![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/nicklen-mittermeier-featured-800x420.jpg\")
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Conservation and nature photography power couple Cristina Mittermeier<\/a> and Paul Nicklen<\/a> are the focus of the first episode of National Geographic\u2018s 2024 nature documentary series, Photographer. The episode won an Emmy this week for Outstanding Nature Documentary, demonstrating not only the compelling nature of the duo\u2019s photography but also the widespread appeal of their incredible stories. <\/p>\n National Geographic\u2019s \u2018Photographer\u2019 <\/p>\n Nat Geo\u2019s Photographer premiered in March 2024, delivering six episodes that focus on different photographers and their passion projects. In the case of Mittermeier and Nicklen, the episode follows the pair as they sail to the Bahamas to capture and tell the story of an underwater world under threat. <\/p>\n \u201cWhen we started Sea Legacy, we had this amazing conservation expertise and this amazing National Geographic expedition experience,\u201d Mittermeier tells PetaPixel. \u201cAnd one of the most expensive things for nonprofit expeditions was the cost of the boat.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p>\n So Paul Nicklen bought a boat during COVID, and he and Mittermeier drove across the country to pick it up. <\/p>\n \u201cWithout really knowing very much how to sail, we took this boat and we went to the Bahamas and that\u2019s where the [episode\u2019s] story started,\u201d Mittermeier continues. <\/p>\n She lauds her partner, Nicklen, for his \u201camazing\u201d ability to put the pair in the right place to capture the perfect visuals. Mittermeier, an exceptional photographer herself, brings a \u201ckeen sense\u201d of the political and economic machinations that can be leveraged to achieve a positive conservation outcome. Their featured episode of Photographer was really about that: how they work together, each bringing unique strengths to the table, to achieve something that quite literally changes the world. <\/p>\n There is little doubt that Mittermeier and Nicklen\u2019s superb photography skills play a vital role in the success of their projects. However, both readily admit that being successful conservationists requires more than their cameras. Beautiful photos are an essential ingredient in success, but not the entire recipe. <\/p>\n \u201cI was doing a story for National Geographic on narwhals in 2006,\u201d Nicklen tells PetaPixel. \u201cGeographic told me it\u2019d be a really beautiful behavioral piece. Nobody has these photographs of narwhals crossing tusks out in the middle of the ocean.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cMeanwhile, I saw the slaughter, a new ivory trade coming out of Canada, and I\u2019m like, \u2018It would sort of be a missed opportunity if we didn\u2019t tackle the real issue here and actually drive change.\u2019 That was my big sort of turning point.<\/p>\n \u201cCristina had coined the term \u2018conservation photography\u2019 in 2004, and she actually is the one who really helped me a lot with basically labeling [my work] because I was like, \u2018No, I\u2019m a journalist.\u2019 She was like, \u2018No, you\u2019re a conservationist. You\u2019re out there representing these animals, giving them a voice, tackling the issue.\u2019 So that was the turning point for me.\u201d <\/p>\n Mittermeier adds that she was meeting talented photographers \u201clike Paul,\u201d who were on incredible assignments and projects that call attention to issues. <\/p>\n \u2018No, you\u2019re a conservationist\u2019 <\/p>\n \u201cSometimes it was \u2018let\u2019s stop the slaughter,\u2019 sometimes it was \u2018let\u2019s create a national park.\u2019 But the photographs themselves do not do the job, it doesn\u2019t matter how beautiful they are, the photographs themselves cannot create change. Photographers need to become champions of causes themselves,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n \u201cThe photographer puts on a superhero suit and declares themselves the spokesperson, the ambassador, the person who\u2019s going to push for this campaign with their images.\u201d <\/p>\n Both photographers agree that while effecting real, lasting change requires work beyond the camera, they both fully acknowledge that the quality of their photographs plays an essential role in creating the opportunities needed to make the necessary change and protect animals and ecosystems. <\/p>\n \u201cThe invitation by the minister of the environment or the president or whoever is because of the quality of the [photographic] work,\u201d Mittermeier says. <\/p>\n As for what separates a photographer from a conservationist photographer, Nicklen says it\u2019s simple. <\/p>\n Whether you\u2019re a photographer or a photojournalist, when you\u2019re coverage is done, you\u2019re done, Nicklen says. \u201cYou\u2019re onto the next one.