016. Dan also contributes images to The Wildlife Trusts and Seasearch free of charge for use in their campaigning for UK’s coastal waters protection. He has also co-authored books on wildlife.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2016: British Underwater Photographer of the Year
  • 2011 and 2013: Won British Underwater Photography Championship

Personal Website: www.underwaterpics.co.uk

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Matthew McIntosh, United States

Matthew McIntosh

Matthew McIntosh is primarily known for his award-winning picture in 2016, the Piercing Headache. Growing up in Highland of Wyoming, United States, Matthew found his inspiration while he helped his father in repairing cars. He confesses to mull over the relationship of how things worked together and separately and this is what he says he has used in order to make his photography stand out. His interest lies in photo-illustrative stories and designing an imagined reality open to the expanses of human perspective and imagination.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2016: Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

Social Media Handles:

Audun Rikardsen, Norway

AUDUN RIKARDSEN PHOTOGRAPHER

As a full-time biology professor at the University of Tromsø in Norway, Audun Rikardsen is also an internationally known photographer whose interest lies in capturing different aspects of Arctic Region, often from new and non-traditional angels and situations. He often develops his own methods and equipment to achieve non-traditional perspectives of wildlife and nature. Through his images and scientific background, he conveys stories of the Arctic coast’s culture and wildlife and spreads knowledge about this fascinating part of the world. Audun is an official European Canon Ambassador, Ambassador for Stavanger foto and Focus Nordic, and member of Norske Naturfotografer (Norwegian Nature Photographers) and have been the overall and category winner of may international photo competitions.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2017: Overall winner – Oasis international photographer of the year, Overall winner – The Arctic photographer of the year (Global Arctic award)
  • 2016: Overall winner – European wildlife photographer of the year (GDT), Overall winner of the Frits Polking award (GDT), Overall winner Sienna International Photography Award (SIPA), Overall winner – The Arctic photographer of the year (Global Arctic award)(also overall winner in 2014)
  • 2015: Winner of the Wildlife photographer of the year, portfolio award, Winner of Por el Planeta (Wild habitat category, most winning in the competition), Overall winner of Nordic Nature Photo Contest (NNPC)
  • 2014: Overall winner of Natures Best, Overall winner of Nordic Nature Photo Contest (NNPC) (overall winner also in 2012)

Read more about his achievements here.

Personal Website: www.audunrikardsen.com

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Andreas Geh, Germany

Andreas Geh

Andreas is a nature photographer based in Germany. He is a full-time Management Consulting & Coaching, Marketing & Salesperson. Andreas considers photography as a way to balance this life and to get new perspectives. An avid nature lover, Andreas as a photographer aspires to document creation in a way that can trigger joy, amazement and devotion in the viewer. He organizes regular nature photography workshops and is a loyal user of Olympus.

Personal Website: www.nature-photoarts.com

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Maroesjka Lavigne, Belgium

Maroesjka Lavigne

A master of photography, Maroesjka Lavigne is a widely acclaimed nature photographer whose work has won accolades around the globe. An author of some commendable books, Maroesjka is an award-winning photographer with so much to share with her viewers. Her worldwide exhibitions have made a mark in her photography career and there seems to be no stopping for this brilliant female photographer.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2016: 1st place in the Landscape Category at the Sony World Photography Awards
  • 2015: Harry Penningsprijs in Eindhoven,Netherlands
  • 2014: Emerging Talent competition of Lensculture
  • 2012: selected for the Talent Call at Fotomuseum Amsterdam (FOAM) Netherlands, Author of Sold-out Book, Island

Personal Website: http://maroesjkalavigne.be/

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Peter Chadwick, South Africa

Peter Chadwick

A photojournalist and conservationist, Peter Chadwick is a known name in Africa. Peter credits his father to be the inspiration behind him turning into a photographer and that too a conservation photographer. At an early age, Peter learnt about animal behaviour and the important role of being patient and observant, the brilliant result of which can be seen in his pictures. Peter is an award-winning photographer who has an experience of 30 years in conservation in both the marine and terrestrial environments of Africa. He’s been to the special wild places in Africa like Gabonese and Mozambique forests, Angola’s and East Africa’s marine protected areas, the Kgalagadi and Namibia’s deserts, the bushveld of Zululand and the Kruger National Park, the mountains of the Drakensberg and the offshore islands of the Indian Ocean and the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands that have instilled in him passion towards this opulent yet exploited continent.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2013: Oceans of Life Photographic Competition (Two images in the Top 50, 1 Highly Commended)
  • 2012: Oceans of Life Photographic Competition (Three images in the Top 50, 1 Highly Commended), Overall Winner – Spirit of Africa Competition
  • 2011: Winner of the Gerald Durrel Award for Endangered Wildlife in the Veolia Wildlife Photographer of the year

Read more about his achievements here.

