This World Photography Day, COOPH is proud to spotlight three extraordinary women photographers from the Girls Who Click network — each using their lens to tell powerful stories of conservation, wildlife, and our relationship with the natural world.
Kate Vylet – Diving Deep into the Kelp Forest
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Based in Monterey Bay, California, Kate Vylet combines her background as a marine scientist with her passion for conservation photography. After a decade of kelp forest monitoring and climate research, she shifted her focus to storytelling through images — capturing the overlooked biodiversity of the underwater world.
Her award-winning photography, featured in Audubon, National Wildlife, BBC Wildlife, and more, reframes public perception of maligned species while documenting the impacts of climate change on fragile ecosystems. Vylet is also a member of the International League of Conservation Photographers and a Girls Who Click Partner Photographer.
Chelsea Mayer – On Expedition with Whales and Sharks
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With a background in film production from UCLA, Chelsea Mayer has carved out a career as both a photographer and cinematographer. From whale-watching boats in Southern California to great white shark diving expeditions at Guadalupe Island, Mayer’s path reflects an adventurous spirit tied to the ocean.
Today, she works with National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions as a certified photo instructor, captain, and naturalist, leading trips across Alaska, Baja California, the Pacific Northwest, and Scotland. She also lends her expertise to natural history film productions, bringing a multi-disciplinary skillset as a US Coast Guard-licensed Captain, PADI Divemaster, and Girls Who Click Partner Photographer.
Lana Tannir – Science Storytelling from the Arctic to the Alps
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Originally from Croatia and now based in Munich, Lana Tannir bridges her background in wildlife biology with her work as a National Geographic Explorer and science storyteller. Over the past decade, she has documented the complex relationships between humans and nature in fragile Arctic and marine environments.
Her photography and writing have been featured by National Geographic Germany, Terra Mater, and Oceanographic Magazine, and her images exhibited internationally. A dedicated advocate for conservation, she recently received recognition from the International Photography Awards and serves as a judge for Nature TTL’s Photographer of the Year competition.
About Girls Who Click
Girls Who Click empowers the next generation of women in nature and conservation photography through mentorship, education, and opportunities in the field.
This World Photography Day, these three voices remind us of the urgent need to protect our planet — and of the role photography plays in inspiring awareness and action.