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what was driving me nuts at National Geographic. I loved it, but there was no follow-up, there was no conservation.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cThere was always this big opportunity at the end of all these stories. That\u2019s when the real work begins, that\u2019s when you can really drive change,\u201d Nicklen continues. <\/p>\n A conservation photographer picks up that torch and does the work beyond the initial story. The camera stays locked onto that subject until the situation has improved, or at least every possible avenue for making a difference has been explored. <\/p>\n When Paul and Cristina first met more than two decades ago, Nicklen recalls that they had a big argument. <\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s like, \u2018This is a missed opportunity. The fact that you just did this, it\u2019s an epic piece and the fact that you\u2019re just not going to do anything with it and show the pictures to anybody for conservation\u2026\u201d Nicklen recalls. <\/p>\n \u201cAnd she was 100% right.\u201d <\/p>\n This story was about the Phoenix Islands north of Samoa, and with Mittermeier involved following Nicklen\u2019s original story, the area became one of the world\u2019s largest protected marine areas. <\/p>\n \u201cBecause I have 30 years of networking and [very many] relationships in the conservation community, I can see the throughlines of where the change will come,\u201d Mittermeier says. She was working on the Phoenix Island situation when she met Paul, and they had their \u201cfight.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cThe Washington Post wanted to do a feature story and they were going to interview the scientists who had been on assignment with Paul. And I thought this is an incredible opportunity for Paul to show the work he did as a photographer and say, \u2018Without me as a photographer there to tell the story and shine a light, there\u2019s no way this would have ever happened.\u2019 And it is true,\u201d Mittermeier recalls. <\/p>\n \u201cThe journalist is a \u2018gun\u2019 for hire. He\u2019s there to do a job, he documents, and he leaves. The conservation photographer is an activist, and as such, you will look for all the political, social, and economic opportunities for your images to create change. It requires a huge personal commitment,\u201d Mittermeier concludes. <\/p>\n \u201cPhotography is one of the many tools\u201d a conservationist photographer has at their disposal, Nicklen adds. <\/p>\n As Nicklen moved away from hard-hitting journalistic projects and toward conservation photography, his relationship with Mittermeier grew, and they fell in love. He has since embraced the more artistic side of photography he has long pursued. He had a long career at National Geographic, and there, he worked within a particular editorial style, one he routinely pushed against. <\/p>\n \u201cI think my editors at National Geographic really struggled,\u201d laughs Nicklen. \u201cFor me, it was really important to have those opening spreads that were beautiful, powerful, evocative images that stopped you in your tracks. I loved shooting those images. That\u2019s what I worked so hard to get into the magazine.\u201d <\/p>\n However, Nicklen was not excited by the other types of shots required. <\/p>\n \u201cSo the magazine struggled a bit with my style in the beginning,\u201d he recalls. <\/p>\n \u201cWe have both experienced this amazing shift,\u201d Mittermeier says. \u201cThe opportunity to leave the world of [editorial photography] and declare ourselves fine artists with the purpose of carrying on our conservation work.\u201d <\/p>\n She says it\u2019s so freeing to be able to embrace high-key or moody lighting and distinct stylistic choices that don\u2019t always fit the traditional photojournalism look. \u2028\u2028\u201dIt\u2019s a lot of fun.\u201d <\/p>\n Both photographers are being rewarded in huge ways for their artistic talents, each amassing millions of followers, having their prints purchased by many \u2014 including world-famous celebrities \u2014 and showcasing their work in new venues, such as galleries and museums. <\/p>\n Mittermeier volunteered during the conversation that Paul has just been awarded the immense honor of becoming a Member of the Order of Canada, which happened earlier this week<\/a>. For her part, Mittermeier has racked up an incredible assortment of awards, including Conservation Photographer of the Year and National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, to name just a couple. