“A Hopeful Sign” by Ami Vitale, courtesy of Vital Impacts.
A black rhino rests under a rainbow at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. This week, 21 black rhinos will be moved to their new home at Loisaba Conservancy in Laikipia. Kenya’s black rhino population was poached almost to extinction and went from a low of 290 animals to 1004 today. They are expanding their habitat and it is a testament to Kenya’s conservation efforts.
Just in time for the holidays, the non-profit Vital Impact is back with its annual print sale. As always, fine art prints by renowned photographs are on sale, with a goal to support community-based environmental conservation efforts. Led by acclaimed National Geographic photographer and filmmaker Ami Vitale, Vital Impacts has curated a collection of over 100 striking images that tell the stories of our natural world.
From endangered animals to fragile landscapes, the subjects of these photographs are reminders that there's so much work to be done to protect our planet. This year, the sale is focused on raising funds to help preserve the Amazon rainforest. Home to over 40,000 plant species, 1,300 bird species, and millions of insects, it is a vital part of the global ecosystem.
“Photography acts as a catalyst for understanding and compassion, inspiring action and fostering meaningful connections,” shares Vitale. “Each image deepens our awareness of the intricate ties between humanity and the natural world.”
To that end, 60% of the profits from the holiday sale will go to COICA (the Convening Group of Indigenous Peoples in the Amazon). This international organization acts on behalf of 511 Indigenous Peoples. They work through political-organizational grassroots organizations in the nine Amazonian countries: Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guyana, Colombia, Surinam, and French Guiana. By supporting Indigenous communities through COICA, we can help ensure a more secure future for all life on Earth.
“It is my hope that this work will help raise awareness of the urgent challenges facing our planet,” Vitale continues. “In the last 50 years, we have lost 73% of the world’s wildlife—a stark reminder of the magnitude of the biodiversity crisis we are confronting. The future of our planet is in our hands. We cannot afford to feel paralyzed by the scale of the challenge nor can we afford to wait for someone else to act—this is up to us.”
The Vital Impacts print sale is running until January 31, 2025, leaving plenty of time to select your favorite photograph.
Just in time for the holidays, the non-profit Vital Impact is back with its annual print sale.
“Arctic Tern” by Arnfinn Johansen, courtesy of Vital Impacts.
An Arctic Tern in front of the Monaco glacier in Liefdefjorden, at the northwest tip of Svalbard in the high Arctic.
The beautiful and tiny 113-gram Arctic Tern is a super impressive bird! Each year, it makes the longest migration of any animal in the world, traveling between breeding sites in the northern Arctic and survival/molt areas in the Antarctic pack ice zone. That practically means flying from the North Pole to the South Pole and back each year! Miniature transmitters have revealed that they follow zigzagging routes and rack up to 71,000 kilometers annually!
“A World on the Edge” by Michael Haluwana, courtesy of Vital Impacts.
The Arctic is one of my happy places. Its environment can be like another world. I had high hopes of encountering, photographing and filming polar bears, it is not however guaranteed you will see them, especially a polar bear on a glazier. Lucky for me and believe it or not, my dream came true.
This photograph was my first polar bear encounter. I couldn't believe it—timing, setting, light, positioning—all picture perfect with the added bonus of a waterfall! The toughest job was me – standing in a small zodiac with waves making it sway and changing weather conditions, it took a prayer, a breath, and a second. I am really happy with the result.
“Penguin Companionship” by Momatiuk Eastcott, courtesy of Vital Impacts.
King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) interact on beach on South Georgia Island’s St. Andrews Bay; Southern Ocean; Antarctic Convergance; South Georgia Island.
“Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguins” by David Doubilet, courtesy of Vital Impacts.
Chinstrap and gentoo penguins rest and squabble on an ice island called a bergy bit near Danko Island, Antarctic Peninsula.
Over 100 photographs by renowned photographers are on sale until January 31, 2025.
“Lala” by Kristi Odom, courtesy of Vital Impacts.
This is Lala, a victim of illegal wildlife trafficking from the heart of the Bolivian Amazon. Lala's story is a heartbreaking reminder of the immense pressures facing the Amazon's wildlife.
Struggling from the destruction of their natural habitats and the relentless demand of the illegal wildlife trade, animals like Lala are increasingly at risk. The Amazon, a vast and biodiverse ecosystem, is home to countless species, but their survival is threatened by human exploitation and environmental degradation. Lala has been rescued and now lives in a sanctuary that is helping her and other jaguars thrive. Lala's story highlights the urgent need for greater awareness and action to protect these vulnerable creatures and their fragile homes.
“Clouds of Chanage” by Shaaz Jung, courtesy of Vital Impacts.
“Helix and Trees” by Mitch Dobrowner, courtesy of Vital Impacts.
Growing up on Long Island (Bethpage), NY – Mitch Dobrowner felt lost in his late teens. Worried about his future direction in life, his father gave him an old Argus rangefinder to fool around with. Little did he realize what an important gesture that would turn out to be for him. After doing some research and seeing the images of Minor White and Ansel Adams, Mitch quickly became addicted to photography.
