Expedition Photography

Where geography and photography meet

What will you create with top photographers to guide and instruct you?

The logic is simple—bring people who love making images to the planet’s most spectacular places and most thrilling subjects. Expedition Photography takes it to the next level by adding to the mix some of the world’s top visual storytellers who travel at your side and at your service. Not only are they deeply knowledgeable professionals versed in the technical aspects of photography and storytelling methods, they are also experts on wildlife—and sharing their knowledge sets you up to get some of the best images of your life.

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Go ‘on assignment’ with National Geographic Photography Experts

Every expedition aboard National Geographic Endurance, National Geographic Resolution, National Geographic Explorer, and National Geographic Orion sails with a National Geographic Photography Expert as part of the expedition team. Sharing in the journey, they will offer tips at the deck rail, share engaging stories during presentations in the lounge, and with a little prodding over dinner or drinks in the lounge likely share amusing anecdotes of their time in the field. They are full participants in the expedition and engaging travel companions. 

Learn from National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions certified photo instructors

National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions Certified Photo Instructors (CPIs) have each been specially trained to assist you with your camera model and settings; the basic elements of framing, composition and light; and to provide shooting tips in the field to ensure that you return home with fantastic photos. 

Unlike a photography class or workshop, an expedition is a highly dynamic environment, where an incredible sighting can occur at any moment. So, the fact that your photo instructor is also a skilled naturalist is invaluable. He or she can help you better understand the wildlife, so you can be at the right place at the right time to capture amazing behavior—whether you’re shooting from the ship’s deck, a Zodiac or on a walk. Take an expedition with us, and you’ll not only have the experience of a lifetime, you’ll have the incredible shots to prove it.

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Photo Expeditions 

On designated departures, a combination of CPIs and a National Geographic Photography Expert come together to provide a program that includes multiple photo presentations and editing sessions and is designed to maximize the best photographic conditions. They work closely with the Captain and the expedition leader to take advantage of sunrise and sunset opportunities (whether by foot, Zodiac, or ship) and unique wildlife viewing. Whether you’re a smartphone user, advanced hobbyist, or serious photographer, photo expeditions are select departures in remarkable geographies, designed by photographers, for photographers. Since these voyages also offer so many active options, you can invite a spouse, companion, or friend along, certain that they’ll have a wonderful time doing their thing, too.

Upcoming Photo Expeditions


Departure Date Expedition National Geographic Photography Expert

Oct. 13, 2024 Panama and Colombia: Exploring the Caribbean Coast Lucas Bustamante

Nov. 9, 2024 Upper Amazon: A River Expedition Tim Laman

Nov. 29, 2024 Exploring Galápagos: One Week Sailing the Islands Krista Rossow

Dec. 7, 2024 Upper Amazon Aboard Delfin II Kike Calvo

Dec. 14, 2024 Costa Rica and the Panama Canal Ruben Salgado Escudero

Jan. 10, 2025 Exploring Galápagos: One Week Sailing the Islands Michael Melford
Ask about our photo-exclusive pre-voyage extension to the Ecuadorian Amazon. Limited availability.

Apr. 15, 2025 A Remarkable Journey to Alaska, British Columbia, and Haida Gwaii Todd Gipstein

May 10, 2025 Exploring Alaska's Coastal Wilderness Annie Griffiths

Aug. 15, 2025 Exploring Galápagos: One Week Sailing the Islands Lucas Bustamante
Ask about our photo-exclusive pre-voyage extension to the Ecuadorian Amazon. Limited availability.

Sep. 9, 2025 A Remarkable Journey to Alaska, British Columbia, and Haida Gwaii Greg Winston

Sep. 26, 2025 Exploring Galápagos: One Week Sailing the Islands Jennifer Hayes
Ask about our photo-exclusive pre-voyage extension to the Ecuadorian Amazon. Limited availability.

Sep. 20, 2025 & Sep. 27, 2025 Upper Amazon Aboard Delfin ll Juan Arias

Nov. 9, 2025 Panama and Colombia: Exploring the Caribbean Coast Jennifer Davidson

Nov. 30, 2025 Costa Rica and the Panama Canal Tamara Merino Bloch

Photo Program Exclusives

OMSysLogo-Square_RGB-wht.jpgThanks to our partnership with camera manufacturer OM System (formerly Olympus), guests have the opportunity to field test top-of-the-line gear during their expeditions. Eager to try a powerful new lens? Researching a new camera purchase? Take advantage of the onboard OM System Photo Gear Locker with our compliments. The Locker is available on all National Geographic-flagged ships (except Galápagos). View a pre-voyage photo webinar and enjoy exclusive gear discounts as well! Ask an Expedition Specialist.

