Watch Master Photographers online: Episode 12 Max Vadukul - Self Portrait

It's easy to take for granted the images that provide us with a window on the world - the photographs that give form and color to imagination and help shape our understanding of the world and all that is in it. Some of the people behind the camera are every bit as fascinating as their subjects. The photographers whose work grace the pages of National Geographic magazine are the very best in their field, whether they specialize in nature, travel and adventure, sports or portrait. While profiling some of these preeminent shooters themselves, this series adds a special twist: inviting each photographer to choose his or her own "self portrait" location anywhere around the world. By filming the artists within a setting of their choice, the series provides viewers with a uniquely insightful rendering into the personalities behind the cameras. "Self-Portrait" also pays homage to the craft of photography in all its wonderful diversity. How does the work of the shooter who sits quietly in the bush for hours compare with that of the frenetic war photographer? How can a person photograph the horrors of war or catastrophe without being changed forever? And just who are the artists who capture images from seemingly impossible vantage points like the top of the world, bottom of the ocean - even inside the human body? Shot on film and DVC, this series will give audiences rare insights into the craft of photography as it introduces them to the men and women who, through their work, act as our eyes on the world.

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