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Vital Impacts, a non-profit founded by award-winning National Geographic photographer Ami Vitale and visual journalist Eileen Mignoni, is having a print sale to support a number of conservation charities—and there are some serious names involved including Paul Nicklen, Jimmy Chin, and even Dr. Jane Goodall. If you want to buy some incredible artwork and support a great cause, you can do so until December 31st.

What charities are supported?

During a blizzard in Joshin’etsukogen National Park, on the island of Honshu, a Japanese macaque shakes off snow and water drops while resting on a rock that’s poking out of a hot spring. Jasper Doest/Vital Impacts

The Vital Impacts sale is supporting four conservation charities: Big Life Foundation, Great Plains Foundation’s Project Ranger, Jane Goodall Institute’s s Roots & Shoots, and SeaLegacy.

60% of the net proceeds from each print will be shared among the four charities. The remaining 40% will go to the photographers to enable them to continue “their critical awareness-raising conservation work.”

Between now and the end of the year, Vital Impacts is aiming to raise $1 million for the four charities. When Popular Photography spoke to Vitale at the end of November, they were roughly a quarter of the way to the goal. 

What photographers are involved?

A Green Sea Turtle hatchling cautiously surfaces for air to a sky full of hungry birds. Against all odds, this hatchling must battle through the conditions of a raging storm whilst evading a myriad of predators. Not only has the tropical storm brought out thousands of circling birds, but there are also patrolling sharks and large schools of fish on the hunt for baby turtles. Only 1 in 1000 of these hatchlings will survive, will this one survive against all odds? Hannah Le Leu/Vital Impacts

The collection of photographers who are contributing to the sale is, frankly, ludicrous. The list of 100 names is basically a who’s who of National Geographic and wildlife photographers, as well as some up-and-coming talents like Hannah le Leu, who won Young Ocean Photographer of the Year.

Charakusa Valley Karakoram, Pakistan, 2001. Jimmy Chin/Vital Impacts

There are prints for sale from Ragnar Axelsson, James Balog, Nick Brandt, Jimmy Chin, Tamara Dean, Cristina Mittermeier, and Cory Richards as well as dozens more incredible photographers. 

In her early days at Gombe, Dr. Jane Goodall spent many hours sitting on a high peak with binoculars or a telescope, searching the forest below for chimpanzees. She took this photo of herself with a camera fastened to a tree branch. Says Dr. Goodall, “I was really excited to see that that photo of me looking out at the valley at Gombe with my trusty lightweight telescope was chosen. It was taken in, I think, 1962. I was on my own, very high up in the hills and I thought what a great photo this would make.” Jane Goodall/Vital Impacts

There are also “never before seen” prints from Dr. Jane Goodall, including a stunning self-portrait that she shot over 60 years ago in the Gombe National Park. “For a lot of people like me,” says Vitale, “Jane Goodall is a hero. So we just thought of asking her: ‘Jane, did you ever take pictures?’ And it turns out she did.”

Kilifi was an 18-month-old rhino and his keeper, Kamara was hand-raising along with two other baby rhinos at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya. Kamara spends 12 hours every day watching over the vulnerable baby rhinos. He loves these animals like his own children and is part of the reason Kenya’s black rhinos, whose population had plummeted to near extinction, are doing so well here. Ami Vitale/Vital Impacts

And it turns out she was good at it too. Her three photos are some of my favorites in the collection—and this is in a collection of the work of some of the best photographers in the world. 

“The one thing that connects everybody,” explains Vitale, “Is that there is just this shared concern and commitment to trying to protect the environment and the planet.”

And it’s very clear from the work. While there’s a huge variety to the styles and techniques on display, almost every image shows the beauty and fragility of our world. 

How do I buy a print?

“The Day May Break” is the first part of a global series portraying people and animals that have been impacted by environmental degradation and destruction. The people in the photos have all been badly affected by climate change – some displaced by cyclones that destroyed their homes, others such as farmers displaced and impoverished by years-long severe droughts. The photographs were taken at five sanctuaries/ conservancies. The animals are almost all long-term rescues, victims of everything from the poaching of their parents, to habitat destruction and poisoning. These animals can never be released back into the wild. As a result, they are habituated. So the animals and people were photographed together in the same frame. Harriet, a giant eagle owl, has lived at Kuimba Shiri Bird Sanctuary for 35 years, rescued when she was just a chick as a result of deforestation. Nick Brandt/Vital Impacts

Prints are available through Vital Impacts’ website. There are 60 limited edition prints available for between $1,000 and $30,000 (some of which are already sold out). There are also roughly 150 open edition prints available for between $125 and $675, depending on the artist and the size of the print (you can normally choose between an 11×16 or a 16×24). Most excitingly, every week there is also a flash sale where three prints from the open edition will be available as 8x12s in a limited run of 100 for just $100. What three images are available resets every Tuesday at midnight EST.

Harry Guinness

Harry Guinness is an Irish freelance writer and photographer. He splits his year between Ireland and the French Alps. Harry's work has been published in The New York Times, Popular Science, OneZero, Human Parts, Lifehacker, and dozens of other places.

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