Jacob Maentz

Jacob Maentz is an American documentary photographer, author, and conservation biologist who has lived in the Philippines since 2003. For more than a decade, he has collaborated with Indigenous communities and groups who have been historically marginalized, using photography as a means of connection, advocacy, and storytelling. His 2022 book, Homelands, explores indigeneity and the deep relationships between place and people.

Jacob approaches his work with an awareness of historical power dynamics, seeking to acknowledge past transgressions while fostering conversations on reconciliation, representation, and land stewardship.

His books—including World Heritage Sites and Living Cultures of the Philippines, Ifugao: People of the Earth, and Muslim Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago: A Current of Narratives—reflect this commitment. From global travel assignments to commissions for organizations such as the Rights and Resources Initiative and the World Wildlife Fund, his work has reached international audiences. His photography has appeared in Geographical, GEO, Orion Magazine, and Vogue, as well as on billboards in Times Square and Piccadilly Circus, and in exhibitions such as Archipelagic States at the UN Headquarters. Jacob is an alumnus of the Blue Earth Alliance and was a Leica Oskar Barnack Award (LOBA) nominee in 2021.

Jacob is currently expanding his work to look at the intersection of traditional knowledge, spirituality and conservation. He is available for assignments globally.