Author: Eileen Mignoni

Ami Vitale Named Luminar Neo Ambassador

Posted on by Eileen Mignoni

I am honored to announce that I am a Luminar Neo’s Global Ambassador. Skylum, the company behind Luminar Neo, is an extraordinary team, and they have created a tool that helps me streamline my workflow when I am on a deadline.

As a documentary photographer, I believe the power of a photograph lies in its authenticity and the genuine reflection of reality. I have very strict parameters in post-processing to only do the bare minimal adjustments that do not alter what I saw while creating images.

For all of us who work in this genre, we do not enhance or alter our images for the sake of aesthetics. To me, the power of photography is in the meaning of each image. It’s not only about making beautiful photos but rather telling a powerful story. 

Remembering Sudan: A New Award-Winning Film

Posted on by Eileen Mignoni

I am honored to launch my newest award-winning film Remembering Sudan, which documents the heartbreaking crisis facing the northern white rhinos.

The film highlights the important relationship between keepers like Zacharia Mutai at Ol Pejeta Conservancy and the creatures they have committed their lives to protecting. It also highlights the important work by the BioRescue Project to save the species from extinction.

Many of you have been following this story of the northern white rhino with me since I began it over 14 years ago. I hope that you will take time to watch the film and support the important conservation work of Ol Pejeta Conservancy. All ticket sales go to supporting Ol Pejeta, which cares for Najin and Fatu, the last two northern white rhinos on the planet.

Visit rememberingsudan.org or to watch today.

Thank you for joining me on this journey and for believing that we can fundamentally change the course we are currently on. These creatures remind us that the world is so beautiful in spite of all that breaks our hearts.

Thank you to Zacharia Mutai, Ol Pejeta, MediaStorm and Dane Henry for your beautiful collaboration.

The Lucies to Honor Ami Vitale

Posted on by Eileen Mignoni

The Lucie Awards is the premiere annual event honoring the greatest achievements in photography. The photography community from around the globe pays tribute to the most outstanding people in the field. Each year, the Lucie Advisory Board nominates deserving individuals across a variety of categories. The goals of The Lucies are threefold: to honor master photographers, to discover and cultivate emerging photographic talent and to promote the appreciation of photography worldwide. Ami Vitale will be honored with the 2022 Humanitarian Award.

The Lucies will be held at Carnegie Hall on Oct. 25, 2022. Tickets are available at lucies.org.

Ami Vitale to Receive Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service

Posted on by Eileen Mignoni

The Missouri School of Journalism has announced the 2022 recipients of the Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service, a prestigious award recognizing lifetime or superior achievement in journalism or strategic communication. Two individuals and a nonprofit media organization will accept their medals at an evening reception and banquet on Wednesday, Oct. 19, beginning at 6 p.m. at The Atrium on Tenth, 22 N. Tenth St., in Columbia, Mo.

This year, Ami Vitale will be honored alongside Jeff Goodby, Co-founder and co-chair of advertising agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners (GSP) and The Marshall Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to criminal justice journalism.

Medalists are selected by the faculty of the School, which has awarded the Missouri Honor Medal annually since 1930 to outstanding journalists, advertising and public relations practitioners, business people, institutions, and media organizations from around the world. Past winners have included Christiane Amanpour, Sir Winston Churchill, Gloria Steinem, Deborah Howell, David Granger and Gordon Parks.

Earlier on the day of the reception, the medalists will present masterclasses on their areas of expertise to the School’s students and other guests.

Learn more and make plans to attend the ceremony here.

Hat’s Off to You All!

Posted on by Eileen Mignoni

My heart is exploding with love and gratitude to all of you who made the Vital Impacts fundraiser for humanitarian aid a huge success. Thanks to the outpouring of support, the print initiative sold over $800,000 of iconic, fine art prints by some of the world’s most fascinating photographers. 

I am grateful for the generosity of my colleagues and friends who donated their work and to everyone who purchased and shared the campaign. 100% of profits from these sales will go to Direct Relief who are working to improve the health of the most vulnerable people around the world. 

Visit vitalimpacts.org and follow us on Instagram at @vital.impacts to learn more, including how to get involved.