Personal Website: www.peterchadwick.co.za

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Daniel Beltrá, United State

Daniel Beltrá

A Seattle based photographer, Daniel Beltrá is known majorly for his Gulf Oil Spill Images in 2011. Daniel is a conservation photographer whose concern for the environment is well-reflected in his pictures. He has earned a number of awards for his work including Wildlife Photographer of the Year (2011). His some of the most commendable works are from Brazilian Amazon, the Arctic, the Southern Oceans and the Patagonian ice fields. Daniel is also a fellow of the prestigious International League of Conservation Photographers. His work has been published by international publications like The New Yorker, Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, Le Monde, and El Pais.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2013: BBVA Foundation Award
  • 2011: Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award, Lucie Award for the International Photographer of the Year
  • 2009: Prince’s Rainforest Project award granted by Prince Charles
  • 2008: Pictures of the Year International
  • 2007 and 2006: World Press Photo

Personal Website: www.danielbeltra.photoshelter.com

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Greg du Toit, South Africa

Greg du Toit

A celebrated wildlife photographer from South Africa, Greg du Toit was always sure what he wanted to do with his life. Living in four different countries in Africa drew him closer to wildlife and before he could finish his tertiary education in Nature Conservation, he found the opportunity to live permanently in the interior of Africa. Since then, Greg has gone on photography expeditions capturing Africa’s wildest, remotest, and largest ecosystems. He also enjoys fine art wildlife photography and his works reflect a tangible mood, primitive energy and vibrant colours. He has been extensively appreciated and awarded for his brilliant work.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2013: Wildlife Photographer of the Year
  • 2010: Gerald Durrell Endangered Wildlife Award
  • 2009: One of his images toured the world as part of Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition

Personal Website: www.gregdutoit.com

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Gabriela Staebler, Germany

Gabriela Staebler

Gabriela Staebler considers herself as an autodidact and is internationally recognized as one of the best nature photographer. Known for her illustrated book on Africa’s wildlife, Gabriela is a person who has not limited herself to photography but has pushed the limits to broaden her horizon. She is an author for magazines, book and calendar publishers in Germany and abroad and also a juror in international nature photography competitions.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2017: Siena International Photo Awards, Italy (Honourable Mention)
  • 2016: Oasis Photo Contest Italy (Oasis Magazine Award)
  • 2013: Nature Best USA (Highly Honoured)
  • 2012: Altani Award Doha

Read more about his achievements here.

Personal Website: www.gabrielastaebler.de

Alexander Mustard, United Kingdom

ALEXANDER MUSTARD, UNITED KINGDOM

Popular for his excellent work in the underwater photography genre, Alexander Mustard’s achievement goes as far as seven timing winning of Wildlife Photographer of the Year title and presenting her work personally to Queen Elizabeth II. With a career of more than 30 years, Alex is the founder of the Underwater Photographer of the Year competition and has been a judge for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Alex is a regular contributor to many publications in the marine, wildlife, diving and photographic media, and has so far published more than 450 articles.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 7 times BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year
  • 4 times category winner in the British Wildlife Photography Awards
  • 2016: ADEX Award for Extraordinary Contribution to Underwater Photography
  • 2013: GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year
  • 2007: International Grand Prize for the best book of underwater photographs
  • 2003: Visions In the Sea Award for Outstanding Contributions to Underwater Photography

Personal Website: www.amustard.com

Social Media Handles:

Amir Ayalon, Israel

AMIR AYALON, ISRAEL A professional wildlife photographer, Amir Ayalon is recognized for his conservationist approach in his work. He confesses that his main aim is to send out a message of saving the wildlife through his photography. He is based in Tel Aviv, Israel and is also the founder of Israeli Nature Photography Association that along with photographing the wildlife works towards protecting the local environment.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 21th Bird and Nature Festival de l’Oiseau et de la Nature- France – 1st Place – Birds in Flight
  • Birdlife – Oceans of Life photographic competition – South Africa – 1st Place – Overall Winner
  • 1st Canadian International Digital Photography Award (CIDPA) – Special Honorable Certificate of Recognition
  • 5th International Nature Photography Competition ASFERICO 2011 – Italy – Highly Commended
  • National Wildlife Federation Photo Contest 2011 – Honorable Mention

Read more about his achievements here.

Personal Website: www.wildlife-in-focus.com

Social Media Handles:

Andrew Parkinson, England

Andrew Parkinson

One of Europe’s most awarded photographer, Andrew Parkinson is also a featured contributor in National Geographic magazine. Andy is renowned for his ethical approach and he ensures that the animals are at their utmost comfort and in their natural surroundings. He is a vegan and supporter of extending rights to all animals. His outspoken views on photography ethics, conservation, animal rights and environmental issues can be found in his regular Opinion piece in Outdoor Photography magazine. Andy’s work has been published by world’s leading international agencies including Getty images, Nature Picture Library, RSPB Images, FLPA and NHPA/Photoshot and has been sold in more than 50 countries worldwide. He has also appeared on television a number of times, on shows like The One Show, BBC News, The Victoria Derbyshire Show, Wild about Wales and once taught comedian Jo Brand to capture images of wildlife.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2016: overall winner of Bird Photographer of the Year
  • 2012: Nature Photojournalist of the Year
  • 50 individual awards featuring more than 100 awarded images

Read more about his achievements here.

Personal Website: www.andrewparkinson.com

Social Media Handles:

Anna Henly, Scotland

Anna Henly

A camera as a present on her 9th birthday changed Anna Henly’s life forever. She not only made the most of it but also became an award-winning photographer. A fully qualified drone pilot, with the necessary PFAW (Permission for Aerial Work) from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Anna works with Phantom Flight School teaching drone flying and photography workshops. She has won around 30 awards from the Master Photographers’ Association (MPA) and Fujifilm for commercial, portrait, wildlife and wedding photography and she is a regular contributor to photographic press. An expert skier, she discovered triathlon in 2011 and with the unstinting help and friendship from Edinburgh Triathletes has completed many triathlons and open-water swims. She is indeed is a woman of substance and indeed a brilliant photographer.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2012: BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year
  • 2007: BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year
  • 2006: Master Photographers Association (MPA) Scotland

Read more about his achievements here.

