I’m going back to the wilderness of the Great Basin, to follow Geologists and document their life & work in the field
ABOUT ME
I'm Felix Kunze, a Brooklyn-based portrait photographer and visual storyteller. My goal is to capture the beauty, strength, and enthusiasm of people, with a focus on environmentalists, explorers, and scientists driving positive change.
What sets me apart is my ability to produce high-quality content in various environments, from rugged & adventurous outdoor locations across the globe to a studio environment in New York. I have a reputation for adapting to unpredictable conditions and being a reliable creative partner.
I've been fortunate to work on fascinating projects, including the study of the Late Devonian Mass Extinction. From capturing portraits in cave systems to traveling to remote locations, my work has been featured by National Geographic, the Smithsonian, and other esteemed institutions.
As the exclusive photographer for Blue Origin’s New Shepard human rocket launch program (including the lead up and first flight with Jeff Bezos in July 2021), and as the director for the entire photographic coverage of the launches, I’ve been mixing both the high level production and on-the ground photography and know what it takes to pull off huge projects with limited resources.
We cover everything: from portraits, training and the launch itself. Any stills content you’ve seen from these launches was most likely created by me and my team.
Other clients who have taken advantage of this unique skill set includes Disney/20th Century Studios, who have me photographing movie premieres in Europe and the US (a dynamic environment with lots of unique personalities), Lululemon who supported my work in Iceland with a solo expedition at one of their flagship stores in New York and the Explorers Club, for whom I have been photographing not just on expedition but also at their Annual Dinner for the 7th year running.
Each year, I set up a ‘Vanity Fair Oscars’ style studio backstage at their dinner and photograph those in attendance, including my famous photograph of 8 of the 11 surviving Apollo Astronauts at the time, for the 50th Anniversary of the first moon landing.
Let's collaborate and create something exceptional together. Reach out at felix@felixkunze.com.
WHERE
The ‘Great Basin’ is an area of particular geological interest, and covers most of central and northern Nevada and eastern Utah. My videographer and I will be flying in and out of Salt Lake City and heading south-east to meet the team of Geologists in Ely, Nevada, a charming western town that’s the gateway to the region.
WHEN
We will join the Geologists on the 6th of June, and depart from Salt Lake City on the 12th of June, spending a solid 5 days and 6 nights in the field with them, plenty of time to tell the story of this project
WHAT
Felix and his team are joining a group of geologists as they undertake part of a multi-decade global effort to understand the causes and effects of the Late Devonian Mass Extinction, which happened around 365 million years ago. As the last of the ‘big 5’ mass extinctions to be fully understood, the Late Devonian is the holy grail for geologists. Felix and his team have been part of this project across the globe since 2018, including multiple trips to the Altai-Gobi in Mongolia.
The work is incredibly complex, like a giant puzzle to put together. What makes this project so unique is that the locales are very old (the extinction happened right around the time when land based life was starting to take off) and very scattered around the globe.
More on this, and an in-depth on what Felix’s work has entailed:
WHO
Adventure/Portrait Photographer Felix Kunze and Filmmaker Magnus Karlsson are joining a group of camera-ready geologists. The team have all worked together in locations around the world and know how to manage the rigors of a location shoot like this. Making impactful work in difficult positions is our speciality.
Our subjects are comprised of a female lead team with Principal Investigators Professors Diana Boyer and Sarah Carmichael. Sarah is a Fellow of the Explorers Club and has been spearheading the project since taking over from Johnny Waters.
They will be joined by a group of young and dynamic geology students as well as other colleagues, each providing a unique portrait and story-telling opportunity.
Sarah Carmichael - Professor of Geology, Appalachian State University
Diana Boyer - Professor of Geology, Winthrop University
Geology students
DELIVERABLES
Because we are a combined video/stills team, the possibilities are endless. We are happy to offer a variety of options depending on your needs and content strategy:
Stills assets of your product in use
Video assets of your product in use
Social media videos/reels
Portraits of expedition personnel using your product
Testimonial video/audio
Amplification on our own channels
FIND OUT MORE
Find out more about upcoming projects & partnering with Felix