James Balog

James Balog (pronounced ''BAY-log''; born July 15, 1952) is an American photographer whose work explores the relationship between humans and nature. He is the founder and director of Earth Vision Institute in Boulder, Colorado.

Balog's photographs have appeared in ''National Geographic, The New Yorker, Life, Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine, Smithsonian, Audubon, Outside'' and numerous trade publications such as ''American Photo, Professional Photographer'' and ''Photo District News''.

He was a contributing editor to ''National Geographic Adventure''. Assignments and personal projects have included documenting the aftermath of the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, the 2004 tsunami that devastated Southeast Asia, Hurricane Katrina's collision with the U.S. Gulf Coast, and the 2010 ''Deepwater Horizon'' Gulf oil disaster.

Balog has received many awards for his work. In 1996, he became the first photographer ever commissioned by the U.S. Postal Service to create a full set of stamps. He is the author of seven books, including ''Extreme Ice Now: Vanishing Glaciers and Changing Climate: A Progress Report'' (2009), ''Tree: A New Vision of the American Forest'' (2004), and ''Survivors: A New Vision of Endangered Wildlife'' (1990), described as a conceptual breakthrough in nature photography.

He is a founding Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers. He lives in Boulder, Colorado, with his wife, Suzanne, and his daughter. Provided by Wikipedia