Portrait of a smiling man outside Shackleton's Nimrod hut in Antarctica, ambassador photo

Richard Sidey

Richard Sidey is an award-winning New Zealand photographer and filmmaker whose work focuses on wildlife, conservation, adventure and some of the world’s most remote wilderness areas. Based in the South Island, he has spent many years documenting the polar regions and photographing animals and landscapes in places ranging from Antarctica and the Arctic to forests, mountains and oceans. His images often capture dramatic light, powerful wildlife encounters and the raw beauty of wild places.

Aerial of a humpback whale beside a zodiac of researchers with a rainbow in the blow
Black and white aerial of broken pack ice on a dark polar sea
Two emperor penguins facing each other in falling snow, Antarctica
A humpback whale surfacing with its mouth open beside an iceberg, Antarctica A polar bear resting on the flat top of an iceberg above still water Penguins on an iceberg below a towering blue ice cliff Aerial of a turquoise tabular iceberg in dark Antarctic water

Alongside his photography, Sidey is known for creating visually immersive films, including Speechless: The Polar Realm, Elementa, Spellbound and Whales in a Changing Ocean. He co-founded the New Zealand production company Galaxiid, and his work has received numerous awards for cinematography, wildlife and environmental filmmaking. Through both photography and film, Richard Sidey aims to encourage people to appreciate the natural world and recognise the importance of protecting it.

Explore Richard's Work