Esther Horvath

Esther Horvath

A polar bear and her cub come close to equipment placed by scientists from Polarstern, a ship that is part of a scientific expedition investigating the consequences of Arctic climate change, in the central Arctic Ocean. 10 October 2019.

Esther Horvath is a photographer for the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, a National Geographic Explorer, a fellow at the International League of Conservation Photographers and a Nikon Ambassador. Her work focuses on documenting climate research in the polar regions. 

Horvath was born in Hungary and earned her master’s in economics from the University of Western Hungary. In 2012, following her passion for photography, she moved to New York City to attend the International Center of Photography, where she graduated in Documentary and Photojournalism. After living in New York City for six years, Horvath moved to Germany in 2018, where she is now based. 

Since 2015, Horvath has dedicated her photography to the polar regions, documenting 25 scientific expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctic, as well as behind-the-scenes science stories. She follows the work of several scientific groups striving to better understand the changing polar regions. In 2019-2020, she documented the MOSAiC expedition in the Central Arctic Ocean, the largest scientific expedition ever undertaken in the Arctic Ocean. 

Horvath won first prize in the World Press Photo Award, Environmental Single Category, in 2020. The same year, Horvath received the 2020 Ranger Rick Photographer of the Year Award from the National Wildlife Federation in the USA for her work inspiring a love and understanding of wildlife and the natural world in young children. In 2022, she was honored with the Infinity Award from the International Center of Photography in New York for her work in raising awareness of conservation, environmental justice and climate change. In 2024, Horvath received the National Geographic Wayfinder Award, which recognises recipients for pushing the boundaries in science, conservation, education, technology, and storytelling.

Horvath is a TEDx speaker and is actively involved in public speaking and visual science communication through books, international exhibitions, and education. 

Her photographic documentation of the expedition has been published by Prestel Verlag as Expedition Arktis (German edition) and Into the Arctic Ice (English edition). Horvath's work has been featured in National Geographic, The New York Times, GEO, Stern, TIME, The Guardian, and Audubon Magazine among others.