About

For more than forty years, Austen has been assigned work by the publishers of books, magazines, and newspapers across the world. His work is featured in the National Geographic Television documentary, “The Photographers.” Austen provided training for a National Geographic Antarctica expedition and was selected to represent the Geographic in press interviews and on radio and television. He was a staff photographer at National Geographic and taught photojournalism at the Indiana University School of Journalism.Austen’s National Geographic Magazine work includes “Papua New Guinea,” “Australia by Solar Power,” “Queensland,” Murray River,” “Australia’s Bicentenary,” as well as numerous other National Geographic Society projects in locations across Asia and the South Pacific.

National Geographic book assignments include Surprising Lands Down Under, Nature’s World of Wonders, Living on the Earth, Living Planet, Mountain World and World Heritage. His work from the Papua New Guinea highlands is featured on the cover of the National Geographic index celebrating the first 100 years of the magazine. He photographed the people of Madagascar for the Missouri Botanical Garden on a MacArthur Foundation grant.

Austen’s work appears in Ten Thousand Eyes, a Kodak-sponsored book and international traveling exhibition commemorating 150 years of photography, published by the American Society of Media Photographers, where he is a Life Member. His poignant image of a child in Nepal was selected from more than 13,000 images submitted by 12,000 photographers internationally.

In Japan, Austen photographed Osaka’s untouchables and the parents and students at exclusive prep schools favored by those seeking admission to Japan’s top universities and later, Osaka’s untouchables caste. Austen has worked internationally on assignment for the New York Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, Money Magazine, the Smithsonian, and GEO (Germany)

Corporate clients include Exxon, Bank of America, American Express, Bechtel, and Mobil, among others. Austen’s photographs are included in the corporate collection of the Nikon Corporation. He holds degrees in journalism (B.A.) and information science (M.S.).