Renowned photojournalist Vincent J. Musi will present a collection of his photographs from around the world on Tuesday, February 24, at the Fox Tucson Theatre in downtown Tucson. For the past 30 years, Musi has traveled for National Geographic, documenting the planet, capturing nature’s magnificence and photographing its exotic inhabitants.

While it can be daunting to use photography to shape our sense of the world through vivid images, saving photographs is a method of preserving a time capsule of evolution. Musi will share highlights from his career. His presentation will provide the audience with a vicarious and enlightening tour of the world’s most unusual animals, including birds, dolphins, apes and dogs, celebrating the art of storytelling to inspire change.

An author as well as a photographer, Musi channeled his inner Dr. Doolittle to create a weekly Instagram series featuring photographs of dogs. The series grew into a book, The Year of the Dogs. The book is a captivating anthology of dog portraits depicting the character and personality of more than 100 dogs, with a narrative about each one. You may never look at man’s best friend the same way again.

A seasoned photographer, Musi has had many memorable experiences working for National Geographic. Talented and bold, his photos run the gamut from death to life-affirming moments. The goal is not simply to appreciate an image but to evoke an emotional response. “Most of my life has been spent as an observer in these situations, so the memorable part tends to be how you unpack and use these experiences in your own life,” he says.

Musi believes everything we learn about animals teaches us what we do not know about ourselves. A popular speaker, Musi resides in South Carolina.

That was a long time ago. When I was 14 or 15, all I had was a Kodak Instamatic camera. Then my father was given a professional camera with lenses, and he had no interest in learning how to use it. He gifted the camera to me, and it was magical.

It was the only thing I was good enough to succeed in. I wanted to become a musician, a drummer, but I was not good enough. While I was in high school, I worked for the school newspaper. It turned me on to journalistic photography. I found journalism was fun, and the rest was destiny.

I have had 14 covers, including two special editions on dogs, one with a Labrador and the other a Great Dane, and one special edition featuring Greece.

That’s a club I’m thrilled and honored to be included in. A lot of people in the Changemaker group have accomplished many things and are changing the world. I consider myself one of the least likely people to be photographing animals for National Geographic. I worked for years to figure out what the animals were about in order to take the best photos. My other contribution as a changemaker is my trademark dry sense of humor. When people can share a laugh, that is an accomplishment.

I’m constantly evolving. My wife is also a photographer, a political photographer for CNN and Time magazine. We both had to travel extensively. Seven years ago, I decided I didn’t want to go on airplanes anymore so we could spend more time with our son, who was 16. We were lucky enough to get space behind a dog food shop to take photos of dogs, but much to my chagrin, no one was interested in my taking pictures of their dogs.

Instead, I started inviting my neighbors’ dogs and photographing them. At an annual meeting of National Geographic, we showed the photos, and the work was incredibly well received. National Geographic magazine did a story, and my son insisted on putting the series on Instagram. Then I began writing narratives about the dogs. I created a community around dogs, and it went viral. I can’t stop due to demand. I don’t want to let my online community down.

I have two: Michael Chabon, who sees the truth and comes from a similar background, and David Sedaris, known for his humor.

Richard Avedon and William Albert Allard.

I’m the worst salesman. It’s a wonderful experience for me to be with a group of people who have a good time, laugh and learn something they didn’t know about our relationships with animals. Much of my show is about my failures as a photographer. My colleagues at National Geographic are often on dangerous assignments involving brushes with injury or death. In contrast, I’ve had brushes with animals who want to growl, bite, claw and poop or pee on me.

Yes. I love it when kids come to my shows, and they always enjoy it. Kids can attend the school matinee through the Kids in the Theatre program or come with their parents to the evening show. Children always ask the best questions.