Episode 45 • Kiliii Yüyan
Zach & Courtney interview Kiliii Yüyan, National Geographic photographer, Explorer, and speaker. Kiliii’s work focuses on indigenous communities around the world with special attention to environmental issues.
Indigenous Photography
Kiliii is himself of Chinese and Nanai/Hèzhé descent and speaks often of how his own background informs his photography with Indigenous people of the world. He spends extended periods with each group of people that he photographs, building relationships and serving as an active member of the communities.
Kiliii has photographed Indigenous communities and environments across the globe, such as Mongolia, Palau, and the Navajo Nation. His immersive approach is apparent in all aspects of his work, from the unusual scenes he's able to capture, to the descriptions he writes for each photograph. Kiliii is clearly well versed in the cultures he's documenting.
Backstory
Yüyan took up photography only in his 30's, when as a traditional kayak builder he began photographing his work. As a visual artist, photography came naturally, and he was photographing for National Geographic in just about 3 years.
An award winning photographer, Killiii has also earned 3 covers for National Geographic and his work has also been featured in TIME, Vogue, and WIRED. Yüyan is a keynote speaker through Changemaker Talent with appearances at TEDx, and NatGeo Live, among others.
Current Work
In February 2026, Kiliii published a new book: Guardians of Life: Indigenous Knowledge, Indigenous Science, and Restoring the Planet. Guardians of Life features a decade of of his photos and includes contributions from two dozen Indigenous authors.
Yüyan is currently working on project in the arctic, photographing Greenland sharks under the ice. He's famously known for his encounters with polar bears, sharks, and other wildlife where he captures stunning images under intense pressure.
Index
0:00 - Intro: Indigenous communities are the best conservationists
0:52 - Introducing photographer Kiliii Yüyan
3:41 - Three years to becoming a National Geographic photographer
5:28 - Combining aesthetics and storytelling
9:03 - Becoming a part of the community you’re photographing
11:24 - How Kiliii finds the stories he tells
17:44 - The business of documentary photography: grants, speaking engagements, and more
32:35 - Bringing indigenous heritage to documentary photography
39:50 - A natural skill for storytelling
42:59 - Pushing past your discomfort to find success
46:12 - New book: Guardians of Life
53:22 - Indigenous conservation: Treating land as a museum vs a home
59:05 - Kiliii explains “solutions journalism”
1:06:20 - Book publisher Braided River’s unique approach
1:10:26 - Documentary photography is for kids, too
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About the Podcast
Photography is Nothing with Zach Dobson and Courtney McCracken is a weekly conversation about photography and all its impact. Each week Zach and Courtney discuss their latest adventures, life lessons, and anything else that sounds interesting.
Photography is Nothing invites you into the conversations they were already having as a married couple running a photography and media company in the current world.
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