B&H Photo Video

BH-Logo-Color-2021.jpgSince 2014, Lindblad has partnered with B&H Photo Video to produce the popular photography event, OPTIC. Past speakers and presentations can be found here. 

What I love about photography is how it invites you into a world of wonder and anticipation, where it's no longer about the camera but being in the moment.
Ralph Lee Hopkins, Former Director of Expedition Photography
Expedition staff are subject to change.

National Geographic Photography Experts

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Sisse Brimberg

Born in Denmark, award-winning photographer Sisse Brimberg has produced and photographed more than 30 stories for  National Geographic  magazine over the past 40 years, covering a wide range of subjects--from the Hanseatic League and the Vikings to the global flower trade and the prehistoric cave art of southwestern France. As contributing photographer for  National Geographic Traveler , she shot various city stories in Amsterdam, Paris, Copenhagen, Casablanca, Oaxaca, Saint Petersburg, and beyond. Having photographed in more than 70 countries across the globe -- from Cape Verde to the Azores, and Antarctica to the Arctic -- she enjoys sharing her love of photography with travelers. Brimberg has earned first prize honors from the prestigious Pictures of the Year International (POY), and her images have been exhibited around the world in Germany, Greece, Brazil, Mexico, New York City (International Center for Photography), and Washington, D.C. (The Newseum).

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Dan Westergren

As the longtime photo editor for  National Geographic Traveler  magazine, Dan Westergren was responsible for the magazine’s photographic vision, which has earned the publication numerous awards for photography. He's been lucky to photograph amazing places for  Traveler , such as the summits of Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, Kilimanjaro, and the North Pole. Dan is especially drawn to Arctic regions, having made more than ten trips above the Arctic Circle. On one of these memorable assignments, Dan flew to Svalbard Island and then jumped on a Russian plane that took him over the pack ice, a landscape that is depicted in his favorite painting that hangs in the boardroom at National Geographic’s headquarters. The painting depicts Admiral Richard E. Byrd’s historic flight to the North Pole. The Russian plane landed near 89 degrees north latitude, and with a small group of intrepid travelers, Dan skied the “Last Degree” to the North Pole. After seven days of skiing in the cold footsteps of Fritjof Nansen and the other famous adventurers who have gone north from Svalbard, Dan finally stood for himself at the North Pole, and felt he had personally reached out and touched the heart of exploration at the Society. Westergren is an experienced teacher, having led workshops and served as photography expert for National Geographic Expeditions around the world—from Yellowstone, Baja, and the Galápagos Islands to Alaska, Antarctica, and the high Arctic.

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Michael Melford

Award-winning photographer Michael Melford has produced more than 50 stories for National Geographic and National Geographic Traveler magazines over the past 30 years. His work has been featured on the cover of National Geographic, as well as LIFE, Smithsonian, GEO, TIME, and Coastal Living, among other publications. Michael has traveled to numerous destinations and all seven continents—from Antarctica to Alaska and from New Zealand to the Seychelles. His assignments have focused on conservation, preservation, and celebrating the beauty of wilderness and national parks around the world. Melford also has produced photography for multiple National Geographic books, and is featured in two online photo courses from National Geographic and The Great Courses ( National Geographic Masters of Photography and T he National Geographic Guide to Landscape Photography ). Michael’s work has garnered prestigious honors, including the Lowell Thomas Award for Travel Photography and recognition from World Press Photo. The United States Postal Service also recently honored Melford by featuring several of his images on a set of Forever stamps celebrating Wild and Scenic Rivers.

