‘My quest has always been how to attract a bigger audience to share in the concern and the solutions around the fact we are in a very perilous moment in the history of humanity,’ says photographer Cristina Mittermeier. ‘I want excitement around the idea of our beautiful blue planet. I stumbled on photography as a way of communicating. I never set out to be a photographer, but it was the first creative tool that I picked up.’
Trevally weave through algae off the coast of New Zealand
It is a career that has served Mittermeier well. A life spent documenting the oceans has seen her pick up multiple awards and visit over 130 countries, usually on assignment for National Geographic magazine, which in 2018 named her one of its adventurers of the year. Mittermeier’s images of the marine world and clear and urgent visual storytelling made her the first female photographer to achieve one million followers on Instagram, enabling her to create a community of ocean advocates. Being part of Rolex’s new ‘Reach for the Crown’ campaign, and holding the position as a Rolex Testimonee – reserved for those who embody excellence in their fields and Rolex’s brand values – gives her another platform to champion marine conservation.
‘I always wanted to be associated with a brand that had the same value system and the same mission and purpose that I did,’ Mittermeier says. ‘I am very happy to be part of the Rolex family. I am contributing actively to what Rolex is building, and that makes me really proud.’
The reef, lit by twilight
Mittermeier’s involvement is a natural one, building on Rolex’s long-term efforts to support the oceans as part of the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, embracing everything from working with teams of expert divers using the latest technology, to supporting coral reef restoration programmes. The initiative was launched in 2019, and sees more than 30 partners work across the areas of Oceans, Landscapes, and Science, Health, and Technology.
The initiative is also supporting Mittermeier and her partner Paul Nicklen, founders of non-profit organisation SeaLegacy, in their meticulous documenting of the marine world, and their uncovering of problems that need to be addressed.
A pair of nudibranchs rest on the coral beneath the waters of the Raja Ampat islands
‘For me, to be able to capture emotion in a two-dimensional piece of paper called a photograph, and translating that emotion for an audience is a superpower,’ Mittermeier says. ‘Without that empathy for each other and for the natural world, we're nothing but robots. But the real [aim] for me, and the one that I want to help be a part of with Rolex, is to save our planet.’
A starfish rests beneath the shallows of a Bahamian mangrove
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