In Partnership with Microsoft

“I really liked the larger size of the Lumia 640 XL—seeing images on the big screen was great and it was still easy to hold. The consistently rich detail and quality of the shots is unreal. And while the assignment was exhausting, OneNote, OneDrive, and my Surface Pro 3, let us get it all done without slowing down.”

- Stephen Alvarez, National Geographic Photographer

Behind the Scenes


See how National Geographic photographer Stephen Alvarez used OneDrive, OneNote, the Surface Pro 3 tablet, Microsoft Band, and Lumia to plan, prepare, and power his latest assignment shooting Mexico’s Paricutin volcano—one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

Volcanic Voyage


Follow the remarkable journey of National Geographic photographer Stephen Alvarez through Mexico's Ring of Fire to Paricutin volcano—one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Watch treacherous hikes up volcanic peaks, balloon rides over ancient Aztec cities, and the still-steaming cinder cone that consumed a village.

Selfies at Paricutin


It's selfie time on a journey through Mexico's Ring of Fire to the Paricutin volcano—one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. See what National Geographic photographer Stephen Alvarez captured with his wide angle selfie and Skype phone, the Lumia 640 XL.

About Stephen Alvarez


Photographer and filmmaker Stephen Alvarez produces global stories about exploration, adventure, and culture. Alvarez has been a National Geographic photographer since 1995. He has published over a dozen stories with the magazine, including the discovery of an ancient Incan mummy in Peru, the deepest cave in the world near the Black Sea, a jungle expedition through Central America’s longest cave, the whitewater world of New Britain’s caves, the stone forest of Madagascar, a sailing expedition with the Polynesian Voyaging Society aboard the Hokule’a, and the world below Paris from the Opera to the sewers. Alvarez has photographed the moai of Easter.

His images have won awards in Pictures of the Year International and Communications Arts. His story on the Maya and their religious rituals was exhibited at Visa pour L’Image in Perpignan, France. Alvarez has produced stories with National Public Radio, including a story on underground Paris that won a 2012 White House News Photographers Association award.

Appearances and lectures include NPR, PBS, and CBS Sunday Morning, as well as the Annenberg Space for Photography, the Shakerag Workshops, National Geographic Live, the Atlanta Photojournalism Festival, the Banff Mountain Centre. Alvarez is also a founding member of The Photo Society.

Stephen lives with his family in Sewanee, Tennessee.

About John Burcham


"I want to be challenged, and I'm not afraid of a little manual labor," says Arizona-based photographer John Burcham. In Burcham's photographic niche, he often gets his wish. Whether it is schlepping in the Arctic's subzero temperatures or fleshing out the photographic details in the midst of grinding chainsaws and falling trees, Burcham meshes a photojournalist sense of story with a studio photographer’s obsession for detail.

Burcham's photography career started at his college newspaper while he was earning his degree in architecture from Virginia Tech. His passion for adventure sports led him to a successful photographic career in the outdoor industry. Companies such as Patagonia and Mountain Hardware have sent him to the most inhospitable and seldom visited landscapes to capture moments in exploration and adventure.

Many major clients, including National Geographic, the New York Times, Popular Mechanics, the History Channel, and American Airlines have used him for assignment work.

John is based out of Arizona where he lives with his wife, daughter and son.