logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2024
1h 21m

How Did You Become An Iconic Nature Phot...

Sony Music Entertainment / Jonathan Van Ness
About this episode

If you’ve ever picked up a National Geographic and skimmed across the gorgeous images that cover those pages - you’ve probably come across the work of our guest experts. This week, we’re coming to you with a LIVE! Getting Curious episode with THE preeminent nature photographers in the game about the risk and reward of their art, their conservation efforts, and how they support each other in the process like the power couple they are!


Cristina "Mitty" Mittermeier, a visionary photographer, marine biologist, and avid conservationist, stands as a formidable force in the realm of environmental advocacy. In 2014 she, alongside her partner Paul Nicklen, co-founded SeaLegacy, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a healthy and abundant ocean through powerful storytelling and impactful visual media. Through her lens, she conveys the delicate balance of natural ecosystems and the urgency to preserve these habitats that sustain a myriad of life. Her art, driven by a desire to make a difference, serves as a compelling call to action, illustrating the transformative power of photography in raising awareness and inspiring change.


Paul Nicklen is a Canadian photographer, filmmaker, and marine biologist who has documented the beauty and plight of our planet for more than thirty years. Through the power of the image and, just as importantly, emotion and raw power, his work has been singled out for creating a unique connection between image and viewer by featuring wild subjects in some of the most extreme conditions known on Earth. Nicklen is a Sony Artisan of Imagery and aligns with Rolex’s Perpetual Planet initiative on collaborative efforts to preserve the natural World. Nicklen has won more than 30 of conservation and photography’s most prestigious awards, including the BBC’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year and the World Press Photo for Photojournalism. In 2019, Mr Nicklen became the youngest person inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame (IPHF).


You can follow Cristina Mittermeier on Instagram @mitty and Paul Nicklen on Instagram @paulnicklen. For more information on SeaLegacy- check out their Instagram @SeaLegacy.


Follow us on Instagram @CuriousWithJVN to join the conversation. Jonathan is on Instagram @JVN.


Our senior producer is Chris McClure. Our editor & engineer is Nathanael McClure. Production support from Julie Carrillo, Anne Currie, and Chad Hall.


Our theme music is “Freak” by QUIÑ; for more, head to TheQuinCat.com.


Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Yesterday
Are You Trapped In High-Functioning Depression? with Dr. Judith Joseph
Check out the JVN Patreon for exclusive BTS content, extra interviews, and much much more - check it out here: www.patreon.com/jvn JVN is joined by the brilliant Dr. Judith Joseph, a board-certified psychiatrist and researcher, to explore high-functioning depression — what it is, ... Show More
52m 23s
Jul 8
Presenting: “Mantra with Jemma Sbeg"
Ready to take a fresh path to self-discovery? Every Monday, Jemma Sbeg brings you a new mantra and shares how you can apply it to your own life. Whether you’re facing a major transition or just looking to evolve your everyday routine, Mantra is the podcast for you. Join Jemma eve ... Show More
11m 47s
Jul 7
Big Beautiful Bill, Future of Planned Parenthood, and A Potential Cure for HIV
Check out the JVN Patreon for exclusive BTS content, extra interviews, and much much more - check it out here: www.patreon.com/jvn This week on The Monday Edit: the impact of the Big Beautiful Bill, updates on the Idaho Four Case, JVN’s life as Pet Parent, beating the summer heat ... Show More
32m 43s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2018
Pursuit of Beauty: Art Beneath the Waves
Artist Emma Critchley meets filmmakers, photographers, sculptors and painters who are drawn beneath the sea to create underwater art. Julie Gautier performs a graceful, lyrical ballet on the floor of the deepest pool in the world. Without a tank of air or mask, she dances magical ... Show More
29m 20s
Jul 2024
Andrew Wyeth | Christina's World
Andrew Wyeth was the son of a successful illustrator. Wyeth is best known for his painting "Christina's World" which is among the few artworks to leap from the museum walls to popular culture as it has been referenced in numerous photos, TV shows and movies. The painting was insp ... Show More
17m 20s
Dec 2024
Deep sea explorers
Less than 0.001% of the deep ocean has been explored. Ella Al-Shamahi speaks to two women from South Africa and the US who have dedicated their careers to finding out more about our planet's most uncharted depths.Dr Katy Croff Bell is an American ocean explorer and deep-sea techn ... Show More
26m 29s
Jul 2024
adrienne maree brown — On Radical Imagination and Moving Towards Life
The wonderful civil rights elder Vincent Harding liked to look around the world for what he called "live human signposts" — human beings who embody ways of seeing and becoming and who point the way forward to the world we want to inhabit. And adrienne maree brown, who has inspire ... Show More
1h 20m
Mar 2024
Checking On You: Stories about concern for others
There are many ways you can ask someone “Are you okay?” In this week’s episode, both of our storytellers navigate the complexities of human connection and how we show concern for those we love. Part 1: Dave Kalema keeps lying to his sick mother about how bad his knee injury is. P ... Show More
30m 22s
Sep 2024
Picturing World Cultures: Naina Helén Jåma – Norwegian Sami
In today’s podcast, we’ll be talking with Norwegian photographer Naina Helén Jåma about her documentation of indigenous South Sami culture in Norway and her career as a press photographer in Scandinavia. Jåma details her childhood growing up in the small rural village of Snasa, w ... Show More
58m 53s
Sep 2019
11. Dolphins, Diving in the UK and Living the Marine Biology Life with Emily Cunningham and Daniel Moore
Send us a textEmily Cunningham and Daniel Moore, both marine biologists from the United Kingdom, have made an incredible career in marine biology by being superbly flexible. This has enabled the couple to travel for extended periods of time to Indonesia, pushed them to be resourc ... Show More
1h 16m
Nov 2024
Anya Gallaccio
We meet Anya Gallaccio (b. 1963, Scotland), an artist renowned for her innovative use of organic, ephemeral materials – ranging from chocolate, ice, wax, apples, flowers and chalk – and for her explorations of transformation, change and impermanence. Throughout her practice, Gall ... Show More
1h 13m
Mar 2023
Oscar-nominated documentary Fire of Love director Sara Dosa, editors Erin Casper and Jocelyne Chaput
The documentary Fire of Love, directed by Sara Dosa, takes viewers on a mesmerizing journey into the world of volcanology. The film is centered around footage filmed by French volcanologists Maurice and Katia Krafft, who devoted their lives to studying volcanoes and capturing the ... Show More
54 m
Dec 2024
Picturing World Cultures: Marcela Taboada – Mexico
Photographers have a magical ability to transport us to hidden worlds, giving us intimate access to facets of society that would otherwise go unnoticed. Above photograph © Marcela Taboada In today’s podcast, we sit down with Mexican photographer Marcela Taboada, whose long-term d ... Show More
1h 16m