Personal Website: www.annahenly.co.uk

Social Media Handles:

Art Wolfe, United States

Art Wolfe

Renowned for producing visual masterpieces, Art Wolfe is a popular American photographer. Boasting a photography career of almost five decades, Wolfe is recognized for his advocacy for the environment and indigenous culture and his multi-faceted photography where he employs journalistic and artistic styles. Wolfe is an ardent wildlife conservationist and his aim has always been to win support for conservation issues by “focusing on what’s beautiful on the Earth.” It is believed that long before the genre of Conservation Photography, Art Wolfe has been practicing it. He has also authored a few books on wildlife and conservation that have been quite successful.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2000: National Outdoor Book Award
  • 2001 and 2003: IPPY (Independent Publishers) Award
  • 2014: Graphis Photography Annual gold medal winner

Read more about his achievements here.

Personal Website: www.artwolfe.com

Social Media Handles:

Bence Mate, Hungary

Bence Mate

A Hungarian nature photographer, Bence Mate has the record to be the only person to be the award winner in both young and adult categories of photography. Bence is famous for his picture, ‘Marvel of Ants,’ which has made him win the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year grand title. He has also gained international fame by designing a wide range of specially designed detective glasses.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2010: Wildlife Photographer of the Year
  • World Press Photo Award for Nature

Personal Website: www.bencemateshides.com

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Bill Curtsinger, United States

Bill Curtsinger

An autodidact photographer, Bill Curtsinger was a member of the elite Navy Photo Unit, Atlantic Fleet Combat Camera Group during the Vietnam War. Bill specializes in underwater and natural history subjects and is widely published and featured photographer in the world. He is a contributor to National Geographic. In fact his photographs of whales, seals, and dolphins that appeared in his book ‘Wake of the Whale,’ were the first glimpse at many marine mammal species in their natural habitats around the world, and this led to a launch of an international interest in whales, seals, and dolphins, and their plight.

Achievement/Awards:

  • National Geographic 100 Best Pictures collector’s edition
  • 6 photos were featured in National Geographic 100 Best Wildlife Pictures

Personal Website: www.billcurtsingerphoto.com

Brian Hampton, United States

Brian Hampton

Brian’s interest in photography began during the early days when on vacations he got the opportunity to visit his grandfather’s farm. Brian developed more interest in photography when high-quality digital photography equipment emerged and ever since he started to explore remote places with unique surroundings, he also started to bond with nature and started to work for conservation. His images since then have been a contribution towards environment conservation and the need of it.

Personal Website: www.brianhamptonphotography.com

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C.S.Ling, Singapore

C.S.Ling

One of the finest female photographers in the world, C.S.Ling is known for her thoughtful images of vanishing landscape and endangered wildlife. Ling is an award-winning photographer who has bagged “Great Women of Our Time 2011 Award (Arts & Media)”organized by Singapore Women’s Weekly magazine and the “Green Role Model.” She is an experienced photography instructor/lecturer/speaker and has taught and inspired students and aspirant photographers of all ages.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2012: Grand Prize Winner of Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards
  • 2011: Great Women of Our Time (Arts & Media) and “Green Role Model” at the Green Carpet Awards

Personal Website: wildlife.cslingphotography.com

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Daisy Gilardini, Canada

Daisy Gilardini

It was her first time to India in 1989 that Daisy Gilardini credits for being the inspiration to become a photographer. Then there was the expedition opportunity to Antarctica that drew her more towards photography. Daisy’s spectacular images of the Polar Region won her several accolades. Her expeditions to both Arctic and Antarctica also won her several awards from prestigious societies like National Geographic and BBC Wildlife. Her passion for the natural world has also inspired here to disseminate conservation messages. She is a member of the iLCP, the International League of Conservation Photographers; a fellow of the prestigious “The Explorer Club”, and she is part of Swiss Nikon Ambassador’s team, the SanDisk Extreme Team and the Lowepro Storytellers Team.

Achievement/Awards:

  • BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year
  • Travel Photography of the Year
  • Nature’s Best 2010: She was one of the jury members for BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest

Personal Website: www.daisygilardini.com

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Denver Bryan, United States

Denver Bryan

An internationally acclaimed photographer, Denver Bryan is known for his work that has been published on more than 400 magazine covers. A wildlife biologist by training, Denver has in his bags spectacular works from America and Africa. In the last few years, Denver is seen photographing the ‘dangerous game’ species like Lions and Leopards, and one of the pictures from this coverage also appeared on the cover of a special Great Predator of Africa Geographic.

Personal Website: www.denverbryan.com

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Edwin Kats, Netherland

Edwin Kats Wildlife Photographer A Netherland based wildlife photographer, Edwin Kats is known for his proficient work in his field. Edwin considers himself a photographer who first visualizes the image and then endeavours to capture as imagined. He is a regular contributor to various magazines like the Outdoor photographer, Focus, BBC Wildlife Magazine, and National Geographic. Edwin also leads photography tours for Nature Images.

