Photography For a Cause

New Images From Jane Goodall Capture Intimate Moments in the Wild

The photos are part of a sale that includes work from both photographers and environmentalists. Proceeds benefit conservation efforts. 
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Dr. Jane Goodall took this photo of herself with a camera fastened to a tree branch.  Photograph by Jane Goodall. 

For over 60 years, Jane Goodall has worked tirelessly to protect the environment, focusing her research on chimpanzees. Now, her conservation efforts have been captured in three new images, a self-portrait and two others that showcase the remarkable lives of the animals she’s dedicated her life to saving. 

Made by fastening a camera to a tree branch, Goodall’s self-portrait catches a quiet moment with the primatologist looking across the valley at Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania. 

“It was taken in, I think, 1962. I was on my own, very high up in the hills and I thought what a great photo this would make,” she told Vital Impacts, a women-led nonprofit that provides financial assistance to community-oriented organizations dedicated to protecting the environment. “I had to find a place where there was a tree that was just right for balancing the camera. I had to set up the tripod and fiddle about until I had the tripod and the imagined image of me framed just right. That was in the days before digital so I had to wait a long time before I got the results back from National Geographic. I was pretty proud of myself. I love that picture.” 

A signed print of the image is available as part of Vital Impacts’ limited-time sale which features work from 100 environmentalists and photographers. Paul Nicklen, James Balog, Cristina Mittermeier,  Nick Brandt, Chris Burkard, Jimmy Chin, Tamara Dean, David Doubilet, Beverly Joubert, Keith Ladzinski, Jim Naughten, Maggie Steber, Joel Sartore, Tim Flach, Carol Guzy, Matthieu Paley, Xavi Bou, Beth Moon, Ami Vitale, Stephen Wilkes, and Reuben Wu are among the artists featured.

Proceeds from the sale will support the Big Life Foundation, the Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots & Shoots program, the Great Plains Foundation’s Project Ranger, and SeaLegacy.

Below, a look at some of the photographs available for purchase through December 31.

Two women dive in for a morning swim in Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, January 1, 1996.

Photograph by Amy Toensing.

A magical morning in Doubtful Sound when bottlenose dolphins curiously approached our zodiac and played right under the surface of the glassy water.  

Photograph by Annie Griffiths.

Tower of barracuda surround a diver in a question mark pattern in Sipadan, Malaysia. 

Photograph by David Doubilet.

A male humpback whale spyhopping and twirling around with his pectoral fin. 

Photograph by Tony Wu.

A continuation of his Lux Noctis and Aeroglyphs series, Reuben explored the landscapes of Bolivia on a week-long road trip, photographing in remote and extreme locations, in combination with his modified drone to illuminate the landscapes at night.  

Photograph by Reuben Wu.

Young eagle hunters are seen in Bayan Ulgii, Mongolia, during the Golden Eagle Festival, where about 100 Kazakh eagle hunters gathered to compete in front of locals and international visitors as well. 

Photograph by Hannah Reyes Morales.

Two young Kyrgyz girls walk up a frozen river to fetch water at the a spring on the edge of the Ech Keli camp.   

Photograph by Matthieu Paley.
Two jaguars rescued from the illegal pet trade in south of Cancun, Mexico in 2008. Photograph by Steve Winter. 
The moon sets behind desert oak trees in the early morning. Photograph by Amy Toensing.
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