National Geographic photographer Ami Vitale will speak May 1 at UCSB Campbell Hall.
UCSB Arts & Lectures will present National Geographic’s Ami Vitale in her “Wild Hope” talk at 3 p.m. May 1 at UCSB Campbell Hall.
Ms. Vitale is a Nikon ambassador, filmmaker and National Geographic photographer. She was named Photographer of the Year by the National Press Photographers Association.
She is also a founding member of Ripple Effect Images, a collective of scientists, writers, photographers and filmmakers who document challenges facing women and girls in developing countries and donate that media to the organizations to assist in fundraising. The program is a part of the 2021-22 Creating Hope programming initiative.
Ms. Vitale’s award-winning work illuminates the unsung heroes and communities working to protect our wildlife and find harmony in the natural world. From the reintroduction of northern white rhinos and giant pandas to the wild, to Kenya’s first indigenous-owned and run elephant sanctuary, Ms. Vitale’s images and adventures are known for enthralling audiences of all ages.
Ms. Vitale 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.” She has traveled to more than 100 countries, bearing witness not only to violence and conflict, but also to surreal beauty and to the enduring power of the human spirit.
Recently, she has turned her lens to compelling wildlife stories, such as returning critically endangered, captive-born species like the giant pandas back to the wild and attempts to save the last living northern white rhinos from extinction.
Her work is exhibited worldwide in museums, galleries and private collections. She has garnered prestigious awards including multiple prizes from World Press Photo, the International Photographer of the Year prize and the Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding Reporting. She has also been named Magazine Photographer of the Year by the National Press Photographers Association.
Ms. Vitale was the subject of a National Geographic Channel series, “Mission Covershot” and another documentary series, “Over the Islands of Africa,” featuring her work in Madagascar.
Books will be available for purchase and signing, courtesy of Chaucer’s.
Tickets are $25 for the general public and $15 for UCSB students with ID and for youths 18 and younger.
Student ID is required for those who are high school age.
For tickets and more information, call UCSB Arts & Lectures at 805-893-3535 or visit www.artsandlectures.ucsb.edu.
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
