Ami Vitale‘s journey as a photographer, writer, and filmmaker has taken her to over 100 countries where she has witnessed civil unrest and violence, but also surreal beauty and the enduring power of the human spirit. She has lived in mud huts and war zones, contracted malaria, and donned a panda suit—all in keeping with her philosophy of “living the story.”

Vitale is an Ambassador for Nikon and a contract photographer with National GeographicMagazine. She has documented wildlife and poaching in Africa, covered human-wildlife conflict, and concentrated on efforts to save the northern white rhino and reintroduce pandas to the wild. She has been awarded Magazine Photographer of the Year by the International Photographer of the Year panel, received the Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding Reporting, and named Magazine Photographer of the Year by the National Press Photographer’s Association, among others. She is a six-time recipient of World Press Photos, including First Prize for her 2017 National Geographic Magazinestory about elephants and First Prize for her work with giant pandas. Vitale recently published the bestselling book Panda Love, was the subject of the Mission Cover Shot series on the National Geographic Channel, and was included in a documentary series featuring Madagascar (Over the Islands of Africa). She lectures for the National Geographic LIVE series, and she frequently gives workshops throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

She is also a founding member of Ripple Effect Images, a collective of scientists, writers, photographers and filmmakers with a mission of creating powerful stories illustrating the very specific issues women in developing countries face.