Olympus Visionary John Isaac

John Isaac’s photography is known around the world as he has captured some of history’s most remarkable moments. Born in Madras, India, Isaac came to the United States as a young man in 1968 and began work at the United Nations. Over his career he has traveled to more than 100 countries as a photojournalist, capturing the struggles and triumphs of our changing world.

Isaac’s numerous awards include winner of Photokina International Photo Contest, Best Photograph of the Year from Graphis Magazine, Professional Photographer of the Year from Photo Imaging Manufacturers and Distributors Association (PMDA) and Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Photographic Council. Isaac has authored many books, including a series called Children in Crisis. He co-authored Endangered Peoples for Sierra Club and Coorg, Land of the Kodavas with his wife Jeannette.

Up Next: Since 1998, Isaac has focused mostly on nature photography, though he has also worked extensively in Kashmir, the disputed border area between India and Pakistan. His passion to depict and help the people of Kashmir will be documented in a new book, which will be released by WW Norton in the fall of 2008.

Visionary Perspective

Whether in a friend’s yard in New Jersey or a tiger sanctuary in India, John Isaac lets the beauty of nature inspire him. Although the average photo enthusiast may not be able to travel the globe in search of the perfect shot, Isaac’s methods and his passion for the craft can help anyone (anywhere) get that great shot.

In His Own Words

“The Image Stabilization system that is employed by Olympus, being built in the camera, is very different from camera systems such as Nikon and Canon that incorporate stabilization in the lens. While both systems are excellent, this has been great for me because every lens that I have for the Olympus is now an image-stabilized lens. This image of the tigress was taken with the E-510 and the 90mm- 250mm lens with a 1.4x teleconverter (236mm focal length) hand held at 1/80th of a second exposure.”

Olympus Visionaries The Olympus Visionary program celebrates the work of some of the most talented still photographers of the day. Olympus works with 25 artists that shoot a range of subject matter, including travel and documentary, fashion, food, people and places, nature and landscapes, street, commercial and fine art.

This image was taken in the tiger sanctuary in Sawai Madhapur, Rajasthan, India.

Photo Quote: Actually, I'm not all that interested in the subject of photography. Once the picture is in the box, I'm not all that interested in what happens next. Hunters, after all, aren't cooks. - Henri Cartier-Bresson