I’m working in nature a lot and while I have many favorite parts of my job, immersing myself in the forever mystery that is nature and being surrounded by pristine places is, for me, of the highest value in life. To be honest there is no place for me where I feel so grounded, grateful, and connected than in the natural world.

A lot! In the first place, I feel honored. I think in photography you need a teachable spirit to keep growing. For me, that means being on a never-ending learning curve. I am not here to tell other people how to shoot with their style, I'm here to learn from participants as well. I hope to just share my eye and my experience with all people entering the competition. This works in multiple ways because within a creative entity like a photo competition it is important to open up yourself to learn from people submitting work as well. Just like my answer in the previous question, it's all about reciprocity.

That's an interesting question because, obviously, that's very difficult to answer! One of my all time favorite artists is the French painter Claude Monet; I’m kind of a sucker for any impressionist paintings. There is another painter called Pierre-Auguste Renoir; I really, really love his work. There is also one particular piece by Picasso called Garçon à la pipe (Boy with a Pipe). To me, this particular painting is one of the best ever done; it hits in many different ways. And, finally, back to Peter Beard, I’d take any of his work - anything he ever produced.

My work happens in different domains. So when I refer to wildlife photography, I’d say number one is Peter Beard in terms of 360 degree storytelling. His work is art as well as journalism as well as history at the same time.

I’d say Nick Brandt is on that list as well. Conceptually and creatively he is one of the biggest masterminds in wildlife photography still alive. A third one would be Joachim Schmeisser who is kind of, in some ways, similar to the artistic expression of Peter Beard with a bit more of a modern twist.

In human interest, my number one favorite photographer is Alec Soth. He is very well known for his environmental portraiture all shot on large format cameras. It would be an absolute dream to work with that kind of equipment and knowledge.

Then there is the brilliant photographer Sebastião Salgado. 

And, lastly, David Chancellor is on my list. He’s living in Africa and mainly working in the domain of human and wildlife conflict storytelling.

If I drill that down to its very essence, I’d say whether it's a landscape, human, or wildlife story, I'm looking for a certain degree of reciprocity or mutual exchange. Connection sounds too simple - it really is about a mutual interest and respect for one another. The quality of the exchange is actually what determines the quality of the overall image and story because for me, within that interaction, it's all about different layers of mystery which I am trying to unravel in some way. So, as I grow up, this is changing year by year and now I am really drawn to deeper storytelling. Long term commitment to certain subjects is the reason I've been visiting Kenya and going back now for three and a half years, anywhere from 6-8 trips a year, to keep digging into that narrative that will be a book. Same for Patagonia - this is a story I’ve been working on for years as well. In my current way of working, it’s so much about relationship management, building trust, and gaining respect. Essentially this results in one or two images being taken of the subject and that's how I go about making books and stories now.

Alot! In the first place, I feel honored. I think in photography you need a teachable spirit to keep growing. For me that means being on a never-ending learning curve. I am not here to tell other people how to shoot with their style, I'm here to learn from participants as well. I hope to just share my eye and my experience with all people entering the competition. This works in multiple ways because within a creative entity like a photo competition it is important to open up yourself to learn from people submitting work as well. Just like my answer in the previous question, it's all about reciprocity.

I’m a big collector. Not in the sense that I’m looking for exclusive limited signed copies, I’m just collecting books that I love and arranging them in stacks in my living room so that when people walk into the room it encourages them to look. I like having books; for each and every trip I'm browsing them and getting inspired.

It’s hard to pick, but if I had to pick four, one of my all time favorite books would be Uncommon Places by Stephen Sho re. This book had a big impact on my personal style of telling stories. I believe it's from 1982; I highly encourage people to look at it. Obviously there is The Americans by Robert Fr ank, a book that really shaped the early days of my career. And, back to Peter Beard, one of my all time favorites is The End of the Game. It’s very, very a rtistic, not really a photography book but more like an art book. And last but not least, and in a very different type of storytelling, there’s Richard Avedon’s In the American West which is one of the strongest compilations of portraits ever done in black and white. Those are just a few names that shape my career.

That's an interesting question because, obviously, that's very difficult to answer! One of my all time favorite artists is the French painter Claude Monet; I’m kind of a sucker for any impressionist paintings. There is another painter called Pierre-Auguste Renoir I really, really love his work. There is also one particular piece by Picasso called Garçon à la pipe (Boy with a Pipe). To me, this particular painting is one of the best ever done; it hits in many different ways. And, finally, back to Peter Beard, I’d take any of his work - anything he ever produced.