Paul Nicklen
Renowned National Geographic photographer and conservationist Paul Nicklen invites Graham to spend three days with him in British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest and in Hartley Bay, home of the the Gitga’at Tribe. Graham joins one of the world’s best wildlife photographers on assignment as Nicklen photographs humpback whales and spirit bears. They discuss Nicklen’s life mission to bring awareness to the effects of climate change via emotion-evoking imagery, even risking his life semi-regularly to complete an assignment for the prestigious publication.
Paul Nicklen
EPISODES
Paul Nicklen: My childhood on an Arctic island
Paul Nicklen discusses his unique childhood – especially his time on Baffin Island – which included pet baby seals and a seagull, life without a TV or radio and burying himself in the snow during extreme blizzards.
Paul Nicklen: Dad against photography job
Renowned National Geographic photographer and conservationist Paul Nicklen on the influence of his parents, including how his mother urged him to follow his heart while his dad initially resisted.
Paul Nicklen: I was a bad student
Renowned National Geographic photographer and conservationist Paul Nicklen on his obsession with the underwater world and visual storytelling as a student at the University of Victoria, plus struggling with studies due to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the genetics professor who let him slide by with a passing grade.
Paul Nicklen: Quit job due to polar bear abuse
Renowned National Geographic photographer and conservationist Paul Nicklen talks of his first job as a government biologist, plus his decision to leave that security behind to pursue his true passion as a full-time nature and wildlife photographer.
Paul Nicklen: Alone in Arctic tundra for 3 months
Renowned wildlife photographer and conservationist Paul Nicklen reflects on his first arctic expedition, which came shortly after quitting his first career as a biologist. Nicklen shares the highs and lows of his three-month journey to find himself while traversing icy tundra, including initial self-doubt and eventual affirmation that he was making the right life choices.
Paul Nicklen: Long road to National Geographic job
Renowned National Geographic photographer and conservationist Paul Nicklen shares stories of his long journey to eventually landing a job as a photographer for National Geographic, including how working as a tundra buggy driver sparked an invaluable mentorship from National Geographic legend Flip Nicklin.
Paul Nicklen: Years of prep for one photo
Renowned wildlife photographer and conservationist Paul Nicklen offers insight into his extensive preparation process, including visualizing and sketching the photos he plans to capture and at times investing years into accomplishing his assignment.
Paul Nicklen: Trimming 100K photos to 40
Renowned National Geographic photographer and conservationist Paul Nicklen lets us in on what it’s like to work for an industry-leading publication like National Geographic, including the painstaking process of culling 100,000 photos down to 40 for a single assignment and the pressure of selling-in his final 40 images to top brass and VIPs.
Paul Nicklen: I didn’t have kids to help environment
Renowned National Geographic photographer and conservationist Paul Nicklen shares the profound fulfillment that comes from giving a voice to the animals he photographs. Yet, Nicklen also candidly discusses how this commitment to long work hours and a life on the road leaves regrets as it impacts his personal life.
Paul Nicklen: Risking my life for a photo
Renowned National Geographic photographer and conservationist Paul Nicklen looks back on past experiences where he risked his life during photojournalism assignments, sometimes unnecessarily. Nicklen reflects on pushing the limits while doing what he loves and says he plans to take less chances in the future.
Paul Nicklen: Nearly dying four times
Renowned wildlife photographer and conservationist Paul Nicklen shares four stories of near-death experiences, including diving with walruses and breeding elephant seals, malfunctioning scuba diving equipment and an empty oxygen tank.
Nat Geo photog: Vicious predator fed me penguins
Renowned National Geographic photographer and conservationist Paul Nicklen responds to a request from Kelly Slater and shares what he calls “the most incredible thing that will ever happen to me in my career.” Nicklen talks of his assignment to photograph leopard seals – in hopes of repairing their aggressive reputation – and finding himself in the care of a massive female leopard seal who was trying to feed him penguins.
Paul Nicklen: Canada allows narwhal massacres
Renowned National Geographic photographer and conservationist Paul Nicklen looks back on what he calls his hardest assignment to-date: covering the Inuit’s annual killings of hundreds of narwhals, most of whom sell the tusk and leave roughly 3,000 pounds of meat to rot. Nicklen blames the Canadian government for allowing the practice to continue and shielding it from the public.
Paul Nicklen: Losing money to save planet
Renowned National Geographic photographer and conservationist Paul Nicklen says the most satisfying moments of his career are not the homerun cover photos, but rather the massive conservation wins that resulted from his ability – through visual storytelling – to create an emotional connection with readers and instigate change. Nicklen also talks of launching the nonprofit SeaLegacy, including the environmental wins, fundraising and organizational growth he and his team have created in just four years to-date.
Paul Nicklen: Leonardo DiCaprio Instagram boost
Renowned wildlife photographer and conservationist Paul Nicklen – who has millions of Instagram followers – talks of his initial skepticism towards sharing content on Instagram, then quick realization that it’s a powerful platform to influence millions. Nicklen also shares stories of interactions with celebrities, including Leonardo DiCaprio, President Jimmy Carter and Kelly Slater, among others.
Paul Nicklen: Watching a dying polar bear
Renowned National Geographic photographer and conservationist Paul Nicklen shares stories of his most recognized polar bear encounters and the sad state of the species’ declining numbers due to reduced sea ice.
Paul Nicklen: Benefit of Trump’s horrible environmental policies
Renowned National Geographic photographer and conservationist Paul Nicklen makes a plea for the world to care more for the health of our planet, especially its oceans. Nicklen explains why climate change is the most threatening problem our species faces, how President Donald Trump’s disastrous policies are actually increasing environmental activism and what changes we as consumers can make in our daily lives to gradually reduce the environmental stresses we’re forcing on our oceans and atmosphere.
Three days with National Geographic photographer Paul Nicklen
Renowned National Geographic photographer and conservationist Paul Nicklen invites us to spend three days with him in British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest and in Hartley Bay with the Gitga’at Tribe. We join Nicklen and his team on assignment as they photograph humpback whales and track spirit bears.
