A Nature Photographer Captures Transformative Moments of the Globe

Emily McCulliss in Svalbard. | Photo: Emily Mcculliss

Based in Littleton, Colorado, Emily McCulliss is a global nature photographer and expedition guide whose work explores the transformative intersection between humans and Earth’s wildest places.

Through environmental portraiture and nature photography spanning all seven continents, she captures singular moments where humans meet nature at its most truthful. We sit down with the multidisciplinary photographer to learn more about her artistic journey and upcoming projects.

GREENLAND – “A magnificent iceberg appeared in a remote fjord, sculpted by wind, water, and time into perfect architectural symmetry against ancient rock. This exact configuration existed for perhaps hours before continuing its journey toward dissolution. The flawless reflection in glass-like waters exists now only in this photograph – nature’s capacity for transcendent beauty in its most isolated reaches.” | Photo: Emily Mcculliss

Tell us about your connection to Colorado

I was born in Denver and raised in Greenwood Village, so Colorado shaped my formative years and will always be deeply rooted in who I am. Colorado has been a wonderful place to call home, to learn and to build community. It gives me what I need: the reset, the rejuvenation, the business and networking opportunities that fuel the work. I’m content with what Colorado offers – it serves its purpose beautifully and that purpose continues to change organically.

My true calling extends beyond any single location. I capture and guide others to experience extraordinary encounters with the natural world across the globe. My work transcends geographic boundaries, spanning multiple dimensions: underwater, terrestrial and aerial. I’m a global nature photographer drawn to the colors, patterns, movement and behaviors of nature in the truest sense.

ANTARCTICA – “A colossal mountain peak emerges through Antarctic mist while a solitary iceberg drifts across dark waters – brilliant blue-white against the monumental backdrop. In the dialogue between anchored mountain and traveling ice, perspective becomes something that possesses you. Nothing pretends permanence here. Antarctica operates on geological time while demanding your immediate presence.” | Photo: Emily Mcculliss

How is your upcoming book taking shape?

Being a published author has been a long-held aspiration, and I’m thrilled to share that I’m currently working on my first book. As a global nature photographer, expedition guide and visual storyteller, my pursuit of what I call “the elemental human” has taken me across the world several times to places that strip away pretense and demand complete presence.

The book I’m creating is a coffee table-style work anchored in my mission: Inspire Your Today to Change Your Tomorrow. It weaves together visual storytelling with thematic prompts that explore how single moments in nature can carry the weight of transformation. Each encounter with the natural world becomes a mirror for these elemental human qualities within us all. It’s not a traditional photography book and it’s not a memoir – it’s something in between, using extraordinary encounters as a medium to explore our shared humanity.

MONGOLIA – “In winter mountains where breath crystallizes in the air, a Mongolian eagle hunter, his horse, and golden eagle form an ancient trinity. In the quieter moment, hunter and eagle sit motionless above the winter world, gazing outward while looking inward. Two minds processing the same view through vastly different consciousnesses – a rare harmony across the species divide. Sometimes becoming isn’t about becoming different, but about recognizing connections that have always existed.” | Photo: Emily Mcculliss

Do you have any upcoming events or projects?

I’m inspired to be featured on the upcoming Art Elevator Podcast – date to be announced – hosted by Larissa Wild and Sarah Reeder. Currently, my work is exhibited at D’Art Gallery in their “Between Here and There” exhibition, running through November 30th. I’m also curating a number of extraordinary journeys and experiences.

For those interested in joining this journey, I invite them to subscribe to my newsletter, The Wild Within, where subscribers gain first access to limited-edition prints, exclusive expedition opportunities, invitation-only events and behind-the-scenes access to my work around the globe.

Explore Emily’s offerings at emilymcculliss.com and find her on Instagram at @emilymcculliss.

KENYA – “A majestic bull elephant moves with deliberate grace against the golden savanna, dust rising in afternoon light. His weathered skin, folded by time and experience, reveals self-contained completeness – not loneliness, but a being who carries his world within him. In black and white, all distractions fall away. Just raw presence, quiet dignity, profound grace. This captures the difference between being alone and being complete within oneself.” | Photo: Emily Mcculliss

HAWAII – Lava Rock – “Along the same coastline, ancient lava rock rises from swirling mists through long exposure. These dark formations exist between states of being, neither fully revealed nor concealed. The boundary between solid rock and flowing vapor blurs, challenging our perception of what is permanent and what is fleeting. This liminal space invites us to contemplate what exists in the spaces between certainty.” | Photo: Emily Mcculliss

ICELAND – “At 1,400 feet above the highlands, braided rivers weave between colorful mountain ranges. Fed by glacial meltwater, these dynamic waterways constantly shift course, forming patterns that extend hundreds of kilometers. The mesmerizing blues and greens emerge from rock flour – minerals ground by glaciers over millennia into the finest particles.” | Photo: Emily Mcculliss