Indian American photographer Anand Varma from Atlanta is named ‘Emerging Explorer’ by National Geographic. One of the achievers in the Atlanta Indian community, he is one of the 14 individuals from different walks of life, who
National Geographic selected as Emerging Explorers of the year 2017.
National Geographic’s list of Emerging Explorers recognizes exceptional talent of aspiring artists, storytellers, scientists, innovators and conservationists from across the world, who act as agents of change for betterment of the world through their work of art, technology, engineering, education, or innovation.
Varma is a science photographer who works to tell the story behind the science of everything from primate behavior and hummingbird biomechanics to amphibian disease and forest ecology, according to National Geographic.
On his website, www.varmaphoto.com, the native of Atlanta, Ga., explained how he picked up his father’s old camera and “found that I could use it to feed my curiosity about the natural world— and to share my adventures and discoveries with others.”
He has assisted with 13 articles published in National Geographic since 2006. In 2010, he was honored with a Young Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society. “These bold people with transformative ideas are taking National Geographic’s mission further and improving the world as they go,” National Geographic said in a news release.
Being a first-generation Indian American, Anand grew up in Atlanta exploring the charms of woods and admiring the vivacity of streams unlike other children. His curiosity about the world of nature knew no bounds when he found his dad’s old camera in his teens. It set him on an adventure spree to discover joys and wonders in the natural world.
Anand Varma’s interest in photography is not limited to exploring the wonders of nature and telling their stories. A graduate in interactive biology from the University of California, Berkeley, he also helps biologists communicate their research through photographs. His photographs depict the science behind an array of things from amphibian diseases to mangrove forests.
His tryst with National Geographic dates back to 2006 since when he has assisted several personalities with 13 articles published in National Geographic. The title ‘Emerging Explorer’ is not his first recognition from National Geographic. He received a Young Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society in 2010.
To help this group of trailblazers expand the impact they are making in the areas of science, storytelling, education, technology and conservation around the world, National Geographic awards each of them $10,000 for research and exploration, it said. With the help of National Geographic Society, this group of 14 will explore new frontiers and find innovative ways to remedy some of the greatest challenges facing our planet.
