Ole J Liodden

Founder, Expedition Leader

Ole J Liodden from Norway is a multi-award winning wildlife photographer and the founder and owner (together with his wife Kirsti) of WildPhoto Travel.


About

Ole J is the one who makes it all happen in the company. He is our COO and also CFO, and the one who sets course, make plans and secure your overall good experience when traveling with us.

Oles experience as a photo guide and expedition leader has led him to destinations such as Svalbard (60+ times), Antarctica, Greenland, Alaska, Africa, New Zealand, Russia's Far East, and the Galapagos.

Before Ole became a full-time photographer (in 2003) he got Master's degrees from the University in Ås (Norway) in Natural Resource Management, Resource Economics, and Environmental Politics. He has also studied Wildlife Management, Ornithology, and Mammalogy at the University of Alaska (UAF). Ole has always been interested in environmental conservation and resource management, and now he uses his photography as a tool to get more interest in environmental issues in the Arctic and also marine ecosystems.

Ole J Liodden was chosen as one of the photographers for the Wild Wonders of Europe project – the world’s largest communication project regarding nature and environmental conservation in Europe. He has previously been a Canon Ambassador (2008-2010) and Nikon Ambassador (2010-2012) in Norway. He is now using Sony cameras.

In the past 10 years, Ole has published 7 books about nature and photography. His images have received 3 awards in the prestigious competition Wildlife Photographer of the Year (Winner in 2012) and 8 awards in the GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year photo contest. He was awarded The Arctic Photographer of the Year in 2012 by the Global Arctic Award. Ole is considered to be one of the top wildlife photographers in Europe.

In the last few years, Ole has been dedicated to conservation and has founded the Polar Bears & Humans project. This project is about the interaction between polar bears and humans; climate change, hunting, trophy hunting, problem bears, and the commercial skin trade. Ole is also one of the photographers behind the Photographers Against Wildlife Crimes project.

Gallery

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Latest Achievements

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25.10 2025  Winning image in GDT 2025

Ole J succeeded with his Royal Penguin image in the prestigues photo competition GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025. The image of Royal penguins in Macquarie Island received a Highly Commended in the Underwater category. This is his ninth awarded image in international GDT photo competition.
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21.10 2025  Golden Panda Award

The Documentary film Trade Secret was celebrated as the Overall Panda Award Winner 2025. Ole J is one of the key persons in the film, where an important part of the film follows his work and passion to reveal the commercial trade and hunting of polar bears.

Books

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Polar Bears & Humans

Given the real impacts that global warming has already had on polar bear habitat, most people assume these bears are protected. If they are aware that polar bear hunting occurs, they believe it is minimal, well managed and carefully controlled – a traditional practice carried out by only a small number of Indigenous people in the Arctic. We tend to believe such hunting is “sustainable” and for “subsistence” purposes, and therefore not a real threat to polar bears. But is this really true?