Neil Simmons is a photographer with a flair for life that shows up in his work. With a background in both business and photography (as a double-major at San Jose State University), fueled by a true affinity for the art of making pictures, Simmons exemplifies what it means to establish a reputation in the field of professional photography. As co-owner of Roam Wild Photo Tours, Neil has taken his 25 years of professional photography and created an outlet to share his skills with clients.  

Raised in Santa Cruz, California and currently based in Jackson Hole Wyoming, Neil has spent decades photographing iconic landscapes and elusive wildlife, from Yellowstone and the Tetons to remote corners of the world. Through Roam Wild Photo Tours, he focuses on small-group experiences, thoughtful instruction, and ethical wildlife practices—helping guests not only capture compelling images, but also develop confidence, vision, and a deeper connection to the places they explore.  Simmons lives close to many of his favorite photogenic spots, and enjoys the challenge of getting the shots he wants while on the road. The world around him, shimmering and rippling with ever-changing light, provides Simmons with the materials he needs to be inspired and productive. 

Carlos González is the photographer and founder of Xtrem Photo Tours (xtremphototours.com). His work is focused on capturing the raw power of landscapes in real-world conditions, primarily across the Asturian coast, the Picos de Europa, and Iceland. Moving away from staged or catalog-style shots, Carlos seeks the authenticity of every location, chasing dramatic light and moments where nature shows its wildest side. Through his workshops and photo tours, he works side-by-side with other photographers, sharing his on-the-ground experience to help them capture the shots they’ve been dreaming of.

Diego Manrique is a professional consultant and landscape photographer based in León, Northern Spain. For more than a decade, he has traveled extensively, with a strong focus on the United States and its National Parks. Although photography had always been present in his life, it was in 2020 when it became a central creative outlet. During the pandemic, with borders closed and his wife based in New York, photography became both a refuge and a catalyst for personal and artistic growth.

He began photographing the rugged coastline of Asturias, gradually developing a distinctive visual language focused on powerful, atmospheric, and remote landscapes. A key turning point came in 2021 during his first trip to the Norwegian Arctic, where he specialized in panoramic photography, Arctic environments, winter light, and aerial perspectives.

In recent years, Diego has received multiple national and international recognitions, including being named Photographer of the Year at the EPSON International Pano Awards, with awards spanning daytime landscape, night photography, and aerial categories. He also serves as a juror in international competitions and collaborates with selected brands within the sector.

While maintaining his professional career in consultancy, Diego approaches photography with the same excellence and commitment, engaging in education, talks, and community initiatives on a non-commercial basis. Driven purely by knowledge sharing and passion, this dual background allows him to approach visual storytelling with both creative sensitivity and analytical rigor.

As a committed writer and Nature Field Guide for KAMBA African Rainforest Experiences in the heart of Odzala-Kokoua National Park, Stive weaves connections between nature and storytelling. Through his literary works and ecotourism activities, he shares the ecological and cultural richness of the Congo Basin, while raising awareness about the preservation of Congo's tropical forests.

 Stive's approach combines storytelling, environmental interpretation, and the transmission of local knowledge in a way that respects both ecosystems and communities. He believes in the power of stories to awaken consciousness and support sustainable tourism, rooted in deep, sensory, and human experiences.

Growing up on the doorstep of the iconic Kruger National Park, Johan developed a deep connection to wildlife and the African bush from an early age. What began as childhood curiosity soon evolved into a lifelong passion and career in the safari industry.

After more than a decade guiding and managing high-end lodges across South Africa, Zambia, and Botswana, Johan expanded his focus to leading specialist photographic safaris and expeditions throughout Africa and internationally. His journeys now take guests to extraordinary destinations including Brazil, India, Norway, and Chile.

With over 20 years of experience in the guiding industry, Johan brings a profound understanding of ecosystems, wildlife behaviour, and conservation principles. He is deeply committed to responsible tourism — not only protecting the wild places he operates in, but ensuring that the communities surrounding them benefit meaningfully from conservation efforts.

Johan’s passion lies in creating transformative safari experiences. Whether tracking big cats across the African plains or photographing polar bears in Svalbard, his safaris combine expert guidance, education, and a relaxed sense of adventure. Time in the field with Johan is immersive, insightful, and above all, unforgettable.

 Brie Stockwell is a photography mentor and nature photographer based in the American Southwest. She believes in the serious business of having fun with photography — that creative play is not a distraction from mastery, but the doorway into it.

Her personal work is rooted in the desert, especially at White Sands National Park, where shifting dunes and open sky become minimal, light-shaped forms. She is drawn to the subtle, calming colors of the Southwest as much as she is to bold black-and-white infrared work, exploring contrast, softness, and the quiet power of open space.

Brie is deeply committed to empowering the voices of women in photography. Through mentorship and her podcast, Wild Women in Photography, she creates space for honest conversations about craft, confidence, visibility, and creative leadership. She believes photographers do their strongest work when they trust themselves and embrace experimentation.

