On Earth Day we celebrate this wonderful planet we call home. Photographers near and far are using the occasion to share the beauty of the natural world on Instagram, reminding us of all we must respect and protect. We’ve compiled some of our favorite Earth Day posts from members of the Sony Alpha Family. See how they’re using their photography to spread the word and follow their accounts for more. Be sure to visit @sonyalpha on Instagram today for a special Earth Day #CreatorConversations with Chris Burkard.

Cristina Mittermeier – @mitty

Cristina Mittermeier is a conservation photographer and co-founder of @SeaLegacy, an organization dedicated to promoting the protection of the world’s oceans through storytelling. The Sony Artisan and Alpha Female shares some of the beautiful images she’s captured across the world today and says, “Every day I awake to the sound of waves rising to a light chop on the surface and the gentle stirring of the sea breeze in our sails and I am certain that every day should be Earth Day.” Read more about her conservation journey with Sea Legacy here.

Chris Burkard – @chrisburkard

Chris Burkard is an accomplished explorer, photographer, creative director, speaker, and author. The Sony Artisan travels throughout the year, capturing stories to inspire others to think about their current relationship with nature and to promote the preservation of wild places. His images are powerful, and you can learn more about his thoughts on conservation, photography and his creative drive in our Earth Day Conversation With Chris Burkard. You can also catch him today in a special Earth Day @sonyalpha #CreatorConversations on the @sonyalpha Instagram.

Paul Nicklen – @paulnicklen

Paul Nicklen is a conservation photographer and the other co-founder of @SeaLegacy. Today on Earth Day the Sony Artisan posts this photo he took while hanging out with 14-foot tiger sharks and says, “The real dream is that through @SeaLegacy, we will shoot the visuals and tell the stories necessary to help serve our only planet inspiring and empowering others to do the same.” If you missed our behind the scenes on Sea Legacy's conservation journey, you can watch it here.

Peter McBride – @pedromcbride

Peter McBride is a Sony Artisan and @natgeo photographer and filmmaker based in Colorado. He's been to over 75 countries on assignment and uses his Instagram account to share his adventures and inform people about the importance of conservation. Today he posts images of the Colorado River with the caption, “Water. Drought. Food. Climate. Innovate—I’m excited to share my work on these subjects tomorrow with one of the oldest energy and water providers. in the southwest. I’ve documented my backyard River and its challenges for almost two decades, so I’m always honored to share my journey with managers that keep our taps running while keeping an eye on the natural systems that sustain us.”

Renan Ozturk – @renan_ozturk

Renan Ozturk is a filmmaker, photojournalist and Sony Artisan. He explores some of the most challenging environments in order to bring compelling stories to the rest of the world. He posts this incredible series of images below and writes, "Happy Earth Day! Sending love to each texture, each landscape, each ecosystem and every molecule on this planet."

Tiffany Nguyen – @tiffpenguin

Tiffany Nguyen is a Los Angeles-based travel photographer and member of the Alpha Collective. She posts gorgeous nature shots from all over the world, and hopes to inspire others to get outside and discover their own adventures. Today, she shares this colorful image and says, “Happy Earth Day! We are so lucky to call this place home so let’s protect it every single day.” 

Andy Best – @andy_best

Andy Best is a photographer and member of the Alpha Collective. His passion for photography has led him from one adventure to the next, traveling via van with his family to explore the natural beauty across the world. You can catch a lot of that beauty he’s captured in the video he posted today for Earth Day. In his caption he encourages everyone to, “Add a +ONE to every activity outside: Pick up trash, be kind, help someone, educate considerately, drive slow, thank a ranger, look for anything to help make our outdoor spaces and the world a better place.” What a great idea! 

Autumn Schrock – @autpops

Autumn Schrock is a photographer and designer specializing in outdoor lifestyle, travel, and landscape photography. The Alpha Collective member strives to showcase the immense beauty of our world and to encourage others to get out and explore. She's working to educate herself on more ways to bring sustainability into her everyday routine and encourages you to do the same. "If you aren’t already making alterations to your day-to-day, I hope that you’ll join me this year in making changes that matter."

Nate Luebbe – @nateinthewild

Nate Luebbe is a Sony photographer and member of the Alpha Collective. Everything in his life has been based around nature, and today for Earth Day he's committing to being completely carbon neutral. He says, "I keep hearing 'be the change you want to see' and so I will be. I invite you all to join me, and do all we can to reduce our individual impact on this planet." 

Oveck Reyes – @oveck

Oveck Reyes is a photographer, visual artist, storyteller and travel enthusiast. The Alpha Collective member posts this phenomenal landscape shot from Queenstown, New Zealand and says, “‘Earth Day’ is every day! Let’s take care of our beautiful planet.” We couldn’t agree more!