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ABOUT
Best known for his aerial photography, George Steinmetz has a restless curiosity about the unknown: remote landscapes, our changing climate, and how we can meet the ever-expanding food needs of humanity.
Steinmetz graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Geophysics and began his career in photography after hitchhiking through Africa for 28 months. He spent fifteen years exploring the world’s deserts, mainly while piloting a motorized paraglider. His current long-term project documents the global food supply, primarily with professional drones.
Steinmetz’s works are regularly published in international magazines and online publications such as National Geographic, The New York Times, NY Times Magazine, GEO, Le Figaro, and Stern. His expeditions to the Sahara and Gobi deserts have been featured in National Geographic Explorer programs and Steinmetz was a featured National Geographic explorer and wildlife photographer on the National Geographic/Disney series Welcome to Earth.
Since 1986, George Steinmetz has completed over 40 major photo essays for National Geographic and 25 stories for Germany’s GEO magazine. His captivating images have taken audiences to the farthest reaches of the Sahara and Gobi deserts and deep into the Amazon Rainforest. Steinmetz’s expeditions to the world’s largest deserts have been featured in National Geographic Explorer programs, solidifying his reputation as one of the most daring and innovative photographers of our time.
Steinmetz’s work has received numerous accolades throughout his 35-year career. He has won three World Press Photo prizes, the Environmental Vision Award from Pictures of the Year, and a citation from the Overseas Press Club. In 2008, he was named National Geographic’s Adventurer of the Year, a testament to his commitment to documenting the natural world. In 2006, the National Science Foundation awarded him a grant to photograph the work of scientists in Antarctica’s Dry Valleys and volcanoes.
George focuses on documenting climate change and the global food supply, using professional drones to capture the impact on agriculture and the environment.
His recent projects delve into how humanity will adapt to changing weather patterns, deforestation, and other challenges that threaten food security. Steinmetz resides in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, with his wife, Lisa Bannon, a writer and editor, and occasionally their three adult children, Nell, and twin sons, John and Nicholas. His work continues to push boundaries, offering stunning visual narratives that challenge our understanding of the planet and its future.
Honors and Grants:
– Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, Distinguished Alumni Award. 2023.
– World Press Photo, 2nd prize, Contemporary Issues stories “Feeding China,” National Geographic Magazine. 2018.
– Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting grant to document Climate Change for New York Times Magazine. 2018.
– National Geographic Society Explorer grant for Global Fisheries project. 2018.
– Pictures of the Year International, Environmental Vision Award for the long-term project “Feed the Planet.” 2016
– National Science Foundation grant for documentation of scientific research in the Dry Valleys and volcanoes of Antarctica. 2006.
– World Press Foundation, First place, Science & Technology: “Robot Revolution,” National Geographic Magazine. 1998.
– World Press Foundation, First place, Science & Technology: “Genetically Altered Mice,” GEO Magazine. 1995.
– Overseas Press Club Citation of Excellence: “Alcohol: The Legal Drug,” National Geographic Magazine. 1993.
Books:
2024 – Feed the Planet, A Photographic Journey to the World’s Food, Abrams.
2020 – Human Planet, Abrams.
2015 – New York Air, The View from Above, Abrams.
2012 – Desert Air, Abrams.
2009 – Empty Quarter, Abrams.
2008 – African Air, Abrams.
Selected Solo Exhibitions:
2024 – Festival Photo La Gacilly “Feed the Planet” La Gacilly, France.
2022 – Visa pour l’Image “Global Fisheries” Perpignan, France.
2019 – Xposure International Photography Festival “Empty Quarter” Sharjah, UAE.
2018 – Visa pour l’Image “Big Food” Perpignan, France.
2015 – World Expo 2015 “Hyper Arid” Milan, Italy.
2013 – National Geographic Headquarters “Desert Air” Washington D.C. USA.
