Paul Nicklen

After three decades behind the lens, countless expeditions, and over two million images captured, Reverence is a curated collection of my best and most meaningful photographs. These are the images that forever shaped my understanding of our fellow wildlife and set in motion a lifetime devoted to following nature’s wisdom. Created with @hemeriaphoto

Here are some images that are on the short list for my new book, Reverence. What do you think, are there any you would include or leave out? When you spend time with wildlife, their personalities inevitably begin to shine through. You notice the vulnerability on a young grizzly’s face, or the feline confidence of a mother puma raising yet another set of kittens. Every animal I photograph has a story shaped by instinct, experience, and the hard work of surviving another season. As I near the finish line on this whole project, one of the greatest joys has been bringing those stories back to the light. I’m deeply grateful to witness these lives up close and look forward to spending more time alongside our wild brethren this year.

Sun Valley marks the first exhibition of 2026, and @Mitty and I are deeply grateful to share it with so many kindred spirits. Presented by @sunvalleycontemporarygallery, we’ll be diving into the stories behind the photographs, what conservation has taught us, and why these stories matter now more than ever. Among the images on display are several of my favorites, including the photograph of Craig, the beloved old tusker who recently passed. His loss weighs heavily on us all, but I feel deeply honored to have captured his life and celebrated the freedom he lived every day on the savanna. I’m looking forward to connecting with you, hearing your perspectives, and remembering together what it means to witness and protect these wild places. Visit the link in my bio for details. Sun Valley • January 17–18 Meet & Greet + Book Signing: Saturday, Jan 17, 2–4 PM Presentation + Q&A: Sunday, Jan 18, 4–6 PM Gallery hours: 10 AM–6 PM daily

📸✨ A Weekend with Paul Nicklen & Cristina Mittermeier ✨📸 Sun Valley Contemporary Gallery × Paul Nicklen × Cristina Mittermeier We’re honoured to host a special weekend with Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier, two of the most influential voices in contemporary photography and conservation. 🎤 Presentation & Q&A 📍 The Argyros, Ketchum 🗓 Sunday, January 18, 2026 | 4–6 PM An inspiring presentation featuring breathtaking imagery, behind-the-scenes stories, and an open Q&A. ⚠️ RSVP required — spots are limited 👉 RSVP link in our IG highlights & on our website 📖 Meet & Greet + Book Signing 📍 Sun Valley Contemporary Gallery 🗓 Saturday, January 17, 2026 | 2–4 PM Stop by the gallery to meet Paul & Cristina, explore a curated selection of works, and enjoy a relaxed afternoon of art, conversation, and wine. No RSVP required. A rare opportunity to experience their work, hear their stories, and connect in person. We can’t wait to welcome you. #sunvalley #paulnicklen #cristinamittermeier

@Mitty and I are heartbroken to hear that Craig, the legendary tusker of Amboseli, has passed after a long and beautiful life on the savannah. At well over 50, he was a wise and beloved patriarch, a constant presence that shaped one of Kenya’s most iconic landscapes. Protected by the local community lands and the national park, Craig lived as an old bull should: foraging in the shade, taking dust baths, and curiously observing the stream of parkgoers, rangers, and photographers who traveled from across the world just to be near him. It was an honor to meet him, if even for a few brief days, and a comfort to know he will be deeply missed by the countless lives he touched over the decades. Rest well, Tembo King.

2025 brought me closer to the smallest lives shaping the ocean and to the largest beings still treading the earth, revealing just how vast and mysterious our planet truly is. When I think about what has already been lost, it’s easy to feel shame and anger at the role humans have played in the destruction of the world that sustains us. And yet, everywhere I have worked, I have met people committed to protecting the beauty that remains: rangers defending park borders; elephant nannies feeding orphaned calves through the night; and Indigenous communities sustaining healthy lands and seas through practices refined over thousands of years. Looking ahead to 2026, I’m excited to share more stories of courage and compassion from our planet’s heroes, and the beauty of the wildlife and ecosystems they defend. Happy New Year everyone!

Some scenes from South Georgia will stay with me for the rest of my life. On my first day on the island with @NatGeo, I was swarmed by king penguins before I’d finished setting up my gear on the beach. Before I could react, the crowd parted and a 200-pound elephant seal pup flopped into my lap, sending penguins scattering in every direction. At the time, I was used to photographing Arctic wildlife, animals that vanish at the faintest hint of human presence. Here, the opposite was true. The landscape was filled edge to edge with life: penguin colonies stretching by the thousands across valleys, and shorelines crowded with elephant seals and fur seals. It felt like I had stumbled into heaven and, to this day, remains one of my favourite places on Earth.

I am always grateful for the chance to share some of the lesser-known sides of familiar animals. Walruses tend to carry a reputation for being ill-tempered and prone to aggression, but in my experience most of them are far more sensitive than we realize. Much of their lives are devoted to sifting the seafloor with their whiskers in search of clams, followed by long stretches of rest beneath the pale Arctic light. During the breeding season, adult males are pulled into fierce contests for mating rights, their thick hides marked by scars from battles won and lost. And yet, despite their size and saber-like tusks, many are calm and content to share the ice with one another. And some are even patient enough to let me into their world.

Reverence is coming together chapter by chapter and somehow the holidays have snuck up on me. By now the Arctic is deep in the heart of polar night and bears are eating their fill of seal. Somewhere along the course of my life, I traded the ice-choked bays of the north for coral atolls and warmer shores, called to explore far beyond the poles. But I will always carry the frozen landscapes of my childhood with me, with their snowy hills and wildlife.

I spent five years scouring the sea ice for narwhals, trying every approach I could imagine to capture the images of my dreams. At one point, I even attempted to parasail off a snowmobile, which actually worked beautifully, right up until the vehicle stopped and gravity sent me crashing back onto the ice. Looking back on all the misadventures and misfires, I now see every failed attempt as part of the journey. Nature never follows the script we hand her, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. That unpredictability, and the constant reminder that humans are just one small drop in a vast, wild ecosystem, is what makes this work meaningful. And when the photographs do finally come together, nothing tastes sweeter.

Introducing Arc of Grace and Veil Between Worlds, my newest limited edition prints. Visit the link in my bio to inquire for details on sizing and pricing, or to explore more of my work. Humpback whales are endlessly captivating, moving through the ocean with an intelligence that far predates humanity. Their curiosity, playfulness, and fearlessness provide endless windows to explore composition, perspective, and emotional resonance through the lens. But what I love most about these deeply wise and powerful animals are the connections they forge across the ocean. Mothers devote everything to safely raising their calves. Solitary hunters sometimes come together to corral schools of herring, taking turns feeding. And males belt out their complex ballads, picking up and passing on new phrases to one another until the ocean is filled with an interconnected symphony.

Over the decades, science and Indigenous knowledge have deepened our understanding of humpback whales, uncovering their emotions, constant communication, and the mysteries behind their songs. Male humpbacks are thought to sing to attract mates, socialize, or signal territory, but recent studies suggest their songs might also map the ocean. Every time I encounter them, I am struck by the unmistakable intelligence of a species that has called the oceans home long before humans ever walked the earth. Tomorrow, I will be releasing two new limited-edition prints from some of my favorite humpback encounters. In the meantime, please visit the link in my bio to inquire about the prints above and explore more of my work.