Bob Tope has been a professional photographer, artist, and writer for more than 30 years, focusing his talents on natural history and conservation. Over the years his award-winning work has been published in more than thirty books and hundreds of articles, and is held in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian, the National Park Service, and the National Geographic Society.
He began his career at the Byrd Polar Research Center working in Arctic and Alpine Research worldwide. In 1988 he joined National Geographic magazine as Senior Designer of the Cartographic Division specializing in natural history subjects. Going freelance in the mid-90s to raise his son, his assignments soon included the Smithsonianmagazine, The Nature Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation, and the National Park Service, along with National Geographic.
Today, as the Managing Editor of Nature’s Best Photography magazine, he works closely with featured photographers. He also serves as a judge in the prestigious Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards competition, and the new Ocean Views Photography Competition.
Bob also teaches nature photography as an adjunct professor for George Mason University at the Smithsonian Conservation Research Center, furthering his commitment to inspiring others to appreciate and protect our natural environment.