Thank you to all the media who featured this campaign around the world, including CBS Evening News, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Financial Times, GEO, Stern, Afar, Forbes, My Modern Met, Vogue, Mongabay, Pop Photo, NBC Montana, Treehugger, Upworthyand more.

I also want to thank Canson Infinity for generously donating their paper and Paper & Ink Studio and The Print Space for their meticulous work printing the images.

Impact Now for Humanitarian Relief

Posted on by Eileen Mignoni

I am honored to launch a new Vital Impacts flash print sale with the photographers of National Geographic. 100% of profits will be donated to Direct Relief who are allocating these funds to the regions in the world in most need of humanitarian aid. They are working in Ukraine now to provide medical aid to people affected by the war. Act now.

This is a way to support humanitarian efforts and have a unique opportunity to purchase some of the most memorable fine art prints from the world’s leading photographers. 

These iconic fine-art photographs are printed to museum quality standards. Hurry before this sale ends on April 20, 2022. Please share this and help amplify it to make a difference. 

See all the images and get involved today at Vital Impacts.

Exceptional Alien: ‘Kenya reminds us of all the wonder and magic of this world.’

Posted on by Eileen Mignoni

World-respected, Montana-based photographer Ami Vitale has captured extraordinary scenes in more than 100 countries. Yet there’s one place that remains at the top of her list when it comes to creative inspiration: Northern Kenya.

Since her first visit to the region in 2009, the Nikon Ambassador and National Geographic photographer has returned regularly to immerse herself in the stories of heartbreak, but more importantly, in the stories of hope. It’s through this hope-filled lens that Ami then shares her compelling imagery of Northern Kenya. Now, with a strong connection to the community and the many conservation organizations there, Ami finds herself returning time and again. We chat to Ami about her lens on the world, her favorite spots to marvel at all living things and her top Travel Gems to explore in Northern Kenya.

Read the full article in Exceptional Alien here.

National Geographic: These photos were among the favorites of our 200 million Instagram followers

Posted on by Eileen Mignoni

My photograph of keeper Joseph Wachira comforting Sudan, the last living male northern white rhino, as he laid dying at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya in March 2018 was among the works that most resonated with National Geographic’s 200 million Instagram followers.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of their account, National Geographic is looking back at some of the photographs that have been the most impactful over that time.

National Geographic has posted more than 26,000 stunning images by more than a hundred photographers. They’ve gotten nearly 82 billion impressions, eight billion likes, and more than 43 million comments since they first started recording audience data in 2016.

The images capture the beauty and wonder of the world we live in and the creatures that inhabit it. Amongst all those, Sudan stood out. To watch the last of something die is something I hope never to experience again but Sudan was surrounded by love, together with the people who committed their lives to protecting him. If there is any meaning in his death, it was my hope that Sudan could be our final wake up call. In a world of 7 billion, we need to start recognizing that we are not separate from nature. When we see ourselves as part of the landscape and part of nature, then saving nature is really about saving ourselves.

It fills me with hope that so many have made this moment a rallying point, and showed their determination to use this as a wake up call of our shared humanity and planet. 

See the article here.

PetaPixel: 10 Female Photographers You Should Know in 2022

Posted on by Eileen Mignoni

There is no better time than the start of the year to explore talented photographers who all have the power to inspire others. Each one of them with a unique visual voice and creative approach, these are ten female photographers you should know and follow….

Ami Vitale is an American photographer and filmmaker who captures impactful wildlife and environmental stories to highlight conservation issues. Vitale has traveled the world to cover all aspects of humanity — from violence and conflicts to the endurance and strength of the human spirit — and has shifted her focus to wildlife and the environment in recent years. This change of direction was marked by photographing the transport and release of the world’s last white rhinos in 2009.

Vitale shoots for National Geographic, is a Nikon Ambassador, has been named as one of 50 Badass Women by Instyle Magazine, and has numerous other professional accolades, awards, titles, and other types of international recognition. However, it is Vitale’s enthusiasm and dedication to powerful storytelling that shines through.

Besides her educational work, Vitale is also a writer and has published a best-selling book, titled “Panda Love.” The book contains Vitale’s photographs taken in China, and documents the efforts to breed pandas and release them back into the wild.

See the article.