Personal Website: 500px.com/edwinkats

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Federico Veronesi, Italy

Federico Veronesi

An Italian photographer who moved to Africa only to be closer to the wildlife and nature, Federico Veronesi is known for his monochrome photography. He is an expert at black and white pictures and believes that a picture can only be the best when no bait is used and the animals aren’t chased. Federico’s images have been featured in several books and magazines and have also won a number of awards.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2010: Image featured in BBC Wildlife Magazine
  • 2011: Grand prize at the Nature’s Best Windland Smith Rice Award

Personal Website: www.federicoveronesi.com

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Frits Hoogendijk, South Africa

Frits Hoogendijk

Indeed one of the finest wildlife photographers in the world, Frits Hoogendijk started with covering sports in his high school. In each of his images, Frits tries to convey something of the beauty and behavior to the people. An ardent nature lover, this South African wildlife photographer considers every place amidst nature is a great place for photography.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2011: Getaway gallery photographic competition winner
  • 2012: BBC Veolia Wildlife photographer of the year competition winner

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Ganesh H Shankar, India

Ganesh H Shankar

A fine art nature photographer, Ganesh H Shankar considers taking one day at a time. Using his imagination and skill, he is able to offer some incredible pictures of nature. His work has also been called as Poetry in Motion, which has apparently won him several awards including Wildlife Photographer of the Year. A jury member of Sanctuary Wildlife Photography Awards in 2017, Ganesh’s artistry is evident in his images that have the potential to take viewers to a whole new level of visual experience.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2016: Wildlife Photographer of the Year
  • First place in the macro category in Nature Photography Network

Personal Website: www.naturelyrics.com

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Giulio Zanni, Italy

Giulio Zanni An Italian photographer, Giulio Zanni is amongst those few people who are awarded for their monochrome images. Giulio is also known for fine art, documentary and nature photography. The technique of long-exposure technique can be seen in most of his work which earned him several accolades. He won numerous awards and his work has been published in several books and magazines. His portfolio has also been selected amongst the best inspiring photographers.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2016: Photographer of the Year (Second Place), MIFA winner

Read more about his achievements here.

Personal Website: www.giuliozanni.com

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Grant Atkinson, South Africa

Grant Atkinson

A guide and a photographer, Grant Atkinson leads photography tours in Botswana, Brazil, Kenya, Namibia, and Tanzania. Grant specializes in animal behaviour and he is particularly interested in big cats, African wild dogs, elephants, marine mammals and birds of prey. Grant has been acknowledged by leading wildlife magazines and his images have been on the cover of Africa Geographic and the US National Geographic Kids magazine. He is also a regular contributor of both text and images to African Birdlife, Africa Geographic and Pix magazine.

Personal Website: www.grantatkinson.com

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Hannes Lochner, South Africa

Hannes Lochner Hannes Lochner is indeed a photographer dedicated to the Kalahari in Africa. Hannes has given several years to capture the beauty and dark side of this region of the continent and has documented them well in his books and films. He is known for his extraordinary skill of composition that allows him to narrate a story through his images.

Achievements/Awards:

  • BBC Veolia Wildlife Photographer of the Year, and Natures Best Awards – Competitions

Personal Website: www.hanneslochner.com

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Hennie van Heerden, Netherland

Hennie van Heerden

Hennie’s inspirational story of leaving an established career of executive-assistant to pursue her passion for photography has been a hot topic around the globe. The Dutch photographer who left her career in 2010 is known to deliver exceptional wildlife pictures from Africa and Central America. From taking close-up portraits of birds and tiny insects to capturing animals like leopards and elephants, her artistic compositions and style have helped her to create a name for herself as a skilled wildlife photographer. She works with Canon Japan and chairs one of Netherland’s largest nature photography associations as well as works with her husband in their own nature reserve.

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Ian Nichols, United States

Ian Nichols Ian Nichols is an emerging name in the field of wildlife photography. He is an avid conservationist and his photography is believed to be the tool to voice for the protection of environment and flora and fauna. Ian’s photos capture authentic moments that can create awareness in others along with bringing positive change in the world. He has worked for National Geographic and Smithsonian and captured rare and exclusive pictures of Orangutans and Lowland Gorillas. A member of Photo Society, Ian is also pursuing Ph.D. in Biology and his research focuses chimpanzee populations in Cameroon.

Personal Website: www.iannicholsphotography.com

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Jan Vermeer, Netherland

Jan Vermeer

Jan Vermeer is another wildlife photographer who has fallen for the beauty of Arctic and Antarctica. Jan has delivered some incredible images from these two polar destinations which have brought him fame and several accolades. Jan is also a member of the ILCP (International League of Conservation Photographers) and has been the part of the Wild Wonders of Europe project.

Achievements/Awards:

  • Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Personal Website: www.janvermeer.nl

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Jim Brandenburg, United States

Jim Brandenburg

A legendary photographer, Jim Brandenburg is that name in the wildlife photography field that cannot be missed or forgotten for unmatched contributions. Jim is a photographer with National Geographic for almost three decades that has resulted in 23 magazine stories, several television features, and many National Geographic books. Along with other awards, Jim has achieved World Achievement Award from the United Nations Environmental Programme.

