ECAD Paradise Found Photo Contest

Where do you find Paradise?

Enter your favorite pictures from paradise in our Paradise Found Photo Contest for a chance to win a ticket to the 121st Explorers Club Annual Dinner.

From the depths of the Amazon to the peaks of the Himalayas, Explorers Club Members are finding and protecting paradise in every biome, continent, and ocean.

In partnership with our friends at Nomatic, showcase what makes your paradise special by submitting your favorite expedition photos for a chance to win a Nomatic Camera Pack, a feature at ECAD weekend, or even a ticket to the show.

Entries must be submitted by December 20th at 12:00pm EST.

1 Grand Prize Winner will receive one ticket to the 121st Explorers Club Annual Dinner, a Nomatic McKinnon Camera Pack 35L, have the image featured at ECAD 2025, and published as a main spread in the ECAD 2025 program.

4 Finalists will receive a Nomatic McKinnon Camera Pack 25L and their photo featured around the ECAD 2025 weekend.

8 Semi-Finalists will have their photo featured around the ECAD 2025 weekend.

The Jury

Brendan Hall is a filmmaker and speaker sharing stories in the natural world and beyond. As a director, cinematographer and editor, he has traveled to all seven continents directing projects for leading nonprofits and brands – on land, in the air, and beneath the sea. His award winning debut feature documentary, Out There: A National Parks Story, follows a 10,000 mile road trip though the U.S. national parks to reveal a profound tapestry of human stories. In his work, Brendan is committed to sharing awe, empathy and reverence on our planet in hopes that we may be inspired to preserve it for future generations.

Jennifer Hayes is a contributing photographer and speaker for National Geographic Partners. Jennifer is an aquatic biologist who has directed her focus to photojournalism specializing in natural history, conservation, and the documentation of freshwater and marine environments. She and her partner, David Doubilet, collaborate on assignments from the equator to the polar ice. She has descended beneath Botswana’s Okavango Delta, explored the world beneath oil and gas rigs, documented remote and wild Cuba, and submerged into Greenland’s fjords choked with icebergs.

Karim Iliya is a photographer, filmmaker, and whale swimming guide based in Iceland. He also co-founded Kogia, an ocean conservation non-profit. Karim grew up in the Middle East and Asia and developed an insatiable curiosity for the natural world which has taken him into the midst of exploding volcanoes, battling whales, ice worlds of the Arctic, and many of the incredible places where humans and animals make their homes. Through his photography and films, Karim takes his audiences to hidden underwater worlds and documents other natural places in an effort to protect Earth’s delicate ecosystems.

Taira Malaney is a writer, director, and editor from Goa, India. She founded Emaho Films in 2016 to tell powerful, character-driven stories that explore profound relationships between humans and the natural world, harnessing the emotional power of these stories to create on-ground impact-driven campaigns. An avid diver, Taira has created several award-winning short films and recently released her first feature film, Turtle Walker.

Christopher Michel is a portrait photographer specializing in telling stories of humans working in the most extreme locations on the planet.  He’s also the inaugural Artist-in-Residence at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine.  His “New Heroes” project is focused on elevating the work of scientists, engineers and medical professionals in society.

Ricardo A. Nascimento is an accomplished underwater cinematographer, director and Sony Wildlife Photographer with over ten years of experience in the industry. Based in Lisbon, Portugal, he specializes in capturing stunning visuals of marine life, adventure, and sports projects worldwide. Ricardo combines his Mechanical Engineering background with his artistic vision to excel in challenging underwater environments.

Fiona Tande is a Kenyan wildlife filmmaker and founder of Pridelands Films and its initiative, Pridelands Wildlife Film Festival. Her work emphasizes wildlife conservation, community outreach, and elevating local filmmakers. Fiona’s leadership in organizing Africa’s first wildlife film festival showcases her commitment to conservation through storytelling.

Peter Domorak is a self-taught photographer, focusing on environmental and documentary style photography. He focuses on the people in his photos. The camera is a wonderful, magical thing – show your sincerity and passion, come with a camera, and people will tell you their stories. Peter believes The Explorers Club is a one-of-a-kind place and is honored to be their ECAD event photographer.

Andy Earl is the Director of Photography at NOMATIC. Based in Orem, Utah, Andy is a photographer and artist specializing in studio, outdoor, and commercial work. With roots in rock climbing and skiing- curiosity and storytelling drive the craft. Learning to shape, chase, and capture light has deepened connections with new people and places along the way.

Jamie Robinson, the ECAD Committee Chair and VP of Corporate Development, has been intimately involved in virtually every aspect of the broadly defined sports and entertainment marketing world. Jamie began his career as a certified NFL agent and has created national marketing campaigns on behalf of a number of the nation’s leading marketers and brands. Jamie is also a forager, seeker of Earth’s treasures, and dinosaur “hunter,” proving that the T-Rex lived in Montana, without any previously documented dinosaur history.