Anand Varma, a science photographer, was among those named 2017 Emerging Explorers by National Geographic.

The annual list, which recognizes and supports uniquely gifted and inspiring scientists, conservationists, storytellers and innovators who are changing the world, featured 14 individuals from across the globe with backgrounds ranging from photography, glaciology, conservation, geography, engineering, education and even dentistry.

Varma is a science photographer who works to tell the story behind the science of everything from primate behavior and hummingbird biomechanics to amphibian disease and forest ecology, according to National Geographic.

On his website, www.varmaphoto.com, the native of Atlanta, Ga., explained how he picked up his father's old camera and "found that I could use it to feed my curiosity about the natural world— and to share my adventures and discoveries with others."

Varma went on to graduate from U.C. Berkeley with a degree in integrative biology. He now helps biologists communicate their research through photographs, he said on his bio page.

He has assisted with 13 articles published in National Geographic since 2006. In 2010, he was honored with a Young Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society.

“These bold people with transformative ideas are taking National Geographic’s mission further and improving the world as they go,” National Geographic said in a news release.

To help this group of trailblazers expand the impact they are making in the areas of science, storytelling, education, technology and conservation around the world, National Geographic awards each of them $10,000 for research and exploration, it said.

With the help of National Geographic Society, this group of 14 will explore new frontiers and find innovative ways to remedy some of the greatest challenges facing our planet.

The 2017 class of Emerging Explorers will be honored at the National Geographic Explorers Festival in Washington, D.C., in June.

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