For Randy Olson, photographs are a way to reach people—to share cultures that may be unknown, marginalized, or misunderstood. Olson has worked in many countries—looking at indigenous cultures in places like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Australia, Tanzania, and more. His passion for rich cultural stories even extends to his own backyard, in places like Missouri and the American West.

Currently Olson is working with two other National Geographic photographers—his wife, Melissa Farlow, and Pablo Corral Vega, to document the Ecuadorian city of Quito. They are collaborating with the city government there and using Instagram to promote local culture.

Here, we share some recent work from Quito, a little bit of experimentation while procrastinating, and dancing tribespeople in