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Biography
Cristina Goettsch Mittermeier, "Mitty", was born in Mexico City in 1966 and grew up in nearby Cuernavaca, in the sunny state of Morelos. Hailed as one of the most influential conservation photographers of our time, she has dedicated her entire life to protecting the World's oceans - inspiring millions of people to do the same.
She graduated from the ITESM University in Mexico with a degree in Biochemical Engineering in Marine Sciences.
She later attended the Fine Art Photography program at the Corcoran College for the Arts in Washington, D.C. In 2005 Mittermeier founded the prestigious International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP) to provide a platform for photographers working on environmental issues and coined the phrase "conservation photography".
In 2014 she co-founded SeaLegacy, a non-profit organization using strategic communications at the intersection of art, science, and conservation to protect and rewild the ocean for the benefit of biodiversity, humanity, and climate within our lifetimes.
Mittermeier's work has been published in hundreds of prominent magazines, including National Geographic, TIME, McLean's, The Men's Journal and O. Along with her partner, Paul Nicklen, she was named one of National Geographic's Adventurers of the Year in 2018. In 2021, she was featured in Welcome to Earth on Disney+.
“Images can help us understand the urgency many photographers feel to protect wild places. My work is about building a greater awareness of the responsibility of what it means to be human. It is about understanding that the history of every living thing that has ever existed on this planet also lives within us. It is about the ethical imperative—the urgent reminder that we are linked to all other species on this planet and that we have a duty to act as the keepers of our fellow life forms.”
Her Photographs have been exhibited in galleries around the World, including Hilton Asmus (Chicago), the Saatchi Gallery (London) and Eisele Gallery (Cincinnati). She is currently preparing for a solo exhibition at the prestigious Gallerie d'Italia in Turino, Italy.
Mittermeier is honored with many notable awards, including the Smithsonian Conservation Photographer of the Year, the Humanity Content Creator Award from HIPA and the Imaging Award for Photographers Who Give Back. In 2021, she received the Seattle Aquarium's Sylvia Earle Medal and Travel + Leisure's Global Vision Award and was named one of the 100 Latinos Most Committed to Climate Action. Additionally, she is a World Photographic Academy member and the first female photographer to reach 1M followers on Instagram.
Mittermeier is a sought-after speaker, acknowledged by Real Leaders as one of the World's Best Keynote Speakers, including being voted People's Choice. She is a Sony Artisan of Imagery and aligns with Rolex's Perpetual Planet initiative on collaborative efforts to preserve the natural World.
In 2022, she received an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts, honoris causa, from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada.
Mittermeier is a committed impact investor and an influential voice in bridging financial returns while creating a positive social and environmental impact.
She has three adult children, John, Michael and Juliana, who are passionate about nature. She lives on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada.