National Geographic Live, National Geographic’s touring speaker series, and the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts are proud to announce “A Rare Look: North Korea and Cuba” with David Guttenfelder, a National Geographic photographer and photojournalist who focuses on global geopolitics and conservation.

In 2011, David Guttenfelder made history when he helped the Associated Press open a bureau in North Korea—the first-ever Western news agency in the politically isolated country. For the first time in North Korean history, images of daily life there were sent to the world, while Guttenfelder himself acted as an unofficial ambassador. In 2016, he broke through another wall when he boarded the first cruise ship in decades to travel from the United States to Cuba, and returned to the island to cover Fidel Castro’s fourday funeral procession. His talent for crossing long-closed borders has led to some of National Geographic's most revealing geopolitical photo essays, as well as connecting people around the world through social media platforms like Instagram.

Guttenfelder has been an industry leader in smartphone photography and social media. He was named 2014 Instagram photographer of the year by TIME magazine and received the Shorty Award for online photography and the 2013 Online Journalism Award.

National Geographic Live is the live events division of National Geographic. With a broad roster of talent including renowned photographers, scientists, authors, filmmakers and adventurers, National Geographic Live’s critically acclaimed programs have connected with audiences worldwide for over a century. Currently, National Geographic Live events are held in a variety of cities around the world, including, Seattle, Tampa, Los Angeles, Florence, and Calgary. In each of these cities, speakers share behind-the-scenes stories from the front lines of exploration onstage alongside stunning imagery and gripping footage. For more information, visit natgeolive.com