Achievements/Awards:

  • Twice Magazine Photographer of the Year Award Winner
  • Kodak Wildlife Photographer of the Year
  • Lifetime Achievement Award by the North American Nature Photographers Association (NANPA)
  • World Achievement Award from the United Nations Environmental Programme

Personal Website: www.jimbrandenburg.com

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John Hyde, United States

John Hyde

John Hyde is an Alaska-based nature photographer whose images from the Tongass National Park has earned him both accolades and satisfaction. John conducts photography workshops and teaches his students to see each picture as a stepping stone to click another one. He is more drawn to large predators and raw, and aggressive landscapes but sees the sense of time and place portrayed in the image the most important elements.

Personal Website: www.wildthingsphotography.com

John Isaac, India

John Isaac An Indian-born photographer, John Isaac is known for his co-authored book ‘The Vale of Kashmir’ and his images from Africa. John is a multi-award winner and a recipient of Lifetime Achievement Award by International Photographic Council. Apart from wildlife photographer, John had served in UN as a photojournalist for 20 years and worked as a freelance photographer for Audrey Hepburn and Michael Jackson.

Achievements/Awards:

  • PMDA’s Photographer of the Year Award
  • The University of Missouri School of Journalism’s “Picture of the Year” Award
  • The Photokina Gold Medal
  • International awards from Kodak, Minolta and Nikon

Personal Website: johnisaac.com

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Klaus Nigge, Germany

Klaus Nigge

Klaus Nigge is a German photographer and author who has some outstanding images of eagles that have also won him numerous awards. Klaus has been the President of GDT (the Society of German Nature Photographers). His stories have been featured in several internationally acclaimed magazines like National Geographic and GEO. He is also an author of five books, on Kamchatka, American bald eagles, European bison, European cranes and whooping cranes.

Achievements/Awards:

  • Fritz-Steininger-Award by GDT
  • Several prizes in BBC-competition and other competitions

Personal Website: www.nigge.com

Kudich-Zsirmon, Hungary

Kudich-Zsirmon

Zsolt Kudich and Réka Zsirmon is nature photographer duo that is based in Hungary. The two photographers focus to bring the fragile balance of nature to light in an artistically powerful way through their photography. Zsolt and Réka are winners of several national and international competitions. Their images have been featured in various prestigious international magazines, books, and publications like National Geographic, Nature’s Best Photography Magazine, GEO Magazine, and Nikon International Calendar.

Achievements/Awards:

  • Big Picture Photo Contest
  • California Academy of Sciences (USA) – Grand Prize
  • National Geographic Photo Contest (USA) – Honorable Mention
  • Nikon International Photo Contest (Japan) First prize
  • Nature’s Best Photography (USA) – First prize

Read more about their achievements here.

Personal Website: www.kudich-zsirmon.com

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Laura Dyer, South Africa

Laura Dyer

Laura Dyer is a South African photographer who enjoys living each moment capturing the wildlife in her camera. She is an avid fan of the Kalahari and her for this place can be seen thoroughly in her images. Laura is a budding photographer who is trying to travel extensively to photograph the beauty and diversity of nature.

Personal Website: www.lauradyerphotography.com

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Magnus Elander, Sweden

Magnus Elander

A freelance photo-pro and specialist writer on the natural world, Magnus is a Swedish photographer. He is one of the co-founders of the Swedish National Carnivore Centre, “Rovdjurscentret De 5 Stora,” and is a member of the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP) who enjoys bird watching and going on an exploration at high altitude destinations. Magnus work has been widely published and acclaimed winning him some prestigious wildlife awards. He has also authored and co-authored eight books on the Arctic, eco-tourism, and large carnivores.

Achievement/Awards:

  • BC Wildlife Photographer of the Year
  • 2009: WWF’s Panda Book of the Year
  • 2003: Swedish Publishing Award

Read more about his achievements here.

Personal Website: www.magnuselander.com

Marina Cano, Spain

Marina Cano Wildlife Photographer

An award winning Spanish wildlife photographer, Marina is one of those young individuals who has been chosen as Canon Ambassador. Marina is an extensively travelled photographer and she has authored a number of photo books like Cabarceno, Drama&Intimacy, Inspiración + Naturaleza, Wild Soul that have won her a number of international awards. She has been the finalist of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015 and ASISA 2017 competitions as well. Marina’s work is published regularly in prestigious magazines like National Geographic Traveller, and National Geographic and has been exhibited in countries including, South Africa, Korea, Cuba, Spain, UK, USA, Israel, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Mexico. She also conducts workshops (throughout the year) in the largest wildlife park in Europe, which is situated in Spain and guides safaris in Africa.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2015: Finalist of Wildlife Photographer Award, Part of Canon Ambassador Team
  • 2017: Finalist ASISA

Personal Website: www.marinacano.com

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Mario Moreno, South Africa

Mario-Moreno-Photographer

After travelling extensively on the African continent, the South African photographer who is now based in Spain, Mario Moreno decided to conduct photographic tours. Since Mario enjoyed photography from the age of 19, it was such a delight for him to be amidst the diverse nature in Africa. Mario’s landscape and wildlife images have been internationally awarded and published while he finds his great reward in teaching the art of photography to budding photographers.

