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People from the Animal World: Naturalist Photographers on Instagram

Bird in Flight recommends Instagram profiles of photographers working in different genres. In today's list, we have animals of the Arctic, underwater immersions, the world's deepest caves, and African nature in naturalist photographer's blogs.

Cover photo: Paul Nicklen

Robbie Shone

Lives in Innsbruck (Austria). Has published in National Geographic, National Geographic Science, GEO, Intelligent Life, Stern, and View magazines.

Robbie Shone has taken photos in the biggest, longest, and deepest cave systems in the world – in China, Papua New Guinea, Borneo, and Crete. He’s researched ice caves in Switzerland and has worked together with his students in Austria and Portugal.

Aside from caves, Shone keeps photos on his Instagram account from ski resorts in the Alps and Christmas dinner in the Nubian desert.


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Paul Nicklen

Born in Tisdale, Canada. Member of the International Geographical Society, multiple award winner in the World Press Photo competition.

Paul Nicklen’s main passion is Arctic and Antarctic wildlife. He has already founded twenty projects which explain the necessity to preserve our polar ecosystems.

Nicklen has been an avid diver since he was 18 years old, and aside from Arctic nature, he’s got underwater shoots in his Instagram — penguins, sea lions, walruses and fish.


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Michael “Nick” Nichols

Originally from Alabama (USA). Was a member of Magnum Photos agency from 1982 to 1995. Has been National Geographic‘s special projects editor since 2008.

In 2014, Nichols became the winner of the 50-year-old Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition with his black-and-white photo of a resting lion in a Tanzanian natural reserve. He considers his main task to be the preservation of real wildlife.

On his Instagram, Nichols not only publishes photos of his favorite lions, he also shares moments of his everyday life — pictures of open exhibitions in church and preparations for his performances on TV.


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Carlton Ward, Jr.

From Clearwater, Florida (USA). Photographer for National Geographic. One of the founders of the International League of Naturalist Photographers.

Ward works on projects which aim to help bring a better understanding of ecology as a science to a wider audience. As he writes himself, he cares about preserving the natural environment and cultural heritage. Ward has taken pictures of Floridian cowboys, elephants in the deserts of Mali and has spent eight months in the jungles of Gabon without leaving once.

On Instagram, Ward, Jr. keeps family photos and pictures from his work process.


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David Doubilet

Member of the Royal Photography Community, the International League of Naturalist Photographers, and the International Divers’ Hall of Fame. Multiple award winner of the Picture of the Year, BBC Wildlife, Communication Arts, and World Press competitions.

Doubilet has studied Africa, coral reefs in the tropics, and warm and cold waters of the oceans for half a century. Since 1971, he has published approximately 70 stories in National Geographic. Doubilet’s life work has been the creation of a visual voice for the oceans of the world.

Aside from marine life, Doubilet’s Instagram is filled with pictures of his office cat, selfies on photo sets, and his favorite Antarctic landscapes.


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Robert Clark

Prize-winner in international competitions. Photographer for National Geographic, Time, Sports Illustrated, Vanity Fair, Stern, French Geo, and US News & World Report.

The main direction of Clark’s work has been the study of evolution and visualization theory on the origin of species. In a joint project with Sony Ericcson, Clark spent 50 days traveling through America, capturing nature on his mobile phone camera. With this effort, in 2005 he published Image America, the first book in the world containing only mobile-phone photos.

Now Clark uses Instagram not only to show his research of nature, but also to save shots from his birthplace, New York, mobile reporting from football games, and experiments in the genre of street photography.


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Stefan Tuengler

Born in Selle (Germany). Member of the Society of German Naturalist Photographers. Founder of the photo-tours and safari company “InAfrica — InIndia.”

The “InAfrica – InIndia” project grew out of Stefan Tuengler’s love for India and Africa — photo-tours around Zambia, Botswana, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Rwanda, and India.

On his Instagram, Tuengler shows videos from his exhibitions in Hamburg, preparation for his safari on quads, and pictures of African wildlife.


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