Last month we had the privilege of sitting down for coffee with Micah Albert in downtown LA to discuss his upcoming photojournalism project in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya and a long-term partnership with Apolis. Read Micah’s story below and make sure to scroll down to his breathtaking photos from around the world at the bottom of the page.

In many ways, Micah Albert is your typical family man living the American dream. In his early thirties, he lives in a quiet neighborhood in Fair Oaks, CA with his wife Lindsey and daughter Norah. He’s quick to highlight his love for Americana music, hiking in the Sierra’s, and long meals with friends and neighbors. If you probe a bit deeper, however, you begin to discover that Micah’s life is anything but typical.

In 2005, Micah and Lindsey went on a short-term volunteer trip to Kenya and DR Congo. While there, Micah used his exceptional photography skill, an art passed down to him by his grandfather, to document the people and culture of the region. This brief experience dramatically altered the trajectory of the Alberts’ lives and Micah became captivated by the prospect of using photojournalism to shed light on the under-covered issues and untold stories of difficult-to-access regions.

Since 2006, Micah has traveled to over 60 countries, 25 refugee camps, six conflict zones, four rebel-controlled territories, and has worked on over 75 reportage stories. His photographs have appeared in publications worldwide including The New York Times, Time, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, National Geographic, and BBC News. Two memorable reportage stories from Micah’s long litany of successful projects include his work on food insecurity in Yemen and civil war in The Sudan.

Micah is the definition of a global citizen. He reads voraciously, travels frequently, but is always asking good questions and carries himself with humility. When meeting with Micah, we were struck by his willingness to patiently share stories about the adventures he has captured with his lens. His current project is a two-week investigation into the waste management disaster of Nairobi’s Dandora Municipal Dump Site. This project is supported by a grant from the Pullitzer Center for Crisis Reporting and we look forward to highlighting Micah’s photos and reporting from this project and future projects here on our Apolis Journal.

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