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Kike Calvo

Award-winning photographer, journalist, and author Kike Calvo (pronounced Kee-Keh) specializes in culture and environment. He has been on assignment in dozens of countries, working on stories ranging from belugas in the Arctic to traditional Hmong costumes in Laos. Kike's images have been published in National Geographic Magazine, The New York Times, Time, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, New York Magazine, Rolling Stone, and Vanity Fair, among others. A National Geographic Certified Educator and a former contributor to National Geographic's Voices blog, his images are represented by AP Images, Redux Pictures, and the former National Geographic Image Collection. Kike has been part of scientific river expeditions in Colombia, Brazil, and Peru. Over the years, Kike has joined numerous National Geographic Expeditions, from Spain and Patagonia to Costa Rica and the Amazon. He also enjoys teaching photography workshops and has been a guest lecturer at leading institutions like the School of Visual Arts and Yale University. Kike is a Senior Safina Center Fellow since 2020. Kike is the Creative Chief Officer and author of The Adventures of Pili initiative, an education and conservation project that increases children's awareness of global environmental issues and fosters multi-lingual literacy in remote communities that play an active role in the conversation of ecosystems. Partnering with local NGOs, and adding the support of companies and readers, to date, thousands of free bilingual books have been given to kids living in indigenous and underserved areas. Many of his books are now available in Indigenous and non-commercial languages, including Dulegaya, Sikuani, Wayuunaiki, and Maya. Kike is pioneering in using small unmanned aerial systems to produce aerial photography as art, and as a tool for research and conservation. His early work with drones was profiled as a genius in the 2019 National Geographic Almanac. He is also known for his iconic photographic project, World of Dances, on the intersection of dance, nature, and architecture. He has authored more than books, including Drones for Conservation; Staten Island: A Visual Journey to the Lighthouse at the End of the World; Habitats, with forewords by David Doubilet, and Jean-Michel Cousteau; and Corpus Christi in Atánquez. Professor of Anthropology and author Wade Davis has described Kike as a worldly and seasoned photographer, and a fresh voice in the world of (visual) anthropology.

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Jeff Mauritzen

National Geographic photographer Jeff Mauritzen's assignments and adventures have immersed him in vivid landscapes on all 7 continents and in more than 60 countries around the world. Whether photographing penguin antics in Antarctica or komodo dragons in Indonesia, Jeff’s work expresses an unwavering passion, respect, curiosity, and awe for the natural world.   Jeff's photography has appeared in dozens of National Geographic books, several National Geographic Traveler magazine articles, the Wall Street Journal, and on the @natgeotravel Instagram account, where he’s a regular contributor. In addition to assignment work, Jeff enjoys traveling with National Geographic Expeditions, teaching photography on natural history-focused trips.

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Krista Rossow

For more than a decade, Krista Rossow has worked as a photographer, photo editor and educator for National Geographic. She began her career at National Geographic Traveler magazine, where she used her photo-editing skills to shape compelling stories from world-class imagery. As a freelancer as well as a contributing photographer for Traveler, Krista has documented stories on every continent—from Costa Rica and Morocco to New Zealand, Japan and more. Her work has appeared in national media and publications, such as NPR, Afar, Outside and The Washington Post. Krista travels with National Geographic Expeditions teaching photography around the world–from the Galápagos Islands, Patagonia, and Peru to Alaska, Antarctica, and the Arctic. She sees the camera as a tool for understanding new cultures, meeting the locals, and exploring the natural world. Her images are represented by National Geographic Image Collection.

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Todd Gipstein

Todd Gipstein has been a photographer, writer, producer and lecturer for more than 50 years. A graduate of Harvard University, he has worked with National Geographic since 1987 and has served as the Society’s Director of Multi-Image and Executive Producer for Multimedia. His award-winning documentaries have dealt with a diverse range of topics, including photography, the environment, history, and travel. Known worldwide for his evocative visual storytelling, Todd has journeyed across the globe—from Cuba and the Galápagos to the South Pacific, the Artic and more—in his pursuit of inspiring images. His photos have been exhibited internationally, displayed frequently in European media festivals and have appeared in countless publications, including National Geographic magazine. An enthusiastic teacher and lecturer, he has presented his documentaries and led photography workshops around the world on behalf of National Geographic. When he is not traveling on his many assignments, Todd enjoys a wide range of activities: he has published 4 historical fiction novels, performed magic and spent a decade restoring a lighthouse near his home in Groton, Connecticut together with his wife, Marcia.

