Proof: Jim Richardson

“Our job is to take these unknown places and make people care about them.” —Jim Richardson

Jim Richardson first fell in love with photography on his parent’s wheat and dairy farm in Kansas. Since then, his painterly landscape and portrait photography has taken him worldwide, from the lush green hills of Scotland to the dry desert landscapes of Syria.

In 1971, he abandoned a psychology major at Kansas State University to begin a photo internship at the Topeka Capital-Journal. In the intervening 15 years, Richardson’s work was published in many major publications, ranging from Life and Time to Sports Illustrated and the New York Times. Richardson’s first story for National Geographic magazine appeared in 1984. Since then, he has become one of the magazine’s most productive contemporary contributing photographers, with more than 25 stories. Richardson continues to innovate and challenge himself daily, adopting the use of smartphone photography and Instagram to accompany traditional photographic tools.

View more of Jim Richardson’s work on his website and follow him on Instagram

This video portrait was produced by National Geographic magazine in partnership with the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. It is part of an ongoing series of conversations with the photographers of the magazine, exploring the power of photography and why this life of imagemaking suits them so well. Learn more about the making of the series and watch the full trailer here.

Video Production Credits
Photographer: Jim Richardson
Producers: Pamela Chen, NGM
Chad A. Stevens, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Associate Producer: Elyse Lipman, NGM
Editor: Erin Hull, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Camera and Sound: Spencer Millsap, NGM, Shannon Sanders, NGM

Read This Next

These breathtaking natural wonders no longer exist
Another rare spotless giraffe has been found. What’s going on?
Noticing more cicadas this year in the U.S.? There’s a reason

Go Further

Subscriber Exclusive Content

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet