WildPhotos

It is the little things that make the world go around. The things that buzz, slither or crawl. Or, looking at it through a different lens, the creatures that pollinate, recycle, control pests and aerate the soil. So many of the smaller unsung and often unloved species are the ones that provide ecosystem services critical to the health of wild places and wildlife, including us. Join photographers Ingo Arndt, Dhritiman Mukherjee and Chien Lee for their lightning sessions as they share their appreciation for diverse environments and the species that keep them operating.

These days thanks to technology and client demands most photographers find themselves having to produce film as part of their deliverables. For many this is a frustrating necessity while others embrace it as an inspiring challenge and a critical component of their storytelling. How do you decide when the moment should be a still or film? Can you do it all or do you need a team? Is the future video or photography? Join photographers and videographers Evgenia Arbugaeva, Peter Ndung’u and Joris van Alphen as they share how they work in both worlds.

Beautiful wildlife images make people care about the natural world - we need them - but the stories that must be told, the photographs that must be seen, are the ones that shine a light on our relationship with the natural world. Conservation storytelling creates a visual narrative, with photography as evidence, of what is happening to wildlife and wild places as well as highlighting solutions. Join photographers Jaime Rojo, Morgan Heim and Hannah Reyes Morales as they share a diverse range of topics from butterfly migrations to coastal communities that explore this storytelling genre.

There is more water than land on our planet yet for many our oceans, freshwater lakes and rivers and wetlands, that liminal space in between, are an enduring mystery. However, these ecosystems are critical to the overall health of the planet. Home to myriad species and a source of joy and sustenance for millions we need to understand the state of our waterways. Photographers Justin Gilligan, Shane Gross and Tony Wu will share their experiences across multiple environments from coral reefs to vernal pools to open oceans. All creatures, tadpoles to whales, are connected under the surface.

In the increasingly competitive world of editorial photography what are the best ways to submit story proposals to publications, find funding for long-term projects and build new relationships? Join our panel of experts for tips on how to pitch ideas and secure funding. National Geographic Society Vice President for Storytelling Grants and Programs Rachael Strecher will moderate a discussion around best practices. Sabine Meyer, Photography Director, for Audubon, Richard Edwards, Head of Content, WWF-UK, Britta Jaschinski, freelance photographer, Alexa Keefe, Managing Editor, Photography, for National Geographic magazine and Robin Moore, Vice President, Communications and Marketing for re:wild will share their strategies for successful pitching.