Paul Nicklen on Keeping the Wild in Wildlife Photography

For over 30 years, Paul Nicklen, award-winning National Geographic and fine art photographer, marine biologist, conservationist, and co-founder of SeaLegacy, has dedicated his life—and his photographs—to protecting wildlife and their habitats. Since setting out in 1988 to make his first underwater shot with a brand-new Nikonos V that promptly flooded, he’s worked tirelessly to raise awareness to effect change through the power of photography. “It’s our job as photographers to tell stories, but we have to put the health and well-being of the animals first,” he says. So, in pursuing good photographs, how do you make photographs that do good?