In Luminous: A Field Guide for Visual Explorers and Storytellers , award-winning photographer and visual storyteller Kike Calvo — Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and The Explorers Club, and a National Geographic Certified Educator —  invites readers into the mindset of a photographic explorer : someone who moves slowly, listens deeply, and photographs with intention. Bridging photography, visual anthropology, and global exploration, this guide inspires a deeper way of seeing, feeling, and connecting through images. It offers practical tools, reflective insights, and field-tested assignments that transform photography into an act of presence, empathy, and storytelling. In his foreword to Kike's book Corpus Christi in Atánquez, renowned anthropologist Wade Davis described him as "a worldly and seasoned photographer, and a fresh voice in the world of visual anthropology." That spirit infuses every page of this guide. Inside, you'll find:   Practical tools to elevate your visual storytelling - Field assignments to sharpen perception and cultural sensitivity - QR codes linking to expert interviews and immersive videos - Reflections on ethics, creativity, and the power of observation - Black-and-white photographs from real-world projects ¨Not just a field guide— but a companion for explorers, a map for the curious, and a call to see not with your eyes, but with your soul.¨ ¨In a world of distraction, this guide is a call to presence— to see deeply, feel honestly, and create with care.¨ ¨Few people I've met work as hard—or are as productive— as Kike Calvo. But that's not the main thing. What sets Kike apart is his restless creativity. He's always searching, always striving to do more, to do better. Always looking for connections—among people, across cultures, and between generations.../... Kike now offers us this remarkable, thoughtful, and comprehensive book. I will be referring to it myself, and I'll be recommending it to others.¨ ~ Carl Safina, Ph.D. Endowed Chair for Nature and Humanity, Stony Brook University MacArthur Fellow and Peabody Award-Winning Author ¨I've known Kike professionally for many years. We worked together at National Geographic, where I was editor-in-chief of the Society's daily news website and he distinguished himself not only as a prolific photographer but also as a gifted storyteller, using photography to convey narratives of real depth and resonance. This remarkable new book captures the essence of how he honed his craft to tell stories through images. It goes far beyond composition or the search for perfect natural light. Particularly valuable is the way he incorporates the perspectives and advice of many of our colleagues, offering readers a rich spectrum of expertise in their own voices. After reading it, no one will approach photography in quite the same way again.¨ ~ David Max Braun, Journalist Former Vice President Editor-in-Chief for National Geographic Digital Media Former Fulbright-National Geographic Program Director ¨Luminous is a masterpiece beautifully illustrated with Calvo's own amazing photographs. Yet I'm unable to put it in a category or genre. It is somehow simultaneously a "how-to" practical guide, a primer on visual art philosophy, a bit of autobiography, and ultimately a coffee table book. In fact, I've now moved my copy from the bedroom pile to the living room coffee table, where friends and visitors can crack it open. I taught visual storytelling for nearly four decades. Luminous is the textbook I always wanted my students to learn from, but it didn't exist. Not until now.¨ ~ Sam H. Ham, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Conservation Social Sciences College of Natural Resources. University of Idaho ¨The deeper we see, the deeper we connect. This is not a technical manual. It is a roadmap for those who long to wander not just across continents, but into the very heart of what it means to be human.¨  ~ Kike Calvo ¨This guide is the distillation of a life spent walking alongside strangers, learning from elders, waiting for light, and listening with my whole being. It is also an invitation—to slow down, to look more closely, to feel more deeply, and to photograph with soul.¨ ~ Kike Calvo Kike Calvo (pronounced Kee-Keh) is an award-winning photographer, journalist, and author focused on culture and the environment. He is also a National Geographic Certified Educator and a Fellow at the Explorers Club and the Royal Geographic Society.  Kike is the recipient of the 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 Safina Center Fellowship. He has been on assignment in dozens of countries, working on stories ranging from belugas in the Arctic to traditional Hmong costumes in Laos. Kike's images have been published in National Geographic Magazine, The New York Times, Time, among others. A National Geographic Certified Educator and a former contributor to National Geographic's Voices blog, his images are represented by AP Images and Redux Pictures. He has