Nathalie Bertrams is a freelance photographer, journalist and National Geographic Explorer. She reports on environmental conflicts, global trade, human rights and social justice, mainly across Africa. Nathalie’s work is published in media such as The Guardian, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Al Jazeera, BBC News, Mongabay and De Groene Amsterdammer. She also makes TV documentaries for ZDF/Arte. Nathalie has received multiple grants and awards for her storytelling, including from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, IWMF, Fonds BJP, IJ4EU and Journalismfund Europe.
Studies
1994 – 2002 Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, Germany – MFA
2001 Nagoya Zokei University of Art & Design, Japan – Artist residency
1998 Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France – Artist residency
1997 – 1998 San Francisco Art Institute, USA – Postgraduate Studies
1988 – 1993 Akademie Beeldende Kunsten Maastricht, Netherlands – BA
Media
Al Jazeera, Arte/ZDF, BBC News, China Dialogue, Chrismon, Courrier international, Daily Maverick, Dagbladet Information, Deutsche Welle, De Groene Amsterdammer, Der Standard, Die Welt, Die Zeit, Financial Times, Granta, Hinterlands, Internazionale, Irish Times, La Corriere della Sera, Lettre International, Mail & Guardian, MO*, Mongabay, New Internationalist, NRC, PRI/The World, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Sunday Times, Tages-Anzeiger, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Wall Street Journal, Voice of America, Vreme, Washington Post Magazine
NGOs & Clients
African Renewable Energy Alliance, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bloomberg, BMZ, GAGE, GiZ, Goethe Institute, Greenpeace, Fairtrade International, Heinrich Böll Foundation, Max Havelaar, Overseas Development Institute (ODI), Oxfam, Rabobank, SVN Netherlands Development Organisation, UNOPS, Volkswagen, Welthungerhilfe, World Future Council
Grants & Awards
2023 Stiftung Kulturwerk/ VG Bildkunst – Photography grant, South Africa
Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting – Japan
Fonds Bijzondere Journalistieke Projecten – Mauritania
Journalismfund Europe – Earth Investigations Grant, Latvia+Estonia
Kolga Tbilisi Photo Awards, Georgia – Shortlist
Journalismfund Europe – Earth Investigations Grant, Cameroon
Dejan Anastasijević Award for Investigative Journalism, Serbia – Winner
2022 Superscrieri Award, Romania – Winner local news + jury prize
Dejan Anastasijevic award, Serbia – Nomination
Journalismfund Europe – Earth Investigations Grant, Guinea
IWMF – Howard G. Buffett Fund for Women Journalists, Ireland
Journalismfund Europe – European Cross-Border Grant, Serbia
Free Press Unlimited – Reporting grant, Ireland
Fonds Bijzondere Journalistieke Projecten – Suriname & the Netherlands
2021 National Geographic Explorer – Storytelling grant, Romania+Ukraine
Fonds Bijzondere Journalistieke Projecten – Reporting grant, Georgia
Fetisov Journalism Awards – Shortlist for Outstanding Investigative Reporting
2020 N-Ost/Renovabis – Research Prize Eastern Europe, Georgia
IJ4EU – Investigative Reporting Grant, Romania
2019 Kolga Tbilisi Photo Awards – Shortlist
Robert Bosch Foundation – Reporters in the Field fellowship, Indonesia + Singapore
Fonds Bijzondere Journalistieke Projecten – Reporting grant
Free Press Unlimited – Reporting grant, Kenya
2018 Earth Journalism Network – Reporting grant
National Geographic Explorer – Storytelling grant, South Africa
Hostwriter Story Prize – Winner
European Journalism Center – Global Health Journalism grant, DRCongo
2017 Free Press Unlimited – Reporting Grant, Madagascar
Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting – Reporting grant, Malawi
Stiftung Kunstfonds – Project grant, Israel
2016 Hostwriter Story Prize – Winner
Martin Lagois Photo Prize – Finalist
Kuala Lumpur International Photoawards – Finalist
2015 Kolga Tbilisi Photo Awards– Shortlist
European Commission – Lorenzo Natali Media Prize, Mozambique
Felix Schoeller Photo Awards – Shortlist & Finalist
Books
2018 Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting: Toxic Planet
2017 Bertrams/Gazit: Outcast – Refugees in Israel
2016 International Journal of Media and Information Policy (MIPJ): Indigenous Edition
2015 World Future Council: Kinderrechte
2013 Bertrams: Madagascar. Travel photography
2012 Bertrams/Neuberger: Forests for People – Insights into Rwanda’s Forest Policy
Bertrams: Crossing Borders – Vom Atlas zur Goldküste
Bertrams: Crossing Borders – Vom Kap bis Kairo
Hefat training
2022 Cosain Consultancy & Acos Alliance, Birmingham, UK
Affiliations
Reporters Without Borders, International Press Institute, Frontline Freelance Register, Women Photograph