Achievement/Awards:

  • Finalists in the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition

Personal Website: www.mariomorenophotography.com

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Mark Dumbleton, South Africa

Mark Dumbleton

Mark credits his passion for capturing unique moments the main driving force behind his excellent work. His major focus while photographing is to evoke an emotion and portray the essence of magical moments in time. This South African photographer has been published widely in magazines and newspapers, including cover images for the Getaway, Natural History and Go! Magazines, numerous portfolios, assignments and editorial work for Wild Magazine, Africa Geographic, Natural History, Birdlife South Africa, and Getaway publications. He has also provided numerous images for calendar publishers as well as brochure cover images for Thompsons Travel, and images for postcards for the Namibian Embassy.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2015: Nature’s Best Photography Africa competition

Personal Website: www.markdumbleton.com

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Marsel van Oosten, Germany

Marsel van Oosten Known for his use of lighting, composition, color, and perspective, Marsel van Oosten is an award-winning Dutch photographer. Marsel’s images simplicity is what makes them attractive. He organizes specialized wildlife and landscape photo tours and workshops for small groups. His images are used worldwide in advertising, design, and magazines and his list of awards include European Wildlife Photographer of the Year and Travel Photographer of the Year Awards.

Achievement/Awards:

  • International Photography Awards (IPA) 2009 – 3rd Prize
  • International Photography Awards (IPA) 2008 – 1st Prize
  • International Photography Awards (IPA) 2006 – 1st Prize
  • International Photography Awards (IPA) 2005 – 1st Prize
  • Travel Photographer of the Year 2008 – Runner up Category – Call of the Wild
  • European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2009 – Winners Gallery
  • National Geographic/PDN Travel Photography Awards 2008 – Winners

Personal Website: www.squiver.com

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Michael Nichols, United States

Michael Nichols Given the title of “The Indiana Jones of Photography” by Paris Match, Michael Nichols aka Nick was featured in the prestigious magazine in Rolling Stone, Life, Aperture, American Photographer and several others in his early career days. Apparently, that clears the air about his popularity. Nick worked with National Geographic magazine and delivered 26 brilliant stories in his lifetime. He is known to have used technology skillfully in bringing the best from the wilderness. One of his major achievements was photography of the world’s tallest trees by using innovative rigging techniques to create an 84 image composite of a 300-foot-tall Redwood tree. He even founded the annual LOOK3 Festival of the Photograph which is a three-day celebration of peace, love, and photography.

Achievement/Awards:

  • Wildlife Photographer of the Year
  • Pictures of the Year International competitions
  • Prize by Overseas Press Club of America

Personal Website: www.michaelnicknichols.com

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Morkel Erasmus, South Africa

Morkel Erasmus Morkel is an ardent lover of the African continent and he has done enough to capture all its aspects and shades in his camera for which he has been awarded as well. Morkel is a passionate photographer who has dedicated his life to capturing the beauty and thrill of nature and wildlife which he likes to share over presentations and workshops.

Achievement/Awards:

  • Multiple images selected annually for Commercial Calendar usages
  • Multiple photo publications in Go/Weg Magazine
  • Photo publications in Getaway Magazine
  • Multiple editorial photo publications (SANParks Wild Magazine)
  • Cover for SANParks Wild Magazine (Winter 2011)
  • Earthshots Photo of the Day multiple winner
  • 2009 Africa Photographic Awards – Finalist: Animal Portraits

Read more about his achievements here.

Personal Website: www.morkelerasmus.com

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Nick Brandt, United Kingdom

Nick Brandt It was in 1995 while shooting the video for Michael Jackson “Earth Song” that Nick Brandt fell in love with Africa and he decided to make this feeling last by shooting medium-format black and white film without telephoto or zoom lenses in the continent. One of his goals is to record the last testament to the wild animals and places there before they are destroyed by the human. Not only his work was appreciated by several people, Nick brought a kind of change in the norms of wildlife photography. He is an author of widely acclaimed Trilogy – On This Earth, A Shadow Falls, and Across the Ravaged Land along with a few more books on wildlife. He has also founded an NGO called Big Life Foundation, dedicated to the conservation of Africa’s wildlife and ecosystems.

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Nikolai Zinoviev, Russia

Nikolai Zinoviev A popular Russian photographer, Nikolai believes “Sharing the beauty of wildlife with people is worth all the efforts,” and this is what is reflected at its best in his images. Nikolai is also an award-winning photographer who first realized his passion for wildlife photography in Africa. Since then, there has been no looking back for Nikolai, the photographer has offered extensive work some of which we can notice in various magazines and newspapers, on the streets as well as in offices, houses, and apartments in several countries and continents.

Achievement/Awards:

  • Wildlife Photography Competition: “Golden Turtle”
  • National Geographic’s Photo Contest

Personal Website: www.russiawild.com

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Paul Nicklen, Canada

Paul Nicklen A Canadian photographer, filmmaker, and marine biologist, Paul Nicklen is known mostly for his unique documentary photography skills. His photography is said to have the power to emotionally connect one with the subject inhabiting in extreme conditions. Paul has won more than 30 awards for his imagery and skill which is in a way the highest that any photographer in his field has received. He is also recognized by the conservation community for his outspoken work. Bestowed with an honorary Ph.D. at the University of Victoria, for the impact his photography has had on climate change, Paul is a co-founder of the non-profit, SeaLegacy and a speaker at TED Talks.

