JOSH
EDELSON
“15 years on the front lines of California’s climate crisis: wildfires, drought, floods, and the story that defines our era.”
About Josh
Josh Edelson is one of America’s foremost visual chroniclers of the climate crisis. Since 2012, Edelson has photographed for AFP, the Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, and dozens of others, documenting more than 100 major California wildfires, from the Camp Fire, the deadliest in state history, to the January 2025 LA fires, the most expensive ever recorded. His coverage extends beyond fire: drought, floods, hurricanes, and natural disasters across the globe.
Edelson’s images have been shared by heads of state and appeared in White House briefings. In 2025 he received a solo exhibition at Visa pour l’Image in France (the world’s premier photojournalism festival) and at Xposure in Dubai, where he was awarded the IFPA (Independent Freelance Photographer Award). He also works as a commercial photographer for Fortune 500 companies.
Keynote Topics
Talks tailored to your audience: from journalism and climate to corporate and creative stages.
“Fire Brain”: Danger, Instinct & What the Front Lines Do to Your Mind
The psychology and physical reality of sustained disaster coverage: adrenaline loops, split-second decisions, and the unexpected dangers that come with every type of disaster, from wildfire behavior to floodwater currents to hurricane chaos. First-person from Camp Fire, Dixie, Caldor & LA 2025.
Ideal for: Journalism, emergency management, climate, resilience & insurance
Two Worlds, One Photographer: From Fire Gear to Fortune 500
Fire gear to flood gear to a suit for a Fortune 500 boardroom, sometimes in the same week. A candid look at what it takes to move between extreme environments and executive suites, and what each world teaches the other.
Ideal for: SXSW, Adobe MAX, creative & marketing conferences
The New Normal: Visual Evidence of a Climate System Rewriting Its Rules
From fires generating their own weather to January urban wildfires in LA: what “unprecedented” looks like burning in front of you.
Ideal for: Climate, infrastructure, utility & insurance/reinsurance summits
The Photo Nobody Wanted to See: Ethics, Access & Truth at the Edge
What earns front-line access, when restraint is the right call, and what journalism owes the people it photographs.
Ideal for: NPPA, World Press Photo, journalism schools & media ethics panels
Seen On Camera
France 24 · “Inside the Flames,” filmed at Visa pour l’Image
Awards & Recognition
- 2026 Istanbul Photo Awards1st Prize, Story: Nature & Environment
- 2026 Xposure IFPA AwardIndependent Freelance Photographer Award
- 2025 Varenne/Canon Grand PrixCeremony at the French Senate, Paris
- 2025 Visa pour l’ImageSolo Exhibition, Perpignan, France
- 2021 CCNow AwardFirst Prize, Photography (inaugural)
- NPPA Best of Photojournalism2nd Place, Environment (2019 & 2021)
Trusted By
Clients & publications include:
Bring Josh to Your Stage
Available for keynotes, panels, festival talks & workshops.