100 Photographs for Press Freedom

Over the weekend I received a copy of the latest edition of the Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontieres), or RSF, annual fund-raising publication, Nature: 100 Photographs for Press Freedom. Based in France the non-profit RSF creates a publication each year to help generate revenues to support is global journalistic efforts; this year the focus was nature photojournalism. It's a project that I am extremely proud to have my photographs contribute to supporting.

This is one of those rare publications and projects that speaks to the heart of why I became a photographer. Not about the money (none of us received a dime for our contribution), and not always pretty images, it reflects the passion and commitment behind the lens. I am extremely proud to share this space with fellow photojournalists like Mitsuaki Iwago, Jim Brandenburg, Mark Moffet, and others.

Through my photo agency, Minden Pictures, my photographs contributed 8% of the 100 images that speak to the diversity and struggle of life on our planet, and support the environmental journalists, photographers and film-makers that often times risk personal safety to sound the alarm regarding the ever changing fate of our environment. From Nature, "They go to places few have ever heard of, where even fewer would like to go. Some never come back: nature photojournalists share with war reporters the highest rate of casualties of their profession. Fueled by a singular vision, they return time and time again with glimpses of our planet that challenge and shape our perspective of a fast changing world."

With the approaching 2010 designated by the UN as the International Year of Biodiversity the booklet, Nature: 100 Photographs for Press Freedom may provide a small additional glimpse at the course we are on and the need for rethinking our impact.

My great appreciation to Larry Minden and the staff of Minden Pictures for inclusion of my work in this project. Also a huge thanks to our partner agent in France Joel Halioua for his role in bring my work to RSF and sharing it on these pages with the world.

Below is a slide show of the eight images that support the 2009 edition Nature: 100 Photographs for Press Freedom.