Achievement/Awards:

  • Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012, BBC Wildlife and Natural History Museum
  • BioGems Visionary Award for Arctic Photography
  • 15 Prizes, Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition, Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife
  • First Prize, Nature Stories, 2013 Photo Contest, World Press Photo
  • First Prize, Nature Stories, 2010 Photo Contest, World Press Photo

Read more about his achievements here.

Personal Website: www.paulnicklen.com

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Paul Souders, United States

Paul Souders Wildlife Photographer For more than thirty years, Paul Souders has travelled around the world and across all seven continents as a professional photographer. His images have appeared worldwide in a wide variety of publications, including National Geographic, Geo in France and Germany, Time and Life magazines as well as thousands of publishing and advertising projects. Traveling solo in a 22-foot powerboat, Paul has covered thousands of miles of remote coastline photographing polar bears in the Canadian Arctic. That recent work has drawn wide acclaim, including first place awards at the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition in 2011 and 2013, the National Geographic Photo of the Year contest in 2013 and Grand Prize in the 2014 Big Picture Competition. His first book, Arctic Solitaire, tells the story of those solo boat journeys and will be published by Mountaineers Books in September, 2018. Over the last three decades he has mounted dozens of solo photographic expeditions and visited more than 65 countries. Paul has been kissed by dolphins, slapped by penguins, head-butted by walrus, terrorized by lions and menaced by vertebrates large and small. He once spent 27 hours digging a bogged safari truck out of the Serengeti mud using only a saucepan. He still thinks he has the best job in the world.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2011: 1st Place – Underwater World division of BBC Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year (Grace of Giants)
  • 2011: 2nd Place – Underwater World division of BBC Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year (Salmon Swipe)
  • 2013: 1st Place – Animals in Their Environment – BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year (The Water Bear)
  • 2013: Grand Prize – National Geographic Photo Contest (The Ice Bear)
  • 2014: Grand Prize – BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition (The Luckiest Penguin)
  • 2014: Grand Prize – Asferico Nature Photography Competition

Personal Website: worldfoto.com

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Roeselien Raimond, Netherlands

Roeselien Raimond Roeselien confessed that it was a Red Fox that drew her closer to photography. Since that day she has studied and captured images of red foxes and their every aspect. She has captured intriguing pictures that cannot be termed ordinary in any way. Her work is often described as personal and intimate, as she is skilled to capture the individual personalities of the foxes on camera. Roeselien’s views on the animal world are widely appreciated, and she is a regular contributor to both national and international magazine, like Digital SLR Photography and Huffington Post.

Personal Website: www.roeselienraimond.com

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Sergey Gorshkov, Russia

Sergey Gorshkov Sergey Gorshkov is the founding member of the Russian Union of Wildlife Photographers. He is a Serbian nature photographer who considers conservation the definite answer to everything that is going wrong with the world. In his bio, he states that he wants to “photograph the native wildlife such what it is, what it always was and what it should remain for our children.” His images are printed in magazines across the world and he has bagged several awards in Russia, the UK, Italy, and France. Sergey also conducts personal exhibitions and seminars in Russia and Europe.

Personal Website: www.gorshkov-photo.com

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Siddhardha Garige, United States

Siddhardha Garige Specializing in Arctic Wildlife, Siddhardha Garige is an award-winning wildlife photographer. Recognized as one of the 25 inspiring wildlife portfolios in 2013 by 121Clicks, Siddhardha’s work can be identified as unique. He has been featured in several prestigious platforms like TED Presentations, Birder’s World, London Daily, The Telegraph, Florida Wildlife, National Park Serve and NANPA.

Personal Website: www.luminepixels.com

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Stephen Oachs, United States

Stephen Oachs An award-winning photographer, successful entrepreneur and technology veteran, Stephen Oachs is another autodidact in the list. He is known for his unique and distinctive style which also makes him one of the finest digital nature photographers. Stephen has received several awards and achievements and he has contributed images and articles both on and offline to publications like National Geographic, Popular Photography, Outdoor Photographer, National Wildlife Magazine and many others.

Achievement/Awards:

  • 2007: Wildlife Photographer of the Year by the National Wildlife Federation
  • 2008: Best Nature Photographer by National Geographic Magazine

Personal Website: www.stephenoachs.com

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Steve Bloom, South Africa

Steve Bloom Steve Bloom is an established name in the wildlife photography field which he chose to be the part of in the early nineties. His work reveals a thorough understanding of his subjects and it also reflects his concern for the environment. He aims to capture the animal’s spirit and blur the lines that separate them as different species. Steve’s work has been widely appreciated and can be seen magazines like Life, Time, Terre Sauvage, National Geographic, Geo, Airone, and Geographic. He has several accolades and he is an accomplished lecturer at venues such as the Edinburgh Book Festival, Oxford Literary Festival, The Guardian, The Royal Geographical Society, and at several other places.