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m excited for him,\u201d Mittermeier says after describing the award and the honor. \u201cBut I\u2019m excited for me, too, I get to wear a pretty dress.\u201d <\/p>\n Giving Power to Science Requires a Careful Touch <\/p>\n Much of Mittermeier and Nicklen\u2019s careers have centered on highlighting important scientific missions and projects. While it has involved being more conservation-focused for Nicklen, the core mission has remained constant: to tell powerful stories that people need to hear. <\/p>\n However, not every story is positive or easy to digest. There is an inherent urgency and sadness to conservation work. After all, if something needs saving or changing, that means there is something wrong \u2014 something bad is happening. <\/p>\n \u201cWe learned very quickly with Instagram that if you just put up depressing destruction, overfishing, devastating stuff, you lose your audience very quickly,\u201d Nicklen says. \u201cSo I equate it to boxing. Jab, jab, jab, punch, and jab is beautiful. It\u2019s engaging, it\u2019s evocative, it\u2019s emotional.\u201d <\/p>\n Nicklen says he can\u2019t just show all the bad stuff, the stories that require action. Building an audience and bringing people along on the journey using beautiful photos is vital. He needs to gain people\u2019s trust without overwhelming them. <\/p>\n \u201cOnce you have their trust, you can punch \u2019em in the face with one of these really heavy-hitting, gross issues,\u201d he says with a bit of jest and a lot of sincerity. <\/p>\n \u201cWe hang out with a lot of war photographers and when you meet them, they\u2019re so damaged and traumatized by the work they do. And yes, our planet is experiencing a war on biodiversity,\u201d adds Mittermeier. \u201cBut just bringing the horrors of what\u2019s happening into people\u2019s homes is not going to create the [required] change.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cWe took a page out of Martin Luther King Jr.\u2019s book. He didn\u2019t start the speech by saying, \u2018I have a nightmare.\u2019 He told us what the dream and aspiration was, and we tried to do that with our photographs, to share the little corners of the ocean where the life is still abundant and healthy because that\u2019s the kind of planet we want to live in here.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s really pretty, hon,\u201d Nicklen says. <\/p>\n \u201cThank you, darling,\u201d replies Mittermeier. <\/p>\n \u2018We tried to do that with our photographs, to share the little corners of the ocean where the life is still abundant and healthy because that\u2019s the kind of planet we want to live in here.\u2019 A Partnership in Life, Photography, and Conservation <\/p>\n It is worth noting that both Nicklen and Mittermeier praise Photographer director Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, who worked on their Emmy Award-winning episode, \u201cWin or Die.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cChai did a very good job,\u201d Nicklen says. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the love story of these two people,\u201d he adds, gesturing toward him and Mittermeier. <\/p>\n \u201cChai gave shape to the episode,\u201d Mittermeier adds. \u201cChai is the mastermind, the power behind the story. She is a passionate filmmaker.\u201d <\/p>\n Nicklen and Mittermeier have a powerful relationship they both credit massively for their ever-increasing successes. <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s so incredibly lucky to have me,\u201d Mittemeier smiles. \u201cYou have no idea.\u201d <\/p>\n But then the air changes a little. Mittermeier remarks that people still, after all these years and all her remarkable achievements, if Paul \u201cmakes all my pictures.\u201d It\u2019s an absurd question caked in misogyny. <\/p>\n \u201cShe was empowering me on all my shoots,\u201d Nicklen recalls of Mittermeier. \u201cShe was helping me and she was shooting. She was already a very good photographer [before we met], but she hadn\u2019t been shooting that much.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cThen I started to see photographers, I won\u2019t name any names, but some pretty big name male photographers who were taking me away in private telling me that [Cristina] shouldln\u2019t be shooting.