She offers private mentoring, coed photography retreats, and workshops for women who want to strengthen their craft, clarify their vision, and create with more confidence and joy.

Curtis is a self-taught wildlife photographer driven by a deep passion for nature and storytelling through imagery. Through their work, they aim to raise awareness of wildlife conservation and inspire others to appreciate the privilege of sharing our world with extraordinary animals.

In a relatively short time, His photography has gained notable recognition, including features on digital camera magazine Instagram page and BBC Countryfile Instagram page leading to being published in there magazine as well . These achievements reflect his commitment to capturing meaningful,heart warming,images that go beyond traditional wildlife photography.

Believing that every photographer sees the natural world differently,Curtis focuses on creating authentic, personal work that reflects their unique perspective. He strive to move away from predictable compositions, instead seeking moments that feel genuine, emotional, and connected to the subject.

Wildlife photography is not just a hobby  for Curtis it is a way of life. He dedicate countless hours to studying animal behaviour, refining fieldcraft skills, and continuously learning from both experience and fellow photographers through either there workshops or watching there YouTube channels . This dedication is driven by the belief that growth is endless and that there is always room to improve.

Equally passionate about mental wellbeing, Curtis advocates for the positive impact of nature and time outdoors. He believes  that connecting with wildlife not only strengthens creativity but also supports emotional and mental health.

Through creativity, dedication, and respect for nature, Curtis seeks to tell powerful visual stories that celebrate the beauty of wildlife and encourage others to protect it for future generations.

Luca Gallucci is a photographer born and raised in central Italy, not far from the Monti Sibillini National Park. Deeply connected to nature, he enjoys landscape photography and spending time outdoors, but his true passion lies in night photography. This focus recently led him to win the 2025 International Photography Awards (IPA) in the Landscape Astrophotography category.
He currently teaches photography and post-processing within several photography groups, aiming to share his passion for both nature and photography, while also actively engaging in astronomical outreach.

Ju Shen Lee takes‘Real . Life . Photos’ of resourceful people doing remarkable things in remote regions. She comprehensively chronicles the vigour and vitality of their readily seen and rarely seen daily lives in the arc of a day. Her international life experiences, earth sciences studies, and global environmental and sustainability management career, give her an empathetic eye for the synergy and symbiosis of nature, life, and culture. Her photographs open hearts and minds to how these people work closely together to balance their economic priorities in an environmentally sustainable, socially responsible, and ecologically regenerative manner. With her beautiful ‘Real . Life . Photos’ of people, nature, and landscapes, she crafts gorgeous photo stories with creative composition, compelling content, and cultural context. 

Her photography is more than a visual bridge between the subject and the viewer. It is also a cultural bridge to different worlds. By going beyond the visual feast of enigmatic people in exotic regions, her photographs immerse the other senses in the underlying sounds, aromas, flavours, and textures. Her photography is also a historical bridge for future generations to savour and study the past real life at these locations before the inevitable and irreversible changes due to technology and time. Consequently, her photography connects people from different cultures living in different worlds in different times. 

Ju Shen has undertaken photo expeditions to Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Preparations for these 1-2 month expeditions include detailed research on all aspects of the geography, nature, and architecture at these locations, and the history, culture, and livelihoods of the people there. She also consults local experts for their extensive expertise and experience. This knowledge, access, and time enable her to uniquely photograph and holistically chronicle both the readily seen and rarely seen daily lives of the people and communities there. 

Her‘Real . Life . Photos’ support her vision to motivate individuals and organizations to actively participate in the development, growth, and prosperity of these people, as they strive to survive, despite the constraints and challenges of climate and geography. In line with this, her mission is to document, showcase and promote the positive, constructive, synergistic, and symbiotic interactions between people and nature, geography and occupations, and enterprise and communities. Her goal is to achieve this with her photographs, presentations, and publications. 

Many of Ju Shen’s photographs and photo-documentaries have been shortlisted for, and a number have won, international awards sponsored by prestigious institutions, including the Asia-Europe Foundation (2016), Beau Monde Traveler (2020), Royal Geographical Society (2021 and 2023), the International Photography Awards (2023), the Food Photography Awards (2023), and the Sony World Photography Awards (2024). She has delivered lectures to international audiences at the Royal Geographical Society (Hong Kong and Singapore Branches), and the United World Colleges worldwide. Ju Shen has published several photo books, including Luang Prabang - Life & Prayer (2018), Luang Prabang - The Monks (2019), Inle Lake - Ingenious Lives (2020), Annapurna - Challenging Lives (2023), Chitwan - Mahouts & Elephants (2024), and Gal Oya - Life & Water (2025). 

Ultimately, Ju Shen’s‘Real . Life . Photos’ open the aperture and provide exposure to rarely seen people, cultures, and worlds!