Four notable photographers are joining Nikon’s Ambassador program. According to the company, “the newest additions…make significant contributions to their respective fields.” The list includes wildlife photographer Joel Sartore, who founded the Photo Ark Project to document every endangered species on Earth.
The Ambassador program is akin to Canon’s Explorers of Light, Sony’s Global Imaging Ambassadors, and Panasonic’s Luminary programs, where select professional photographers act as representatives for the respective products (which they use in their work, of course). These members, who tend to be well-recognized in their fields, are also the first to use new products or even products still under development, and are featured in marketing purposes. For the camera companies, they get important feedback on use and performance, not to mention help in promoting the products they are selling. For consumers, they can inspire creativity, as well as demonstrate cameras techniques on how to shoot photos and videos.
The three-year-old program’s new high-profile Ambassadors include Sartore, celebrity photographer Matthew Jordan Smith, Pulitzer winner Deanne Fitzmaurice, and editorial and commercial shooter Joey Terrill. We are surprised that the additions do not include a videographer, since video capture has become an improved feature in Nikon cameras.
Here are mini-bios of each photographer, from Nikon.
Joel Sartore
Wildlife photographer Joel Sartore is a mentor, conservationist, author and National Geographic Fellow who is best known for founding the Photo Ark Project, which aims to document and preserve endangered species and habitats through photography. Since its creation more than 20 years ago, Sartore has visited more than 40 countries to create portraits of more than 6,000 individual species for the project. These striking portraits put an emphasis on the animal’s expression and eye contact, helping to foster compassion by emotionally engaging the viewer with the subject. This Nebraska-based photographer has also authored four books and frequently contributes to numerous other books and publications.
Matthew Jordan Smith
Los Angeles-based celebrity and portrait photographer and author Matthew Jordan Smith is well known for his work with major magazines, advertising agencies and some of the most famous actors and models in the world. A teacher of numerous photography workshops, Smith has also won several accolades for his work throughout his photographic career and recently published his third book, titled Future American President: 50 States, 100 Families, Infinite Dreams, which features portraits of children from numerous families, from every state in America. The goal of the book is to inspire children to dream as big as they can, knowing there are endless possibilities in the world.
Deanne Fitzmaurice
As a Pulitzer Prize-winning documentary photographer and storyteller, this San Francisco-based photographer is most known for her unique ability to go behind the scenes to discover and convey personal, intimate and emotional stories through images. Fitzmaurice represents a wide variety of publications, including creating content for Sports Illustrated and ESPN, while continuing to shoot assignments for National Geographic and many other respected outlets. In addition to her editorial work, she also holds a very impressive portfolio of commercial photography with a myriad of major brands and is a highly decorated storyteller. She has been awarded the 2013 Award of Excellence from Communication Arts, the American Photography Award, Time Magazine’s “Pictures That Mattered” Award in 2008 and the Pictures of the Year International Award of Excellence, just to name a few.
Joey Terrill
Joey Terrill is a Los Angeles-based editorial and commercial photographer that has worked with celebrities and major brands, including Coca Cola, Red Bull and Disney. Terrill uses creative, dramatic lighting to create truly unique and memorable portraiture and pens the Penumbra Project, a website dedicated to “pixels, photons and the process of making pictures” through engaging stories. When not shooting, Terrill is also a mentor for editorial portraiture and lighting, teaching week-long workshops at Colorado-based Summit Photography Workshops and has been a guest presenter at the Brooks Institute of Photography, WPPI, the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar and the SportsShooter Academy.
