Contributors

Michelle Liles

Publisher, Michelle Liles, has merged her love of publishing and wildlife photography in her new venture, The Wild Lens Magazine. After getting her MBA in 2008, Michelle published both Broker Agent Magazine and Southern Nevada Equestrian Magazine. After a trip to Africa in 2005 with borrowed Canon camera gear, she fell in love with the wildlife of our planet and immortalizing their beauty with photography. Michelle has been to all seven continents including: traveling the Drake to  Antarctica on a 54-foot sailboat, hiking the Himalayas at 13,000 foot elevation in search of snow leopard, scaling cliffs looking for red panda in the forest, walking up rivers in her waders to photograph grizzlies. She is hoping this project will help elevate photographers who work so diligently to capture the perfect image and also showcase the remarkable  and valuable wildlife of our planet.
michelle@thewildlensmagazine.com

Celina Chien

Celina Chien is a photojournalist, storyteller, and conservationist giving a voice to wildlife in the age of the Anthropocene. She uses her photography to provoke change by inspiring a love for nature and exposing the ongoing assault on the natural world. Her photography has taken her to Madagascar, Indonesia, Malaysian Borneo, Colombia and China, amongst others.  She is busy documenting topics spanning from endangered biodiversity in ever-shrinking habitats to the illegal wildlife trade. In 2018, Celina was appointed the youngest member of Panthera's Conservation Council; a global advisory board to a world-renowned felid conservation NGO. She is experienced as a conservationist, including working for Panthera's Jaguar Corridor Initiative in Belize, the #SaveTheLeuser Campaign of the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme and the Rainforest Action Network. She is also part of  PETA's Captive Animal Law Enforcement team in Los Angeles. On Instagram, she is a contributor to Everyday Extinction (@everydayextinction), a collaborative, multidisciplinary awareness campaign highlighting the 6th mass extinction and biodiversity crisis. Celina is currently completing her BSc in Biological Sciences at Imperial College, London. For more of her work, follow Celina on Instagram at @celinaxchien or go to her website www.celinachien.com.

Ranjan Ramchandani

Ranjan Ramchandani is a Singapore-based published photographer/author focusing on digital art, portraiture, street, landscape and wildlife photography. Ranjan calls himself a lifelong student of photography, who does not like being categorized in any one genre. Ranjan has had a natural flair for photography since his childhood, both studying it in school and  augmenting by self- teaching and attending workshops over the last decade. He is a  graduate of the New York Institute of Photography and more recently, he has honed his skills through photography expeditions around the globe. His travels include major  wildlife destinations in  India, Sri Lanka and Africa.  
For him, photography is an art - a true medium of  self-expression. After visits to Ladakh,  in northern  India, he was inspired to do  his  first  coffee table  book, “Swades; Ladakh:  The Land of  Splendour”. Published by Knowledge World Publishers, in September of 2010. 
Ranjan has been covered and published in various media in both India and overseas - Sanctuary Asia Publications, Green  Leaf, BanyoPran and Outdoor Photographer. Recently the WWF has also used his images in their campaigns. 
His work has been exhibited through a large number of shows and can be contacted at: 
ranjanphotography.net 
ranjan@ranjan.photography

Sebastian Kennerknecht

Sebastian Kennerknecht is an accomplished wildlife photographer and conservationist with a background in behavioral ecology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. His thoughtful and skilled photographs bring innumerable species of wild cats to people around the globe. Sebastian has both effectively and ethically captured photos of some of the rarest cats on the planet, and continues his quest to preserve and protect cat species through detailed research and the click of a shutter. His philosophy is that photography is the best tool for conserving and protecting wildlife in peril. He feels that by working together, we can make the necessary differences for the wild animals we love. Look for more of Sebastian’s work at www.pumapix.com and pumapix@IG

Kurt Bertels

With a background in nature conservation and over a decade of safari guiding experience, Kurt Bertels has a profound understanding of wildlife. His passion for photography and exploring the natural world in search of new wildlife species and natural spectacles has made him a specialist in creating new wildlife experiences. Kurt and his wife, Stephanie Tsentas Bertels own and operate FiveZero Safaris. An award-winning wildlife photographer, with a knack for translating complex photography concepts into simple terms, his instinct for wildlife behavior makes him a pro. See more at www.fivezerosafaris.com.

