Hope – Cristina Mittermeier

In the story of my life, whenever I have faced a challenge, the hand of HOPE has been there to show me the way.
— Cristina Mittermeier

How the dream of a little girl came true… 

“I want to be an artist, like Frida Kahlo and I want an adventure on the high seas, like Jacques Cousteau. More than anything, I want a chance to make a difference. I want to be part of making the world a better place. Is there a way to do that and make a living? There are many injustices I need to fight. I want my life to have consequences. I want a legacy.”

In this book, with these words Cristina Mittermeier revisits her childhood and adolescent dreams growing up in Mexico.

Punctuating a retrospective of these most emblematic photos of the HOPE that she aspires to transmit to as many people as possible, this biographical text provides keys to understanding her journey and how, deep within herself, she found the resources to lead the life she had dreamed of. With humility and depth, she evokes memories of her past, inspiring others to build a life of purpose. With passion and determination, she invites us to share with her this message of HOPE that connects us to each other.

It is you, the person reading this book, gifting these words to others and sharing in the concern and the passion, that keeps the Hope alive.
— Cristina Mittermeier

Why choose HOPE?

“Hope gives you strength and shows you the path forward. Hopelessness takes away your strength and overwhelms you with despair and sadness. Around the globe and across all cultures and eras, Hope shines as a universal thread woven into the fabric of the human spirit.”
— Cristina Mittermeier 

>> After so many years traveling the world, why is it important at this moment to make Hope an essential key concept to better understand our present and build a better future?

The idea that people and nature are not isolated from each other, but are inexorably linked, is at the heart of Cristina Mittermeier’s work.

Cristina is perfectly aware, having seen and documented them, of the consequences of climate change at work on our planet: the balance between humans and nature is more fragile than ever, and the protection of biodiversity is an urgent calling we must adhere to.

And, everywhere she has been, she has observed all forms of resistance and resilience to rebuild the inalienable bond between nature and humanity. From the highlands of New Guinea to the heart of the Amazon and on all continents, men and women, united in supportive communities, perpetuate an art of living that respects the environment.

Indigenous communities from all over the world invite us to learn from their wisdom towards a more sustainable planet. Cristina makes HOPE her North Star to encourage people to reconnect with nature and correct the excesses of a system based on commercial globalization, hyper-consumption, and waste of resources.

Enoughness involves renewing our pact with all of humanity and with our planet, and this book shows the way to being better with less… Cristina tells us that encouraging virtuous actions from “below” is also powerful than imposing them “from above”, and that we all have a role to play.

With this book, Cristina aims to convey to the broadest possible audience, and with the determination that characterizes her, the HOPE she sees in the intimate link between human beings and their environment. Mitty believes that stunning visual storytelling is the key to unlocking critical action to help heal our ocean and save our planet: “I try to rebuild the bridges that create the vital psychological connection that simply says: humans cannot survive without nature—all of nature.”

The Hope community

Despite the emergence of new technologies and the digital world, books remain sacred objects that can be preserved, cherished, and shared. A book is a tangible and enduring work of art!

By participating in this crowdfunding campaign and purchasing this book, you in turn become an ambassador of HOPE: a key player in spreading it to as many people as possible.

Your commitment is an act of solidarity and part of the proceeds from the book will be donated to worthy projects so that we can further spread a sense of HOPE.

Who is Cristina “Mitty” Mittermeier?

Cristina Mittermeier has dedicated her entire professional life to championing the preservation of biodiversity and documenting the lives of indigenous peoples who struggle to continue to preserve their culture. Her commitment has been expressed for nearly 35 years through her photographic work, her involvement in environmental NGOs – since 2014 within her SeaLegacy NGO – and the writing of numerous works as author or co-author. Cristina’s work has been published in hundreds of publications, including National Geographic Magazine, McLean’s and TIME.

Cristina was born in Mexico City in 1966 and grew up in nearby Cuernavaca, in the sunny state of Morelos. She graduated from the ITESM University in Mexico with a degree in Biochemical Engineering in Marine Sciences and later attended the Fine Art Photography program at the Corcoran College for the Arts in Washington, D.C.  In 2005 she founded the prestigious International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP) to provide a platform for photographers working on environmental issues. In 2014, she co-founded SeaLegacy, a non-profit dedicated to protecting the ocean, with her partner, Canadian photographer Paul Nicklen.

Her work makes a real distinction between simply photographing nature and what it means to use images to protect nature. As an environmental activist, she pioneered the concept and field of conservation photography.

The book

Size 25.5 x 31 cm portrait
276 pages, hardback
220 pages printed 4+4 on Symbol Tatami White 200g paper with a selective gloss varnish
56 pages printed in black on mass-dyed offset paper
More than 130 color and B&W photographs
Texts: Cristina Mittermeier
Artistic direction: Juliane Cordes
The book will be bilingual (English/French)

If this crowdfunding campaign is a success, Cristina Mittermeier will entrust the publishing of her book to Hemeria, based in Paris (France), which provides support to photographers who commit to long-term projects intended to defend the preservation of the living world. Hemeria notably welcomed the work of photographer and marine biologist Laurent Ballesta in 2020 with his Planète Méditerranée and that of animal photographer Laurent Baheux in 2021 for his work Elephant. 

HOPE will benefit from the know-how and expertise of the Printmodel production agency, associated with Hemeria, which develops specific image and printing processes. In this sense, Printmodel is responsible for the production of all the books of French nature photographer Vincent Munier.

Foreword by Robert Redford

Hope does not need to be merely a passive wish, it can be an active force to propel us forward, fueling our determination to defy the odds and carve our own destiny. It’s the flicker of possibility that dances in our hearts, reminding us that even when facing challenging circumstances, there exists the potential for inspiration and renewal.  I am honored to join Cristina as she shares her remarkable and important work with the world.” 

– Robert Redford

The campaign offers

> There are several offers available to you, including special edition books and numbered prints.
Choose from the offers below, with an exclusive postcard pack add-on option at checkout.

Here is the selection of available photos to choose your art print from:

Here is the box set which will include a limited edition of the book, and a signed and numbered art print in 24×30 cm format

Exclusive Postcards

Available only during HOPE Crowdfunding Campaign.

You can get these 5 13x17cm postcards during checkout.