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Jason Edwards

Jason Edwards has been at the forefront of natural history photography for three decades. A passion for animals and the environment defines his extensive career. Since embarking on that career at the Royal Melbourne Zoo, Jason has been recognized globally for his contributions to science, the environment, and the arts. Among other accolades, he is a two-time winner of the Eureka Prize for Science Photography, three-time winner of Communication Arts Photography Annual, two-time winner of the ProMax Golden Muse, and winner of the Australian Geographic Society's Pursuit of Excellence Award. Through his commissioned work and as the face of the National Geographic Channel’s Pure Photography, Jason has taken his storytelling to dozens of countries and to every continent. He is an associate fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers and uses his lens to narrate and highlight issues affecting wildlife, the environment, and indigenous communities. His work has been featured in hundreds of publications including National Geographic magazine, BBC Wildlife, Australian Geographic, Sports Illustrated, Condé Nast Traveler, and The New Yorker. Jason is also an author of science education books, and his imagery has appeared in everything from environmental campaigns to Hollywood blockbusters.

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Macduff Everton

Photographer Macduff Everton has shot multiple stories for National Geographic Traveler, and covered diverse regions on projects from Patagonia to Japan to the Scottish Highlands. His other editorial clients include Life, LA Times Magazine, NY Times Magazine, Outside, and Smithsonian. Macduff’s photography focuses on sense of place, whether portraits of individuals or portraits of a landscape. His books include Patagonia La Última Esperanza (University of Texas Press), The Western Horizon (Abrams), The Modern Maya Incidents of Travel and Friendship in Yucatán (University of Texas Press) and Los Mayas Contemporáneos Incidencias de Viaje y Amistad in Yucatán (Universidad Intercultural Maya de Quintana Roo), the latter two he wrote and photographed over a period of decades. His work is in the collections of many public and private institutions, such as the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, the British Museum in London, the International Center of Photography in New York, the Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico City, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Macduff has also taught workshops nationally as well as in Mexico and Tuscany.

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Mike Libecki

Mike Libecki was named a 2013 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year for his commitment to exploring the world’s most remote places. He has completed more than 90 major expeditions in over 100 countries—from Afghanistan to Antarctica, Greenland to Guyana, Siberia to Socotra Island and everywhere in between. His adventures support science, conservation and humanitarian projects, as well as shed light on powerful, emotional stories that inspire us all to take care of our world. Libecki is a producer, director, videographer, photographer, conservationist, humanitarian with his own nonprofit and a leader of cutting-edge science teams. He is also a math and tech nerd at heart, using the latest technologies—virtual reality, 3D imagery and artificial intelligence among others—on his expeditions to share stories of the planet’s magic, power and beauty. Mike has also received numerous grants and awards. He has appeared on PBS, the National Geographic Channel, the History Channel, the Discovery Channel, the Travel Channel and more.

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Drew Rush

Drew Rush is a wildlife and natural history photographer with a passion for following wildlife in national parks around the world. Before embarking on a career in photography, Drew spent ten years guiding on the Snake River and taking people into the heart of Yellowstone National Park in the winter. Since he transitioned into a professional photographer, his work has appeared in numerous international publications and books, such as National Parks magazine and National Geographic: Complete Photography . Drew has a long history of working in and teaching about the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and Grand Tetons region on several long-term photographic projects for National Geographic magazine. He has also worked on collaborative projects studying long distance lynx migration through Alaska with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as monitoring wolf populations with the U.S. National Park Service. Drew’s images have been displayed at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, Wyoming, and he is represented by the National Geographic Image Collection.

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Tommy Heinrich

Photographer and adventurer Tommy Heinrich has traveled the world—from the summit of Mount Everest to the North Pole and even Antarctica—combining his passions for photography, climbing, and nature. Born in Buenos Aires, Tommy first learned to scale mountains at an early age in Patagonia and the Andes. In 1995, he became the first person from Argentina to reach the summit of Mount Everest. In 1998, he reached the summit of Lhotse, the world’s fourth-highest mountain, and has continued since with many more ascents in the Himalayas and Karakorum, documenting the thrill of the expeditions and life in the world’s greatest mountains. In 2016, Tommy reached the North Pole, while documenting the first Argentine expedition. On assignment for  National Geographic  magazine, Heinrich photographed a winter ascent of Nanga Parbat, located in the Pakistan’s Northern areas, and an ascent of K2, the second highest mountain in the world. He has also filmed expeditions to Mount Everest, Dhaulagiri, Aconcagua, and other expeditions for CBS, Dish Network, Discovery, and CNN, among other networks. He has joined National Geographic Expeditions to Antarctica, Iceland, Norway, and the Arctic. Two presidents of Argentina have bestowed upon him the honorary title “Comendador,” with the “Orden a los Servicios Distinguidos” and the “Condor Dorado Honoris Causa.”

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