Joel Sartore
Joel Sartore is a photographer, speaker, author, teacher, conservationist, National Geographic Fellow, and a regular contributor to National Geographic Magazine.
Joel Sartore is an award-winning photographer, speaker, author, conservationist, and the 2018 National Geographic Explorer of the Year. He is a regular contributor to National Geographic Magazine, and an Eagle Scout. His hallmarks are a sense of humor and a Midwestern work ethic.
Joel specializes in documenting endangered species and landscapes around the world. He is the founder of the Photo Ark, a 25-year documentary project to save species and habitat.
“It is folly to think that we can destroy one species and ecosystem after another and not affect humanity,” he says. “When we save species, we’re actually saving ourselves.”
Joel and the Photo Ark are the subjects of the television series RARE, in which he documents some of the most endangered creatures left on Earth.
In addition to National Geographic, Joel contributes to Audubon, Geo, the New York Times, and Smithsonian. He has several books, including Photo Ark: A World Worth Saving, The Photo Ark Vanishing: The World’s Most Vulnerable Animals, Birds of the Photo Ark, and RARE: Portraits of America’s Endangered Species.
He and his work have been the subject of many national broadcasts, including National Geographic’s Explorer, NBC Nightly News, the CBS Sunday Morning Show, ABC’s Nightline, NPR’s Weekend Edition, PBS Newshour, Fresh Air with Terry Gross, 60 Minutes, and the Today Show.
Joel is always happy to return from his travels around the world to his home in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Go behind the scenes with Joel as he travels the globe to photograph the world’s most toxic, outrageous, colorful, and beautiful animals. Things can go wrong—and they often do—but getting up close and personal is what it’s all about.
Joel shares a lively, intimate, and humorous look at what could be the best (and worst) job in the world as he plays expedition leader, psychologist, medic, accountant, and coach, not to mention photographer. It’s all just another day at the office when you’re on assignment for National Geographic.
When his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, Joel knew that it was time to stay home for a while. In doing so, he reconnected not just with his family but also with why he takes photos in the first place.