Justin Black is an American photographer, educator, and conservation advocate whose work bridges fine art landscape photography, environmental storytelling, and photographic education. Through his imagery, leadership, and mentorship, he has helped shape contemporary nature photography while advancing the role of visual storytelling in conservation. In recognition of his contributions to photographic art, education, and conservation, Justin Black is the recipient of the 2026 Professional Photographer Achievement Gold Medal from the International Photographic Council, presented at United Nation Headquarters in New York City on May 6th , 2026.
Black is the co-founder of Visionary Wild, an internationally respected photography workshops and expeditions company that leads immersive and inspiring photographic experiences in extraordinary natural environments and cultural hotspots around the world. Through workshops and expeditions conducted across seven continents—from the Arctic to Antarctica—he has mentored photographers from around the globe, emphasizing visual perception, composition, and the creative process while encouraging a deeper connection with the natural world.
Early in his career, Black worked closely with the renowned adventure and landscape
photographer Galen Rowell and his wife Barbara Rowell at Mountain Light Photography in California. Rising to the role of General Manager and Curator, he helped steward one of the most influential archives in outdoor photography and played a key role in preserving and presenting Rowell’s legacy. During this period, he also contributed to publishing projects including the book Galen Rowell: A Retrospective. Black’s own photographs have been exhibited at Mountain Light Gallery, G2 Gallery in Los Angeles, the United States Capitol, the Washington Center for Photography, and are held in private collections internationally.
From spring 2009 to autumn 2010, Black served as Executive Director of the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP), a global community of photographers working to advance conservation through visual storytelling. Under his leadership, ILCP expanded its collaborations with conservation organizations worldwide and helped deploy photographers on assignments addressing urgent environmental challenges.
During this time, he contributed to conservation photography initiatives that supported campaigns to protect threatened landscapes and ecosystems. Among these efforts was a collaborative photography project documenting the Flathead River Valley in British Columbia, where imagery created by ILCP photographers helped raise public awareness about plans for a mountain-top-removal coal mine in the watershed and contributed to international efforts to safeguard the region.
Black also helped develop and produce major conservation photography publications, including volumes in the CEMEX Conservation Book Series produced in collaboration with CEMEX and conservation partners. Among these was the book Freshwater: The Essence of Life, which brought together leading conservation photographers to highlight the ecological importance of freshwater ecosystems. As a photographer, Black is known for expressive landscape images that explore light, atmosphere, and the emotional resonance of wild places. His photographs have appeared in exhibitions and publications internationally and have supported campaigns by organizations including the World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy, and Conservation International. In addition to his conservation work, Black is widely respected as an educator. Through Visionary Wild he has taught alongside many of the world’s leading photographers and helped cultivate a learning environment that emphasizes creative exploration, rigorous critique, and collaboration among photographers. Black’s conservation photography and advocacy have contributed to initiatives including wilderness protection in California’s Eastern Sierra and international efforts to protect landscapes such as the Flathead River watershed.
Since 2021, Black has also been a member of the global ambassador program for Fujifilm as one of the company’s official Fujifilm X-Photographers.
Justin Black
