NAT Geo announces photographer series

AN acclaimed six-part documentary series focused on some of the world’s most accomplished photographers is to start airing this month on DStv’s National Geographic channel.

Chairty Njanji, corporate affairs and public relations manager of MultiChoice Zimbabwe, said the series would launch on Wednesday March 20 and would each week focus on one or two outstanding photographers whose work is ground-breaking and inspiring.

Chairty Njanji, corporate affairs and public relations manager of MultiChoice Zimbabwe

“The series is called Photographer and is produced for National Geographic by Little Monster film and comes from award-winning film-makers E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, premiering on National Geographic, DStv channel 181, at 9pm on Wednesday March 20,” she said.

“Photographer is a journey of brilliance with some of the world’s most extraordinary visual storytellers, showcased by leading documentary filmmakers to give audiences for an exhilarating and dynamic international adventure.”

Each hour-long episode follows the story of a single photographer, who include Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen, Dan Winters, Campbell Addy, Krystle Wright, Muhammed Muheisen, and Anand Varma. Their work is to create memorable images that will not be forgotten or discarded by the passage of time. Footage has been taken of one of each photographer’s missions, interwoven with interviews and archived footage.

Ms Njanji said viewers would gain a deeper understanding of each photographer’s process, learning how each became an artist and discovering how each sees and experiences the world from which they are uniquely obtaining their inspiration and ideas.

Eight respected directors were tasked with bringing the photographers’ stories to life. From the insightful vision of award-winning duo E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo) to the skilled direction of Marshall Curry (Racing Dreams), Pagan Harleman (The Trade), Crystal Kayiza (Rest Stop), Sam Pollard (MLK/FBI), Kristi Jacobson (Solitary) and Rita Baghdadi (Sirens), each episode is a collaborative and visually stunning adventure that invites viewers into a captivating world where every frame tells an inspiring and evocative story.

For over 135 years, National Geographic has built a storied legacy in visual storytelling, showing an interconnected world through the work of thousands of renowned photographers. This was first done exclusively through it famed magazine and in recent deacdes this has been complemented by its award-winning television broadcasts.

With millions of images moving at a rapid clip across news and social media daily, it can be difficult to focus on a singular picture that captures one moment more than any other. This is precisely what the focused photographers do in the Photographer series, using the power of visual storytelling to capture life in motion and showing the world in new and often unprecedented ways.

The series will delve into the nuances of the craft of photography while staying rooted in universal themes through a personal lens. In fact, Photographer transcends the genre of photography shows to take a deep dive into the forces that drive these almost-obsessive photographers on their quests for visual perfection.

Episodes include:

Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier: Win or Die. Directed by E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. Paul and Cristina are two of the world’s most successful working ocean photographers who are also partners in their personal and professional lives. Nicklen grew up with the Inuit in the Canadian Arctic and worked as a biologist in the Northwest Territories before specialising in photographing the polar regions. Born in Mexico City, Mittermeier started out as a marine biologist and now works as a writer, conservationist and photographer, immersing herself in diverse cultures and environments worldwide. They are sought-after thought leaders at the forefront of ocean conservation. This remarkable duo aims at raising awareness through their art and non-profit organisation, SeaLegacy, which creates strategies and content to move audiences into action through visual storytelling.

Anand Varma: Hidden Wonders. Directed by Marshall Curry. Fascinated by the natural world, Varma grew up dreaming that he would become a scientist like his father. But while studying marine biology at Berkeley, he seized an opportunity to leave school to work as a camera assistant and has never looked back. An ingenious and profound soul who is endlessly enthusiastic about all things “icky,” he masterfully navigates the intersection of science and art, accomplishing the nearly impossible feat of making high-brow geeky science accessible through his innovative approach. Varma is currently working on a series about metamorphosis, which focuses on capturing the developmental process of a chicken embryo as it is forming and hatching.

Dan Winters: Life is once. Forever. Directed by Pagan Harleman. Winters is arguably one of today’s most versatile, celebrated and renowned photographers, widely known for his unusual and celebrated portraits of celebrities, scientific work, street photography, illustrations and capturing the “hallowed grounds” of NASA. He is a National Geographic Explorer and has won over 100 national and international awards from World Press Photo, American Photography, SIPA, Communication Arts, Society of Publication Designers, LIFE Magazine and the Alfred Eisenstaedt Award for Magazine Photography, among others. While Dan has reached the pinnacle of photography with the help of his wife and manager, Kathryn, he now feels, at times, he neglected his family. As we travel with Winters to Kennedy Space Centre, Iceland and Bangladesh, working to make great images and chase a childhood memory, he reflects that sometimes, the most important moments are found not halfway around the world behind a camera but back at home.

Campbell Addy: Feeling Seen. Directed by Crystal Kayiza and Sam Pollard. Heavily sought after, British Ghanaian Campbell Addy is the fashion photographer of the moment and at a pivotal place in his career. His talents as an image maker have launched him into the fashion stratosphere and landed him on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list, but his newfound fame and success also present challenges. Concerned about ‘selling out’ or ‘becoming a brand,’ Addy recently changed agencies and decided to refocus his career on reclaiming his purpose, which is, first and foremost, to express his vision, expand his art and make images that allow people of colour and gay people feel seen and empowered. Audiences will journey with Addy and his crew of artists and stylists as he works to make epic imagery for his first solo art show in London and navigates how to lay the foundation for a long-term career without compromising his health or integrity.

Krystle Wright: Heart Explosions. Directed by Kristi Jacobson. Wright is at a critical moment in her life and her career. After over a decade of travelling the world and shooting some of the most awe-inspiring extreme sports stunts ever attempted, she has become a highly sought-after photographer in the male-dominated world of adventure photography. Wright’s assignments have covered all seven continents and more than 55 countries, with locations ranging from the Australian outback to Pakistan and Antarctica. Her images have been published in National Geographic magazine and her work has also appeared in Outside magazine, The Times, GQ, Red Bulletin, and The Guardian. But after an unexpected medical emergency and the Covid crisis forced her to spend two years at home in Australia, she’s re-entering the high-stakes photography world to chase tornadoes in the American southwest, make an epic image in Moab, and explore whether this adrenalised life is still the best outlet for her creativity.

Muhammed Muheisen: Finding the Light. Directed by Rita Baghdadi. Two-time Pulitzer prize-winner, National Geographic photojournalist, founder and chairman of the Dutch non-profit organisation Everyday Refugees Foundation and veteran conflict photographer Muhammed Muheisen has a new perspective and a new calling: He no longer ventures to the frontlines in search of drama and despair. Born and raised amid conflict in the Middle East, Muheisen now uses photography for advocacy, activism and connection. He dedicates his craft to giving a voice to the many children caught up in the refugee crisis. Through Everyday Refugees, Muheisen helps support projects that build schools, provide much-needed supplies, and teach the languages and skills refugees need to navigate their futures better. This episode focuses on Muheisen’s evolution from photojournalism to activism while following him on his current mission of documenting the stories of Ukrainian war refugees, specifically children, at the Ukrainian-Romanian border.