Boyd Norton Documentary Changing Lenses

A film about art, wilderness, and one man’s journey to change the world through storytelling

By telling the amazing story of Boyd's personal inflection point and how he has used photography and storytelling to make a real difference in our world, we hope to inspire and support creative storytellers young and old, to combine their passion for storytelling and for preserving our natural world.

For more detailed information about our project, click here.

photography could have a mission

Boyd Norton has led an amazing life and has an amazing story to tell, one that will inspire a new generation to use their creative passion to change the world. But we need your help to get that story out. A small team of passionate, creative, environmentally minded professionals has started production on the film and have completed initial interviews with Boyd and his wife and partner Barbara.

Your financial support will help us cover the filming and post-production costs for a short documentary film that tells how Boyd's inflection point changed his life trajectory from a nuclear physicist studying reactor safety for the Atomic Energy Commission to a freelance photographer and writer documenting and protecting the world’s last wild places.

After more than 55 years working to save the world, one photograph at a time, Boyd has a wealth of experience turning art into environmental activism. His story is engaging and inspiring, and one – we think you'll agree – the world needs to hear.

one photograph at a time
Boyd Norton, nature photographer
  • He has the dubious honor of being the only person in the world to have blown up a nuclear reactor – deliberately.

  • The Sierra Club named Boyd as the recipient of the Ansel Adams Award.

  • He is the author and photographer of 18 books, ranging in topics from African elephants to mountain gorillas, and from Alaska wilderness to Siberia’s Lake Baikal.

  • His environmental activism has played a key role in establishing several wilderness areas in the Rocky Mountains, new national parks in Alaska, and the establishment of Lake Baikal as a World Heritage Site.

  • He is a founder and director of Serengeti Watch, a 501(c)3 non-profit devoted to the long-term protection of the Serengeti ecosystem.

uranium
uranium symbol
Hells Canyon Photos
hells canyon
  • He is a founder and Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers and the International League of Conservation Writers.

  • He was among the 100 photographers commissioned to contribute to the Documerica project, an EPA initiative launched during the Nixon administration to create a visual inventory of the environmental state of America during the 1970’s.

  • His photos and articles have appeared in many prominent and highly respected publications.

sierra club conservation handbook
Time magazine
The New York Times
Sierra Club
Smithsonian
National Audubon Society
national geographic

Learn more about Boyd’s conservation efforts and see his photography at boydnorton.com

Please consider making a contribution to this film to help inspire others to use their passion and creativity for a cause. Your gift, and this film, may well be another important inflection point, changing the trajectory of lives and the world.