Achievement/Awards:

  • The Power of Photography Award
  • The Golden Eye of Russia
  • Lucie Awards

Personal Website: www.stevebloomphoto.com

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Susan McConnell, United States

Susan McConnell Wildlife Photographer

Susan McConnell is a well-established wildlife and conservation photographer who has been deeply interested in animal behaviour ever since she was a kid. Her interest led her to study brain development as a Professor at Stanford University, and to use her knowledge and skill of photography to compose outstanding wildlife images. Her work has been featured in Smithsonian magazine, National Geographic, Stanford Magazine, Nature’s Best Photography, Africa Geographic, Outdoor Photographer, Expressions, Currents, and the American Kennel Club Gazette. She has put together major photographic exhibitions on elephants and the ivory crisis at the Stanford Art Gallery and the G2 Gallery in Los Angeles, and she is a proud member of International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP). Susan teaches Conservation Photography at Stanford University, and feels optimistic about the future of the planet based on the passion and commitment of young people to a more sustainable world.

Personal Website: www.susankmcconnell.com

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Team Husar, United States

Team Husar

Team Husar is formed by the husband-wife duo of Lisa & Mike Husar who are known for capturing unique wildlife images. Lisa and Mike consider it as an obligation not only to obtain photos of natural history but also to use them to help educate people about the importance of human coexistence with the wild creatures. The couple is committed to wildlife preservation and actively participate in several conservation organizations. They are an award-winning couple and a widely published one as well. National and worldwide conservation organizations like World Wildlife Fund, the National Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club, and Defenders of Wildlife have published Team Husar’s work. Their photographs have also appeared in the prestigious Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.

Personal Website: www.teamhusar.com

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Thomas D Mangelsen, United States

Thomas D Mangelsen

One of the legendary nature photographers, Mangelsen is as much an artist as he is a conservationist. He is said to have dedicated 40 years of his life capturing the beauty of wildlife in his camera lens. Mangelsen was declared amongst the 40 Most Influential Nature Photographers by Outdoor Photography and one of the 40 Most Important Nature Photographs of All Time. He was also chosen by Jane Goodall’s Heroes of the Animal Planet and featured in the television series of the same name. He has authored three books on fine art and his pictures have been published in National Geographic, GEO, Le Figaro Magazine, BBC Wildlife, Life, Audubon, National Wildlife, Smithsonian, Natural History, Newsweek, Wildlife Art, American Photo, Nature’s Best Photography and many other publications.

Achievement/Awards:

  • Conservation Photographer of the Year (2011) by Nature’s Best Photography
  • One of Dr. Jane Goodall’s Heroes of the Animal Planet
  • One of the 100 Most Important People in Photography by American Photo magazine Nikon’s Legend Behind the Lens recognition
  • British Broadcasting Corporation’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award

Read more about his achievements here.

Personal Website: mangelsen.com

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Werner Bollmann, Germany

Werner Bollmann

A Nature Photographer based in Germany, Werner Bollmann’s main profession is geography, however, he is working as a professional wildlife photographer for more than a decade. Werner has specialization in animal portraits and behavior along with abstracts of plants. He is an award-winning Nikon photographer and is a member of the German Association of Nature Photographers (GDT) and was the jury member for European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2011.

Personal Website: www.wernerbollmann.de

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Parav Sharma, India

Parav Sharma

Parav is an India based wildlife photographer who is mainly seen capturing the tigers and other wildlife species in Ranthambhore National Park. He owns a page on Facebook where one can enjoy his amazing captures from this one of India’s best national park situated in Rajasthan.

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Aditya Singh, India

Aditya Singh

A photographer, wildlife enthusiast, conservationist, Aditya “Dicky” Singh is renowned name in Indian wildlife photography. He ventures into the natural vistas to capture images that can enthrall many. Aditya is said to have. lent his expertise to BBC, Nat Geo and several well known photographers like Andy Rouse and Theo Allofs. He is a part of several conservation programmes in India and has started a water security project in the Indala plateau of Ranthambhore tiger reserve with the Forest Department and successfully dug three large water holes in the same plateau. He also works as a part of the team under the auspices of Tiger Watch which conducts bio-diversity studies in the region of Ranthambhore.

Read more about his achievements here.

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Sundeep Kheria, India

Sundeep Kheria Sundeep Kheria is another popular wildlife photographer from India who likes exploring various wildlife sanctuaries of India to capture the wild animal species especially the Royal Bengal Tiger. Sundeep has also contributed immensely in the field of wildlife photography in India through his images majorly from Ranthambhore National Park. His one of the tiger images from Bandhavgarh National was featured in the BBC Calendar 2017.

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If you’re reading this, that would mean this blog did meet your expectation, so why not give us a Like and a Share. Also, let us not forget to follow all these wildlife photographers on different social media platforms and drop them a note of ‘well done.’ For my part, I am following all of them! In case you think we should have added more people to the list, please suggest us in the section below and we will be happy to include them as well. You can also contact us for your wildlife tour by simply dropping an email at our id info@tourmyindia.com or calling us at 9212553106. We would love to help you have that dream trip with our best wildlife packages that are designed as per your taste. Wildlife is both beautiful and magical, and you need to be there to experience it on your own.

Note: In case where we couldn’t scout for the headshot of the photographers, we have attached their workpiece as profile image.

Published: 20 Mar, 2018By
Tags: People & Planet

About the author

Nidhi Singh

From the Lake District, Nainital, Nidhi Singh is a travel writer whose love for mountains can be seen in her write ups. Talk about solo travelling, indulging in adventure activities, binging on good food, planning budget trips or the Aurora Borealis and you will get all her attention. It is the wanderlust that keeps her going and if at all she could get one wish granted she would love to live a life less ordinary. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram.

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