Diana Cervantes is an award-winning independent visual journalist and writer based in Brooklyn, New York, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her work focuses on conservation, climate change, scientific research, and interspecies relationships, documenting the people working at the frontlines of environmental change and species survival.

Cervantes’ long-form visual practice is rooted in time, proximity, and trust. She embeds deeply with scientists, conservationists, and communities to create nuanced narratives that move between intimate moments and broader ecological contexts, emphasizing both the scientific process and the emotional weight of working in an era of accelerating loss.

She has a particular affinity for insects—especially beetles—and her work often centers on overlooked or fragile species as entry points into larger questions of responsibility, care, and human decision-making.

Comfortable working in physically demanding and remote environments, Cervantes regularly undertakes long field seasons under challenging conditions to fully understand the landscapes and people she photographs.

Her work has been published internationally, including in The New York Times, and selected projects have been acquired by the Library of Congress. Cervantes is available for commissions and collaborations worldwide.

Professional Achievements

2025: Images from her project, “Keeper of the Light,” have been acquired and are part of the permanent collection at the Library of Congress.

2023-2025: Selected for Anderson Ranch, The Center program for an advanced three-year mentorship studies with James Estrin of the New York Times and Ed Kashi from VII.

2022: Selected to attend the Eddie Adams Workshop XXXV

2022: Water Desk grantee as part of a reporting team covering climate change in NM, Colorado and Texas with Danielle Prokop and Marisa Demarco for El Paso Matters and Source NM. “CRISIS ON THE RIO GRANDE,” a 14 part series.

2020-2021: IWMF Gwen Ifill Mentorship Fellow mentored by National Geographic Photographer and Nikon Ambassador Ami Vitale.

2020: Recipient of the Associate Grant through The Yunghi Kim Grant, courtesy of Timothy Hyde.

Judges Comment: One of the talents of Diana that comes through in her photographs is making people feel at ease. Her subjects are clearly comfortable with her.  “Likable” is an important character trait of any profession but even more so in photojournalism in terms of allowing people you photograph to trust you and allow access. Yunghi Grant is happy to support her this year with a Associates Grant of $1,000, a generous donation from Timothy Hyde.  We are excited to watch Diana continued journey as a photojournalist.  

2019: Recipient of the Associate Grant through The Yunghi Kim Grant, courtesy of Manuello Paganelli.

2019: Image selected and published for National Geographic’s Your Shot “Photos of the Week” for Aug 2, 2019.

2018: Image selected for National Geographic’s Best of Your Shot 2018. Featured alongside 70 other photographers selected and curated from over 1.2 million images.

2018: Image selected and published on National Geographic Your Shot “The Daily Dozen” for Nov. 20, 2018

2018: Selected to attend Women Photograph in Brooklyn New York

2016-2018: Nominated in multiple Hearst Award categories for student journalism.

Speaking Engagements

2024: University of New Mexico, Writing for Science-based stories

2023: Auburn University, Alabama, On Multimedia Journalism

2021: La Cueva High School, Albuquerque, NM, Introduction to Photojournalism

2021: Pencil Bricks, India, Photographers as Problem Solvers

2020: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, Communications and Journalism