Robbie Shone Photography

06/12/2026

This weekend, Austrian people in the region of Tirol are celebrating The Herz-Jesu Festival. Born out of the Napoleonic War. When in 1796, Napoleon’s armies came closer and closer to Tirol, the area was made ready for war. It was decided that Tirol would commit to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ (Herz-Jesu), i.e. to trust in God. From June 1, 1796, this feast day was celebrated with a solemn religious service, and then 80 years later, mountain fires were added to the festival. The fires are mainly a sign of gratitude and remembrance of the victory of the Tirolean National hero and freedom fighter - Andreas Hofer over the troops of Napoleon I and the Bavarian troops that were occupying the holy land Tirol. These four photographs were taken on an assignment for Nat Geo. National Geographic Travel Tirol 🇦🇹

06/11/2026

A creative pause during the expedition. This pen and ink sketch, drawn in my leather-bound journal, captures the three National Geographic Explorers in silhouette as they look out from the entrance of Vilina Pećina cave during the “Guardians of the Karst: Protecting the Disappearing Rivers of Bosnia and Herzegovina” Meridian Grant project that I had the privilege to help work on. It was nice to set the camera aside for a moment, step away from the photo assignment, and return to an art form I’ve practiced for as long as I can remember. Sometimes a sketch can tell the story just as well asNational Geographic Societytpaper republiclic

06/07/2026

Seeing my exhibition at the Horizonte Zingst Photo Festival both in daylight and in the dark at night was incredibly emotional. These caves have existed in complete darkness for hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of years. To see them printed on such a large scale was overwhelming in the best possible way, as it was exactly how I had imagined experiencing these photographs when I first captured them. That sense of scale has always been at the heart of my work. I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the festival curator, Edda Fahrenhorst, who thankfully shared the same vision. You have fulfilled a dream I first had more than two decades ago, and for that I will always be grateful. A huge thank-you as well to Rico, Bert, Florian, and the entire team who helped bring this incredible festival to life. What you have all created is truly something very special. And finally, thank-you to all the wonderful people who took the time to speak with me and share such kind words about the photographs. It means more than I can express to know that this work is appreciated in the way it is. I am deeply grateful! Fotofestival »horizonte zingst«

06/03/2026

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s karst rivers flow through caves and sinkholes, creating unique habitats that support exceptional biodiversity. Rivers such as the Buna, Bregava and Neretva have shaped the landscape for millennia, while the region’s caves host many highly specialized and vulnerable species. This biodiversity is threatened by the Upper Horizons hydropower project, which is expected to significantly alter Herzegovina’s hydrology. Researchers documenting these ecosystems have rediscovered Telestes dabar, a fish once thought extinct, and identified a new cave beetle and parasitic fungus, both likely found nowhere else. Using environmental DNA, barcoding and traditional taxonomy, the team is mapping hidden biodiversity and supporting conservation efforts. Yet many species remain undiscovered, and ongoing construction means time is running out to protect them. Last in this series is a photograph of Dr. Iva Njunjić taking a specimen from a cave called Provalija.

06/03/2026

How did I miss this! Bravo Roberto Rojo and the Cenotes Urbanos - More awareness needed!

Beneath the Yucatán Peninsula lies a sacred Mayan cave, once believed to be 'a gateway to the underworld'.

06/01/2026

On my way home from the most incredible and unforgettable expedition to the Grand Canyon. What a privilege! Thanks everyone involved. You really made it a very special experience! Thanks Irina for capturing this awesome moment that I looked forward to every single day! All will be revealed very soon.

06/01/2026

I’m in Las Vegas, heading home after an incredible and unforgettable expedition to the Grand Canyon. More from that later…
This portrait of Matej Vucić in Bosnia and Herzegovina was photographed just before I left for the Grand Canyon, documenting the invisible stories hidden beneath the water’s surface. The device in his hand is more than a sampling tool. It’s an environmental DNA (eDNA) filtration system. Using glass fiber membranes with 1 micron pores, it filters water and captures traces of DNA left behind by the animals that live there. Each sample creates a snapshot of biodiversity, revealing species that may never appear in front of the camera.
A portrait of exploration, science, and the unseen connections flowing through every river.

05/15/2026

In the caves of Bosnia and Herzegovina, I had the privilege of documenting the inspiring work of a group of National Geographic Explorers, who have been awarded an NGS Meridian Grant entitled “Guardians of the Karst”. They are working to document the rivers both above and below ground before they change beyond recognition. This moment here captures biologist Dr. Iva Njunjić carefully sampling insects from the walls of Gajova Jama (cave). Her meticulous work helps to reveal the fragile ecosystems thriving far beneath the surface that desperately needs protecting.
As always, I’m eternally grateful for the trust, the patience, the mud (which there was lots in one cave), the laughter, and the reminder that exploration is still very much alive, especially underground!

05/09/2026

Grateful, and quietly humbled, to see my photograph on the front cover of the June 2026 issue of fotoMAGAZIN. Being part of a publication with such a long history in photography truly means a great deal. Inside the magazine is a multi-page spread showcasing my cave photography, a portfolio shaped over years of exploration. These hard won images reveal a hidden world that has existed for millions of years in complete darkness, untouched by time in the way we know it. The feature also leads toward my upcoming exhibition at the Zingst Environmental Photo Festival in northern Germany, where I will be present from June 4 to 7. After ten years away, I really can’t wait to be back in Zingst for this wonderful photo festival.

Thankful for the journey and to everyone who has supported it along the way, especially to those who have voluntarily suffering miserable working conditions all for the sake of a photograph.

05/05/2026

This image was taken inside Rising Star Cave in South Africa, in the narrow entrance tunnel leading toward the chamber where paleoanthropologist Lee Berger and his team uncovered the remains of a small brained hominid that continues to challenge how we think about early human behavior and capability. The small narrow passages in the cave demand focus. Progress is slow, and not everything reveals itself immediately. Spend enough time looking, and the cave starts to suggest more than it shows…

I am very much looking forward to continuing the Explorer in the Field program with NGS soon, where the next chapter begins with a new team of researchers working underground in caves.