\u201d <\/p>\n Some photographers told Nicklen that Cristina \u201cwasn\u2019t a photographer\u201d and shouldn\u2019t be shooting. She was supposed to be there in service to them. <\/p>\n \u201cWhen I saw this woman who was already doing everything she could do help all of us, and yet, these guys wanted to crush her even more,\u201d Nicklen says. \u201cI was just like, \u2018Okay, I\u2019m going to make my life\u2019s mission to empower her in everything she does.\u2019 And then from there we fell in love.\u201d <\/p>\n In the years since this, Mittermeier believes the environment for women has changed. <\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019m going to make my life\u2019s mission to empower her in everything she does.\u2019 <\/p>\n \u201cWhen you see initiatives like Sony Alpha Female.. I think it\u2019s helped a lot of young women,\u201d Mittermeier says. Sony Alpha Female was founded by Sony\u2019s Michaela Ion in 2018. <\/p>\n \u201cA lot of men have said, \u2018Why are you doing this for women? This is discrimination,’\u201d Mittermeier remarks. \u201cBut they don\u2019t realize this, when you speak at a place like BILD and you look out at the audience, it\u2019s still 90% men. It\u2019s a very male-dominated profession.\u201d <\/p>\n Mittermeier says it continues to improve, and she notes that the evolution of equipment has made photography \u201cmuch more accessible to women.\u201d <\/p>\n She also credits Paul for being her \u201cchampion who spoke up for me and insisted that people look at my work.\u201d Nicklen adds that if not for Mittermeier\u2019s influence on him, he\u2019d probably \u201cbe dying a slow death\u201d as a photojournalist or maybe not in photography at all. <\/p>\n \u201cShe gets treated poorly by some people, and it just really breaks your heart,\u201d Nicklen says. \u201cI\u2019m a white dude with a camera with a Nat Geo badge, and I had to work for it, but there\u2019s basically a red carpet rolled out in front of me. Cristina had to prove herself. She\u2019s built it herself, but she had to smash through a few walls. And now she\u2019s soaring.\u201d <\/p>\n They say their entire relationship, as it has grown over the years, has been about how they can lift each other. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been a really beautiful journey,\u201d Nicklen says. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re very complementary,\u201d Mittermeier adds. Nicklen brings his extensive photographic and scientific experience to the table, while Mittermeier, an accomplished photographer as well, has a lifetime of experience in the conservation world, including its politics and economics. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d love to do a photo exhibition called \u2018Shoulder to Shoulder\u2019 or \u2018Side by Side\u2019 because we shoot a lot side-by-side,\u201d Mittermeier says. \u201cAnd yet we have very distinct styles.\u201d <\/p>\n Mittermeier describes Nicklen\u2019s style as intimate, in-your-face, and beautiful, while she thinks her style is more muted. <\/p>\n \u201cI like negative space,\u201d she says. \u201cI like quiet scenes.\u201d <\/p>\n Nicklen adds that being with Mittermeier makes the long, arduous projects much easier to endure. <\/p>\n \u201cWe were doing wolves for National Geographic and we sat in a blind for 20 days together, every day, from dawn to dusk. It was lonely time in there. So to be able to just hang out and talk, take turns taking naps and watching and waiting for wolves, it was nice,\u201d Nicklen says. <\/p>\n It also helps tremendously that they can work together because they have both been married before and remark that leaving someone behind is immensely challenging. <\/p>\n \u201cWherever Paul is, that\u2019s where home is,\u201d Mittermeier says. <\/p>\n \u201cWe just have these two dependent knuckleheads,\u201d Nicklen says, pointing to a pair of adorable dogs behind them. <\/p>\n \u201cTwo anchors\u2026 we love them,\u201d he adds. <\/p>\n Mittermeier and Nicklen are both Sony Artisans and, unsurprisingly, use Sony Alpha equipment for their photographic and filmmaking work. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s funny, I sort of got sick of photographing with a still camera,\u201d Nicklen says. \u201cI am watching all these things unfold in front of me and I\u2019m like, \u2018Wouldn\u2019t that be amazing to just sit and watch?’\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p>\n However, in the days of DSLRs, cameras did not shoot anywhere near as fast as they do now, and their video capabilities were limited. Nonetheless, Nicklen fell in love with video around this time and dedicated himself to shooting a great deal of it. