I specialize in photographing scientific fieldwork, wildlife, and landscapes in extreme environments. My background and training as an officer in the U. S. Navy and oceanographic researcher for Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have given me a unique insight into photographing fieldwork and natural history stories. Since 2002, I have photographed 53 scientific expeditions and have spent close to three years working in the polar regions. My goals are to use photography to educate the public about environmental science and communicate the urgent need to protect our planet’s wild places and species.
My photographs have appeared in museums, books, calendars, and international magazines including Audubon, Geo, Nature’s Best, Outdoor Photographer, Smithsonian, and Wired. I have published three books, including The Big Thaw: Ancient Carbon, Modern Science, and a Race to Save the World (Mountaineers/ Braided River 2019) and Science on Ice: Four Polar Expeditions (University of Chicago Press, 2011). I was the lead cinematographer and co-producer of the 2015 feature-length documentary film Antarctic Edge: 70 Degrees South. In addition to my assignment work, I also lead photography field workshops and present dynamic multimedia lectures to audiences of all ages. I am an Expedition Multimedia Specialist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, a Senior Fellow in the International League of Conservation Photographers, and a Fellow National in the Explorers Club.
Artist statement
I use photography to educate and inspire the public about science and conservation. I work closely with researchers in the field, documenting them as they study the environment--whether it's from the deck of a research vessel or a penguin colony. My goals in photographing science are to:
Educate the public about science
Inspire the next generation of researchers
Communicate the need to protect wild places
Chris Linder
Awards
2023 Trailblazer Award, North American Nature Photography Association
2019 Winner, Conservation Story, Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards
2018 Highly Honored, Polar Passion category, Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards
2015 Winner, Birds category, Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards
2014 Highly Honored, Polar Passion category, Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards
2012 Honorable Mention, Flora category, International Conservation Photography Awards
2012 Honorable Mention, Natural Environment at Risk category, International Conservation Photography Awards
2011 Antarctica Service Medal, National Science Foundation
2010 Highly Commended, In Praise of Plants category, BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition
2010 Honorable Mention, Natural Environment at Risk category, International Conservation Photography Awards
2010 Honorable Mention, Natural Environment at Risk category, International Conservation Photography Awards
2019 Grantee, National Science Foundation Antarctic Artists and Writers
2009 Winner, Indigenous Cultures category, Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards
Clients
Audubon, BBC Focus, Brigitte, Canadian Geographic, Courrier international, Ensia, Geo, The Guardian, Living Bird, NASA, National Wildlife Federation, National Geographic books, Natural History, Nature, Nature’s Best, Outdoor Photographer, Patagonia, Ranger Rick, Reader’s Digest, Science, Scientific American, Smithsonian, The Big Issue, Wired, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woodwell Climate Research Center, World Wildlife Fund
Licensing
Please submit requests for licensing photographs through the Contact page.
Equipment
Camera bodies
2x Nikon Z8
Lenses
Nikkor Z 14-24mm f/2.8
Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8
Nikkor Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6
Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8
Nikkor Z 600mm f/6.3
Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3
Accessories
DJI Mavic 3 drone; FAA Part 107 certified remote pilot
Aquatech surf housings
Nikon speedlights
Gitzo tripods
Really Right Stuff ballheads and quick-release plates
Singh-Ray filters
Mindshift BackLight and ThinkTank backpacks
Shop using my ThinkTank Affiliate link to receive free shipping on orders over $50 and a free gift
Recent publications
Big Bird, Ranger Rick, December 2024 / January 2025
Behind the Scenes at the Federal Bee Lab Powered by Native Plants, Audubon, October 2024
How I Got Down in the Mud to Photograph Greenhouse Gases, feature article, Wild Eye, September 2024
Cover, Science, October 20, 2023
Used with permission from AAAS
Birth of an Island, Ranger Rick, November 2023
Adelie penguins, Conservation Biology, June 2023
Kids to the Rescue!, Ranger Rick, September 2023
Make Way for Pufflings, cover and feature article, Smithsonian, March 2023
Seeing for Science, feature article, Outdoor Photographer, March 2022
Garden of the Gulls, feature article, Living Bird, Summer 2022
Behind the shot article, Outdoor Photographer, April 2022
Sea of Storms, feature article, Nature's Best, Summer 2021
