6 adventurous photographers who are making history with their images

There are many photographers who capture spectacular images of sport and nature, but only a few make history. Below, we present six photographers who are also explorers, adventurers and are not afraid to risk their lives to get the perfect shot.

Keith Ladzinski

Born in New York, Keith is passionate about adventure, nature and extreme sports photography.

He grew up in Colorado and practiced rock climbing from a young age, developing a great sensitivity and empathy towards the biodiversity he found in natural spaces. It was then that he discovered that he could capture what he saw from above, from the rocks and from the love that Colorado's nature awakened in him. From that moment on, he began to share his images and increasingly raise his professional level.

In addition to being a photographer, Ladzinski is a film director, and since 2011 has directed and produced photography for feature films and television content.

Keith is a photographer at the National Geographic, He has worked for both the magazine and the group's television channel, and has also directed projects with Discovery, The North Face and Nikon. He has been nominated for an Emmy Award and his photos have graced the cover of numerous editions of National Geographic magazine. He has visited remote places around the world to bring back breathtaking images.

One of the greatest things you can do is find a purpose, the purpose. Keith says that when he first picked up a camera, he just knew: “this is my purpose.”

Ladzinski has made photography his obsession; he doesn't care what it means to follow the challenge: he has to do it. He is afraid of becoming outdated, of not being enough, of failing to improve. He has turned his curiosity to know and discover into his passion. For Keith, the camera is a means of transport to observe the world.

Zak Noyle

Zak Noyle is a surf photographer recognized for his skill throughout the world.

Born in Hawaii and raised in Honolulu, living in the cradle of surfing It's easy to understand his relationship with the sea, waves, sun and surfing. He has spent his entire life surrounded by the ocean and water sports, such as water polo and swimming, which allows him to feel completely comfortable when he dives into the ocean. He learned to take photos in the water at Sunny Beach, and it is also one of his favorite places in the world.

He likes to capture the sunrise and sunset from the water, watching how the light rises or sets, appearing between the waves, causing a different lighting effect each time.

Zak is a “canon photographer of life”, which means he photographs everything involving water, nature and sport.

Zak's passion for photography came from his father, who is a commercial photographer, capturing fashion and food photography, but he related it to his love for the sea.

He started taking photographs in the sea as a leisure activity, when he was with his friends surfing or swimming, and he wanted to show the beauty of the moment, what the sea can offer. At the age of 25, he landed a position in Surfer Magazine thanks to his ability to capture the waves in a way rarely seen before. He has also worked for sports brands known all over the world. He has also done many projects with Billabong or Chanel.

He is not afraid of the sea and does not mind taking risks to immortalize the movement of the water when it creates a perfect shape.

Chris Burkad

Explorer, creative director and author. These are just a few of the many skills that Chris Burkad directly related to his greatest passion and most recognized talent: photography.

He is categorized as a photographer adventure, surfing, extreme sports and outdoor life. Travels to the most remote places on Earth with the intention of telling stories through images that help create good relationships between humans and nature.

His work focuses on the storytelling, whose photography previously consisted simply of surfing, travel and waves, now uses his camera to convey a message that goes beyond aesthetics and color.

Burkad uses social media as a means of transmitting messages that reveal his vision of the world and to invite his followers to explore, travel and tell their own stories. He has created a large community of followers who share his philosophy and want to follow in his footsteps, and his critical and creative eye has given him the opportunity to generate a wide portfolio of clients. He also has a space on the TED stage where he gives talks about photography, and is a product designer and writer.

Additionally, the company develops projects with Billabong and Adventure Division Line and has an art gallery on the Central Coast of California.

Aaron Chang

Chang is considered one of the best surf photographers in the world, in addition to surfing, his photography focuses on capture the ocean in all its glory. Born in Arizona in 1956, Chang's love for photography began when he was nine years old and his father gave him a Bellows camera. His love for surfing began when he moved with his family to California. By the age of 11, Chang was already competing in swimming, surfing and spending hours in the water.

At the age of 15, he was part of the laboratory at the high school where his father worked as a mathematics teacher, taking some photos and performing development tasks.

In 1974 he graduated and moved to Oahu. He worked for a while as a cruise ship photographer on tourist ships and then as a postcard photographer.

Luck was on his side and in 1977, an editor at Surfing Magazine saw Chang's photograph and invited him to join the staff as a photographer, and he remained with the magazine for 25 years. His photos appeared on the cover of 35 issues of the magazine, and his work has also appeared in magazines such as Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, GQ, People, US Weekly and Elle.

In 2009, the photographer began to carry out the technique Fine Art Photography and had a great impact on society. His work was exhibited at the San Diego History Museum. In addition, he has done photojournalism work on projects such as “Day in the Life” and has illustrated surf books. In 1985 he was named one of the 5 best sports photographers in the world by “American Photographer Magazine”.

He has photographed iconic figures in history, including surfers such as Kelly Slater, musicians such as Chris Isaak and BB King, poets and Nobel Prize winners, and has worked for brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Nike, Levi's, Yamaha, Macy's, Polaris, among others.

Jimmy Chin

Jimmy Chin is one of the greatest adventure photographers of all time.He combines his passion for mountains, climbing, cinema and photography to create exceptional works that led him to obtain a golden statuette for directing the documentary “Free Solo” in 2019.

Chin began his photography career in 1999, descending from El Capitan, in Yosemite, when, almost by chance, he took a photo of his climbing partner while he was sleeping and sold it to a sportswear brand for 450 euros.

Jimmy works for National Geographic and his stunning images have graced the covers of world-renowned magazines such as the New York Times Magazine. He also does projects for brands such as Apple, The North Face and Red Bull.

Chin is not only a photographer but also a filmmaker. He has directed and produced, together with his wife Chai Vasarhelyi, feature films such as “Meru” and “The Wildest Dream”, not to mention “Free Solo”.

Jimmy Chin is a great photographer and just a few lines are not enough to tell everything he has to offer us artistically and personally. We invite you to read our article about him Jimmy Chin in which we tell you all about his documentaries and his life as a climber and adventurer.

Lucas Gilman

Lucas Gilman is another reference of the contemporary photographyHis love of adventure and capturing colors and shapes in motion gives him the power to create a unique and special photographic style.

His photography has been featured extensively in advertising, nature and sports magazines around the world. Lucas covers his kayaking expeditions in Asia and Costa Rica, surfing in Brazil and skiing in Wyoming, Alaska and South America. He has also covered world-renowned events such as the Tour de France.

Gilman links his passion for photography with his love for adventure and outdoor experiences, it is this, combined with his ability to capture moments with exquisite lighting and color that has helped him be recognized worldwide.

He currently works for National Geographic, Nikon, Red Bull and Land Rover among others.

Looking at an image, imagining the surroundings, and feeling the atmosphere and essence of the space where it is located is synonymous with it being a good one. The photographs taken by the authors we have seen achieve this effect on the viewer: they excite and transmit a number of indescribable sensations.

We hope that you too have gotten goosebumps and that if you are thinking about it, you start taking up photography, or sports, or both!