Andrew Schoeman

Andrew Schoeman has many years of bush and photographic experience and has been included in many print publications. The top highlights for Andrew have included: a highly commended image in both the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year and Veolia Wildlife competitions in 2010. Andrew also received runner up in the 2013 BBC Wildlife Photographer of the year. Currently, Andrew is based at Kirkmans Kamp in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve. He hosts photographic safaris for And Beyond, one of the top luxury travel companies in Africa.
www.andrewschoemanphotography.com.

Lori Lundin

Lori Lundin is an international broadcast journalist who hosts a 30-minute radio news program as part of Voice of America’s (VOA) English to Africa service. She also writes and anchors newscasts for National Public Radio (NPR) in Washington, DC. Lori started her career writing about environmental and wildlife issues for local newspapers in Northern California. Her investigative reporting has garnered a number of journalism awards including an Edward R. Murrow and a National Gracie from American Women in Radio and Television. She has interviewed scores of newsmakers including personal hero Dr. Jane Goodall. A fierce love for animals and a life-long passion for world travel, she believes the power of a photograph can deepen connection to the natural world and bring heightened respect for all sentient beings. She’s excited to be a part of this beautiful magazine.

Nikhil B. Vatsal

Nikhil Vatsal, a passionate wildlife photographer residing in Bangalore, India, has traveled the world in quest of unique and fantastic wildlife. Nikhil has successfully photographed species such assnow leopard, Sunda clouded leopard, African caracal, Pallas’s cat and Iberian lynx amongstothers. Look for more of Nikhil's work on Facebook and Instagram.

Roy Toft

Roy Toft is an award-winning professional wildlife photographer and biologist whose images not only convey a sense of animal spirit but also grapple with changes to our natural world. He is also a co-author of the book, Osa, Where the Rainforests Meets the Sea, with ecologist Trond Larson. Dedicated to documenting the wild for future generations, Roy's photographs advance conservation efforts globally. He does this in part through his work with the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP), where he is a founding fellow. Roy's work has been featured in many magazines and publications including National Geographic, Audubon, and Discover magazine, among others. He has also received top honors in the most prestigious competitions in his genre, such as the London Natural History Museum's Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Nature's Best, and BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competitions. Roy's striking wildlife images are also available worldwide through the National Geographic Image Collection and Getty Images. See more of Roy’s work at www.toftphoto.com.

John Isaac

John Isaac is an Indian-born, award-winning photographer and author who has lived in NYC for most of his career. In addition to being known for his work as a photojournalist for the United Nations, he is also known for his independent freelance work photographing celebrities, including Audrey Hepburn and Michael Jackson. More recently, he has been working mainly on wildlife and travel photography. His UN work is brilliant and evokes tremendous emotion while viewing the astounding images. You must go to his website www.johnisaac.com for an incredible journey through his UN, cultural, portrait and landscape work.

Vicki Santello

Vicki Santello is a US-based photographer who retired from a career in finance to devote herself full time to photography. Vicki enjoyed the excitement of living in New York City and working on Wall Street for 10 years in the early part of her career. Living in a big city, however, deprived her of being in Nature and enjoying outdoor sports. She moved to North Central Florida, a mecca for birds and a unique area for rivers and first-magnitude springs. Here she was able to balance her love of the outdoors and her corporate career. Vicki has kayaked, hiked and biked extensively in Florida in her desire to experience its unique natural beauty.  Her passion for photography has become a lifestyle. Vicki now travels worldwide to diversify her portfolio. She typically stays one to two months in each location to fully immerse herself in the environment and maximize photography opportunities of animal behavior.

Ki Bowman

Ki Bowman, art director and web editor of The Wild Lens Magazine, lives and works in Santa Cruz, CA. She has specialized in both print and digital media design for the past 25 years, but is particularly thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the beautiful imagery and thoughtful inspiration provided by The Wild Lens.
www.mographics.net
ki@cruzio.com