Keith Ladzinski has traveled the farthest reaches of seven continents throughout his photographic career, capturing everything from the spectacular view from the summit of Mount Everest to mountaineers and tightrope walkers. He has photographed over a hundred cover stories for National Geographic and other magazines and has worked on Emmy-nominated films.
This month, National Geographic He enlisted Ladzinski to tackle the cause of saving forests around the world devastated by unprecedented wildfires. For his fourth magazine cover, we spoke to Ladzinski about how he captured this hopeful photo of California's iconic sequoia trees.
What is the story behind the cover?
May issue National Geographic It aims to evoke emotion and highlight the resilience of forests - including the massive sequoia trees in California's Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. In 2021 massive fires destroyed hundreds of these historic trees.
These national treasures are no stranger to fire. Wildfires have regularly ravaged California for decades, with annual wildfire seasons lasting from May to October. However, in recent years, wildfire seasons have become longer and more destructive due to climate change, displacing families and destroying habitat.
She drew Ladzinski's experience covering climate change to this project. While filming the cover, he wanted to highlight the work scientists are doing to conserve forests - and show the scale of this challenge by capturing the contrast created by a small climber surrounded by epic sequoia trees.
"If you weren't there before and you stood under it, and if you saw someone in the picture, you would immediately say, Wow, that's a giant," he says. “When you are in Sequoia National Park, you feel like you are suddenly reduced to the size of insects as you look at these wonderful trees. They are national treasures.”
Ladzinsky hopes readers will feel something when they see the cover and the photos inside the magazine's pages. It can be euphoria or even anger, but Ladzinsky says passion is the key to encouraging people to be a part of making change happen.
“I think humans get together a lot during disasters or when something really terrible happens,” Ladzinsky says. “We are all emotionally nourished, and there is no greater fuel for getting people to make change than emotionally beating them.”
What appears on the cover?
Ladzinski's shot of a scientist climbing an ancient tree in California's Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks shows the sheer scale of efforts to save forests.
Ladzinski was able to capture a sequoia soaring in a crowded forest by lying on the ground and using a wide-angle lens. He says that photographing forests can be particularly challenging, given the lack of negative space and proper lighting due to the overgrown forests.
After wandering around Sequoia for a while to determine the perfect angle and lighting, Ladzinski was able to find the perfect combination that included the tree, sky, and climber. Take the shot and join the team of scientists at Sequoia.
Ladzinski notes that he did not plan on this cover photo to be among the thousands he has photographed, but he appreciates its message of hope even in situations that often seem bleak. Readers can see that there are people who dedicate their lives to studying and saving giant sequoias.
(Exclusive subscribers: This is what scientists are doing to save forests.)
Ladzinski says the photographer's greatest commendation is his ability to draw people into a story - to inspire them to learn more and feel passion for an issue. For him, having his photo on the cover is a huge honor.
What's next for Keith Ladzinski?
As scientists continue to sound alarms about the dangers of microplastics, it seems appropriate that Ladzinski is working on projects to display these dangers, as well as the dangers of microfibers. Although most of Ladzinski's recent work has been about threats to the environment, he notes that he also shows the most positive aspects of environmental developments - such as the promising future of cannabis, which has many uses and uses little water.
#Photography
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