The photographer whose nature shots inspire pure awe

A new collection of the photographer's work celebrates our beautiful world—and shows how much we stand to lose.

Photography · By Annie George · Photographs by Paul Nicklen · Published July 28, 2026 · 2 min read

Topics: Oceans, Nature Photography, Wildlife, Photographers, Bears, Whales, Marine Biodiversity, Photography

In his 30 years as a photographer and cinematographer, Paul Nicklen has experienced it all—from living on the sea ice, to surviving plane crashes and dislocated shoulders, to sleeping many nights under the stars. And in this unpredictable wilderness, he finds the deepest sense of peace. "It’s always been the reverence I have for nature. I mean, I don’t want to get too religious or anti-religious, but that's my church, and that's where I find everything makes sense,” Nicklen told National Geographic. “I've had nothing but reverence for nature since I was a little kid." Nicklen has dedicated his life to documenting our blue planet’s incredible beauty—and this July, he’s publishing his latest book of photos, Reverence, out from Hemeria on July 28, which coincides with World Conservation Day. From images of rare bear species in British Columbia to color-changing squid in Indonesia, Nicklen’s book encapsulates his career as a photographer and his raw love for nature. Nicklen hopes his passion might spark a love for conservation in readers. “If the work could be powerful enough that people all of the sudden wake up and feel something and recognize that we've lost so much on this planet ... seventy percent of biodiversity is gone, but there's still so much more worth fighting for, ” he says. “And then, to create that emotional connection for people, that's often enough for them to get involved.” Above all, Nicklen stresses how very lucky humans are to share the world with creatures great and small—and how we need to stop “thrashing this planet.” “When you spend 300 days a year in nature, you know that when you see the complexities and the thousands of species, when you dive on the coral reefs or look into the eye of a sperm whale or a gray whale, and when you witness all this beauty,” he says, “you realize you could not fabricate or dream of a heaven that could be more perfect and more beautiful than what we're experiencing right now.”

Paul Nicklen is a Canadian photographer, filmmaker, and marine biologist who has spent more than 30 years documenting the beauty and fragility of our planet. In 2014, Nicklen co-founded SeaLegacy, a non-profit conservation and production organization that uses ocean storytelling to inspire action on behalf of the planet's most threatened places. He is a Sony Artisan of Imagery and a partner in Rolex's Perpetual Planet initiative. His honors include BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year and the World Press Photo Award for Photojournalism and an induction into the International Photography Hall of Fame in 2019, when he became its youngest member. His work has been exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide and is held in private collections across Hollywood, music, and royalty. Annie George is an award-winning photojournalist and photo editor currently based out of Washington D.C.