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cBut after 10 years of shooting video, I started to really miss still photography again.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cAnd to be honest, Cristina was getting so good, I was getting jealous. I was like, \u2018I better get back to it,’\u201d he says. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cI started shooting stills again and now it feeds my creative juices more, with these new Sony mirrorless cameras that we love so much,\u201d Nicklen says. <\/p>\n They just got five new a1 II<\/a> bodies in. Nicklen describes the new a1 II as \u201cridiculously good.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cYou have these incredibly sophisticated cameras that don\u2019t black out. Now you can see through the viewfinder and watch what you\u2019re shooting. With the electronic shutters at 30 frames per second, I mean, you might as well be shooting video. They\u2019re just exceptional. It\u2019s a really good time in history to be a photographer,\u201d Nicklen explains. <\/p>\n What\u2019s Next for Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen? <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m working on a new book, Reverance, and Cristina just had a beautiful book come out, Hope<\/a>,\u201d Nicklen says, mentioning his book only after Mittermeier brought it up, much like his Order of Canada honor. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to do a series at some point called Hope and Reverence,\u201d Nicklen adds. <\/p>\n \u2018Wherever Paul is, that\u2019s where home is.\u2019 <\/p>\n The duo also notes that after decades of living in Canada, they will soon move to Mittermeier\u2019s native Mexico to spend the rest of their lives together. Nicklen says Cristina has spent enough years with him in the harsh environment of Canada. <\/p>\n They say they will be much more selective with their time after decades of constant travel and work. There are many more photographs to capture, stories to tell, and a battle for Earth to fight. Both photographers are heavily involved in mentoring the next generation of conservation photographers, ensuring they have the necessary skills and tools. The more people working hard to save the planet, the better, and very few people have given more to the cause than Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen. <\/p>\n Image credits:<\/strong> Cristina Mittermeier<\/a> and Paul Nicklen<\/a>. Additional photos by National Geographic and Little Monster Films. <\/p>\n ![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/DSC2336_3000LE-800x534.jpg\")
Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier Conservation Photography is Much More Than Just Spectacular Images <\/p>\n![\"Aerial](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MM7354-06272006-09659-800x533.jpg\")
\u00a9 Paul Nicklen <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/CGM_SILVERBANK_20200216_0051-Edit-Edit-800x534.jpg\")
\u00a9 Cristina Mittermeier <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/33I1963_KBG-800x533.jpg\")
\u00a9 Paul Nicklen<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/petapixel.com\/assets\/uploads\/2025\/06\/\u00a9cristinamittermeier_190429_26666_KBG-800x534.jpg\")
\u00a9 Cristina Mittermeier
\n The Artistic Side of Conservation Photography <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MM7468-080430-4241_KBG-800x533.jpg\")
\u00a9 Paul Nicklen <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/PNN-02302025-24230_alt11-800x534.jpg\")
\u00a9\u00a0Paul Nicklen <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/CGM03746_alt2_3000px_WEB-800x356.jpg\")
\u00a9\u00a0Cristina Mittermeier<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/CGM6483_NZ-Enhanced-NR-Edit-800x534.jpg\")
\u00a9 Cristina Mittermeier <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/PNN1191_KBG-800x534.jpg\")
\u00a9 Paul Nicklen <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/POS-20_POS-21_Nicklen_mm7879-280812-91943-1_BW_iPF_epLustre_alt5-800x534.jpg\")
\u00a9 Paul Nicklen <\/p>\n![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/CCristinaMittermeier_OSR_0162_KBG-800x534.jpg\")
\u00a9 Cristina Mittermeier <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/PNN06387A-Pano_alt2-3000LE-800x385.jpg\")
\u00a9\u00a0Paul Nicklen
\n How Photographic Equipment Empowers Their Work <\/p>\n![\"Aerial](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/PNN_20220428_Mexico_0276_KBG-800x534.jpg\")
\u00a9 Paul Nicklen <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/CGM_032023_Ethiopia_-4388-Edit_alt1-534x800.jpg\")
\u00a9 Cristina Mittermeier <\/p>\n