He left home at 21, quitting his job, leaving his friends and family to see the American Southwest for himself. In California he eventually met my wife, and together they had 3 children, and created their own design studio – and the tasks of running a business and raising a family took priority to Photography. During that time Mitch stopped taking pictures. Years later, in early 2005, inspired by his wife, children and friends – he again picked up his cameras. He's been on a mission since then to create images that help evoke how he sees our amazing planet.
Mitch Dobrowner owes much to the great photographers of the past, especially Ansel Adams, for their dedication to the craft and for inspiring him in his late teens. Though he has never met them, their inspiration helped him determine the course his life would take.
Follow Mitch on Instagram at @mitchdobrowner.
“Jaguar” by Aigner Karine, courtesy of Vital Impacts.
Jaguar in the jungle.
60% of the profits will go to COICA, the Convening Group of Indigenous Peoples in the Amazon.
“Swirl of Majestic King Fish” by Cristina Mittermeier, courtesy of Vital Impacts.
A swirl of majestic King Fish, known as Kahu in Aotearoa, where I made this photo, each measuring over two feet in length, forms beneath my fins as I ascend slowly from a dive in the Port Knights Islands.
“Difference” by Ivan Pedretti, courtesy of Vital Impact.
Winter landscape in Stokksnes, Iceland, on a beach with black sand and the majestic mountain called Vestrahorn.
“Hope Through The Storm” by Renan Ozturk, courtesy of Vital Impacts.
Renan Ozturk lives to tell stories about our connection to the natural world, often set within the most challenging environments on Earth.
“Whale Tale” by Shawn Heinrichs, courtesy of Vital Impacts.
We slid quietly off the side of the boat and finned into the blue. Suddenly the water directly in front of us erupted as several whales broke the surface and blew a dense cloud of mist into the air. And then we were face-to-face with this stampede of behemoths, 15 adult whales weighing 500 tons in total – like diving head-first into a herd of charging dinosaurs!
The ocean shook as they passed below and on both sides, their massive pectoral fins carefully navigating around us and their powerful tails turning the sea into a frothing cauldron of blue and bubbles. And then, as quickly as they appeared, they were gone, 14 males in hot pursuit of a single female. But, even these words barely do justice to the incredible power and magnificence of the Humpback Whales.
“Polar Bear” by Andy Mann, courtesy of Vital Impacts.
“While on a remote climbing expedition in Greenland, I was approached by a curious polar bear while scouting fjords in a small zodiac boat. I hope this image transports people to wild arctic regions and creates an emotional connection with this fragile ecosystem.”
“Photography acts as a catalyst for understanding and compassion, inspiring action and fostering meaningful connections,” shares Vitale.
“Odin's Cove #9” by Beth Moon, courtesy of Vital Impacts.
Odin’s Cove is about a sense of place. It is a celebration of the beauty of nature in a visually stimulating landscape where untamed bramble and ivy suggest ancient origins. Where a regenerative view of the earth can be found, in the lush cliffs that gently slope to the sea, where music can be heard in the beating of a raven’s wing.
“Llamas of Machu Picchu” by Jim Richardson, courtesy of Vital Impacts.
“Llamas roam freely at the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, a reminder of the intimate connection of people, culture and animals in the high Andes of Peru. Llamas were domesticated to carry heavy loads across steep mountain trails. They made life possible here at this 15th-century icon, often referred to as the “Lost City of the Incas.””
“Honey Hunters of Nepal” by Andrew Newey, courtesy of Vital Impacts.
High in the Himalayan foothills of central Nepal Gurung honey hunters gather twice a year, risking their lives to harvest the honey from the world's largest honeybee. For hundreds of years, the skills required to practice this ancient and sacred tradition have been passed down through the generations, but now both the number of bees and traditional honey hunters are in rapid decline as a result of increased commercial interests and climate change.
“Each image deepens our awareness of the intricate ties between humanity and the natural world.”
“City Magnolia” by Chiara Goia, courtesy of Vital Impacts.
Magnolias in the sun in Milan in March.
“Sublime” by Orsolya Haarberg, courtesy of Vital Impacts.
On Store Smørstabbtinden mountain in Norway’s Jotunheimen National Park, light snow falls as two skiers watch over a sublime winter landscape.
“Morani and Friend” by Anup Shah, courtesy by Vital Impacts.
Maasai Mara, Kenya. November 2021. The sun breaks free of the horizon. There is a hint of a faint breeze. Otherwise, a pure stillness reigns. Then, a taut impala stares fixedly. Two moving objects, it spies. The lion on the right is distinctly older than its youthful companion. The old guy is one of the Four Musketeers that ruled Mara long time ago. Ruthlessly. And now, Morani has reappeared out of nowhere. Reminds me of a lyric from a Beatles song, “He's a real nowhere man, sitting in his nowhere land, making all his plans for nobody.”
