Kevin Russ, a photographer & image moderator for iStockphoto, grew up in Arroyo Grande, California. In 2003, he made the move to Portland, planning to study at Multnomah Bible College. Finding the workload to be minimal, Kevin invested in a camera, filling his free time and finding himself instantly smitten with the craft. A year and a half later, photography had evolved into his full-time job. However, after 4 years of consistent portrait work, Kevin became burnt out and took a step back from photography altogether. Two years later, he picked up the camera again and now spends the majority of his time on the road, exploring & photographing the rustic landscapes & wildlife he encounters.

Donna Dotan has a self-described obsession with symmetry. Her prowess with architectural photography is well applied in her personal project, “Reflections from Above”, where she captures striking images of New York City reflected in the glass of skyscrapers. She describes the project as a treasure hunt, and says that she is looking for an all-glass skyscraper to add more reflections to her series. (Photo by Donna Dotan)

Todd Bretl specializes in underwater photography, and is able to capture striking photos of aquatic life big and small. His photos of sharks are particularly striking; though he rarely faces hostility from the animals, he tries not to spend too much time looking through his viewfinder and many shots are framed by educated guesses and impeccable timing. What follows are photographs taken over the past several years on trips to the Bahamas and Isla Guadalupe, an island off the coast of the Baja California peninsula in Mexico. (Photo by Todd Bretl)

A five-month-old cheetah seated in the back of a Land Cruiser growls at an outstretched hand after being taken from traffickers in Ethiopia and driven to Harirad, Somaliland, in 2020. This photo is part of the work of more than 100 artists in Why We Photograph Animals, a new collection of wildlife photography that aims to help understand why people have photographed animals at different points in history and what it means in the present. (Photo by Nichole Sobecki/Thames & Hudson)

A girl, standing before her tea shop, which is completely ruined by sea water in Frazerganj, Sundarbans, India on August 18, 2020. After Cyclone Aila struck the Sundarbans in 2009, it became clear that frequent cyclonic events will turn the residents of Sundarbans into climate refugees. Within May 5, 2019 – May 25, 2021, Sundarbans faced cyclones- Fani, Bulbul, Amphan & Yaas – each devastating enough to justify the fear of mass displacement. (Photo by Supratim Bhattacharjee/Mangrove Photography Awards)

Manu Brabo was born in Spain in 1981. After studying Photography in The School of Arts and Crafts in Oviedo, he moved to Madrid where he started Journalism in Carlos III University while he was working as a photographer for several humble newspapers and agencies. In 2011, Manu was held captive and then released by by Libyan forces. Brabo, along with fellow AP photographers were awarded the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography. Here: a Syrian man cries while holding the body of his son, killed by the Syrian Army, near Dar El Shifa hospital in Aleppo, Syria, Wednesday, October 3, 2012. (Photo by Manu Brabo/AP Photo)

Jassen Todorov, 40, from San Francisco is a professor of music at San Francisco State University, but he took to helicoptering in his spare time. While he was content to keep the panoramic views he witnessed to himself, Todorov has now paired his passion for flying with photography to capture some of the United States’ undiscovered vistas. Here: Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone, Wyoming. (Photo by Jassen Todorov/Caters News)