Rising Stars: Meet Ami Vitale of National

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ami Vitale.

Hi Ami, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My journey into photography really began with a desire to understand the world. I started my career covering conflict and working in places where people were living through war, displacement, and tremendous uncertainty.

Over time, I began to realize that the stories I was covering were not separate from the natural world. Scarcity of water and resources, climate instability, displacement, and conflict were all connected. That realization gradually changed the way I wanted to work. I became less interested in only documenting what was broken and more interested in understanding the people who were trying to repair it.

That led me increasingly into conservation. I began spending more time with people working on the front lines to protect wildlife and restore ecosystems, from elephant keepers and communities in northern Kenya to the extraordinary people fighting to save the northern white rhino from extinction. Those stories changed me. They showed me that conservation is ultimately about relationships: our relationship with animals, with one another, and with the places we call home.
For nearly three decades, I’ve worked in more than 100 countries as a photographer, filmmaker, writer and photography has been my passport into worlds I otherwise might never have known. It has also taught me to slow down, listen, and build trust. I’ve come to believe that a photograph can do more than show us a problem. It can help us care about something we may never have seen or experienced ourselves.

That belief eventually led me to found Vital Impacts, a nonprofit that supports photographers and storytellers who are documenting some of the most important environmental and social stories of our time. I wanted to create opportunities for emerging voices and help make sure that powerful, deeply reported stories have the support they need to reach people.
So, in many ways, my path has been a gradual evolution from witnessing crisis to searching for possibility. I’m still deeply aware of how much is at stake, but I’ve also had the privilege of seeing extraordinary resilience and change firsthand. That is what keeps me going: the belief that the future is not yet written, and that the stories we choose to tell can help shape what comes next.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have been moments when I’ve nearly died, moments when I’ve been deeply afraid, and many moments when I wondered whether I should keep going at all. I’ve worked in places that were dangerous and incredibly lonely. As a woman working in conflict zones and in a field that was largely dominated by men, I also encountered rejection, harassment, and plenty of people who simply did not imagine someone like me doing this work. Early in my career, I was often underestimated, and I had to learn how to create my own opportunities.

There were also professional setbacks. I’ve had stories rejected over and over again There was a point when I almost left photography altogether and went back to school. Looking back, some of those moments that felt like failures were actually turning points.

And then there is the larger challenge of being a storyteller at a time when the media itself has changed so dramatically. The way people consume news has been completely transformed. There is more information than ever, but it can be harder for deeply reported stories to find the time and attention they deserve. That has forced me to continually reinvent how I work, how I tell stories, and how I reach people.

I’ve also come to believe that the most difficult periods can create the greatest opportunities for innovation. You have to be willing to hear no, sometimes over and over again, and still believe enough in the story to keep knocking on doors.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work has evolved quite a bit over the years, but at its heart, I’m a storyteller. I’m a photographer, filmmaker, writer, and National Geographic Explorer at Large, and I spend my time trying to understand the connections between people, wildlife, and the planet.
I think what sets my work apart is that I stay with stories for a very long time, sometimes years or decades. That time allows me to build trust, understand the deeper story, and create something that has an impact beyond the photograph.Through my storytelling, I’ve also been able to raise millions of dollars for the communities and organizations working on the ground to protect wildlife. That experience made me realize that photography could be more than a way of documenting change. It could actually help support the people creating it.
That ultimately led me to found Vital Impacts, a nonprofit that uses storytelling to support conservation and emerging photographers around the world. We fund photographers, provide mentorship and opportunities, and connect their stories with audiences and resources.
I’m proud that my work has evolved from only documenting the world to becoming part of the effort to change it. For me, the most meaningful photographs are the ones that make people care, and caring can be the beginning of action.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
the biggest thing I would tell someone starting out is to trust your curiosity and follow what moves you. Don’t worry too much about what you think you are supposed to be doing or what everyone else is doing. Find the stories that you can’t stop thinking about and stay with them.

I wish I had understood earlier that rejection is not necessarily a sign that you are on the wrong path. You will hear no. A lot. Especially in a creative career. You have to learn to keep going, to make your own opportunities, and to understand that sometimes a closed door is simply pointing you somewhere else.

I also wish I had understood the value of time. We live in a culture that rewards speed, but some of the most meaningful work happens when you stay. Build relationships. Listen. Let people trust you. A story can become something completely different when you give it years instead of days.

And finally, don’t underestimate your own ability to create change. You don’t have to wait for someone to give you permission or for everything to be perfect. Start where you are, use what you have, and be willing to reinvent yourself along the way. The world needs your particular perspective, and there is no one else who can tell your story exactly the way you can.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.vitalimpacts.org, www.amivitale.com
• Instagram: @amivitale @vital.impacts
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amivitale/