Beth Wald

Beth Wald is an American documentary photographer born in 1960 in Minneapolis. She is recognized for her powerful visual narratives that explore the relationship between humans and the natural world.

Beth Wald specializes in documenting threatened cultures and environments, with a particular interest in how traditional societies struggle to survive in the face of environmental degradation and rapid social change. Her work has taken her around the globe: from the mountains of Tajikistan and Nepal, where she photographed isolated tribes, to the Amazon, documenting the threats facing indigenous peoples and fragile ecosystems. She has collaborated with numerous prestigious media outlets, including National Geographic, National Geographic Traveler, Smithsonian, and Outside Magazine, as well as with commercial clients such as Nikon, Patagonia, and The North Face.

Beth Wald has also worked with organizations such as the Wildlife Conservation Society, Panthera, Tompkins Conservation, Rewilding Argentina, and others, producing photo and video stories for awareness, education, and local empowerment. She has led workshops for Nikon, National Geographic, and for youth through the Rainforest Alliance, as well as an environmental photojournalism workshop for Afghan journalists in Kabul with the United Nations Environment Programme.

She has received the prestigious Rowell Award for her artistic and human commitment, as well as a POY Award for multimedia projects. Beth Wald is a member of The Photo Society, National Geographic Creative, and Aurora Photos. She speaks English, Spanish, and some Russian, and resides in El Rito, in northern New Mexico, when not on assignment.

Beth Wald is known for her total immersion in the cultures she photographs and for the sincerity of her documentary perspective on contemporary human and environmental issues. “I try to honor the generosity of the people who open their lives to me by creating the most honest images possible.”