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Dan Buettner is an explorer, National Geographic Fellow, and award-winning journalist. He discovered the five places in the world—dubbed blue zones—where people lived the longest, healthiest lives and shared this information with the world. 

@danbuettner @bluezones #bluezones

Dan Buettner is an explorer, National Geographic Fellow, and award-winning journalist. He discovered the five places in the world—dubbed blue zones—where people lived the longest, healthiest lives and shared this information with the world. 

@danbuettner @bluezones #bluezones

Dan Buettner is an explorer, National Geographic Fellow, and award-winning journalist. He discovered the five places in the world—dubbed blue zones—where people lived the longest, healthiest lives and shared this information with the world. 

@danbuettner @bluezones #bluezones

Dan Buettner is an explorer, National Geographic Fellow, and award-winning journalist. He discovered the five places in the world—dubbed blue zones—where people lived the longest, healthiest lives and shared this information with the world. 

@danbuettner @bluezones #bluezones

In June 2020, I photographed Florida’s leading female python hunters and spent the night in the Everglades with Anne Gorden-Vega—an art educator turned absolute legend. At 61, she’d captured more Burmese pythons that year than the other 37 state hunters combined. Casual.

We rolled out at sunset, giant lights blasting the swamp like a football stadium. She scanned for iridescent scales with expert precision. I scanned with vibes. We crawled along at 6 mph, no bravado, no theatrics—just calm women who look like they’d remind you to sharpen your pencil and then wrestle a 7-foot snake after dark.

The pay isn’t glamorous. Some nights you catch nothing. But Anne talked less about money and more about the wildlife disappearing—the urgency that keeps her out there until 2 a.m.

I left at 10:30, wildly impressed and slightly humbled. If photography ever fails me, I will not become a python hunter. But I would make an elite truck companion. Cheerleader. Moral support. Snack director. I’ve always been great at snacks.

@mbkoeth for @theflamingomag

In June 2020, I photographed Florida’s leading female python hunters and spent the night in the Everglades with Anne Gorden-Vega—an art educator turned absolute legend. At 61, she’d captured more Burmese pythons that year than the other 37 state hunters combined. Casual.

We rolled out at sunset, giant lights blasting the swamp like a football stadium. She scanned for iridescent scales with expert precision. I scanned with vibes. We crawled along at 6 mph, no bravado, no theatrics—just calm women who look like they’d remind you to sharpen your pencil and then wrestle a 7-foot snake after dark.

The pay isn’t glamorous. Some nights you catch nothing. But Anne talked less about money and more about the wildlife disappearing—the urgency that keeps her out there until 2 a.m.

I left at 10:30, wildly impressed and slightly humbled. If photography ever fails me, I will not become a python hunter. But I would make an elite truck companion. Cheerleader. Moral support. Snack director. I’ve always been great at snacks.

@mbkoeth for @theflamingomag

In June 2020, I photographed Florida’s leading female python hunters and spent the night in the Everglades with Anne Gorden-Vega—an art educator turned absolute legend. At 61, she’d captured more Burmese pythons that year than the other 37 state hunters combined. Casual.

We rolled out at sunset, giant lights blasting the swamp like a football stadium. She scanned for iridescent scales with expert precision. I scanned with vibes. We crawled along at 6 mph, no bravado, no theatrics—just calm women who look like they’d remind you to sharpen your pencil and then wrestle a 7-foot snake after dark.

The pay isn’t glamorous. Some nights you catch nothing. But Anne talked less about money and more about the wildlife disappearing—the urgency that keeps her out there until 2 a.m.

I left at 10:30, wildly impressed and slightly humbled. If photography ever fails me, I will not become a python hunter. But I would make an elite truck companion. Cheerleader. Moral support. Snack director. I’ve always been great at snacks.

@mbkoeth for @theflamingomag

𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐛/𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝 𝐃𝐨𝐮𝐠

Doug Pursley—who I used to call Dougie Fresh—has lived a lot of lives. He once had a successful career in marketing and sales, the kind people stay in because the money is good. He didn’t. After years of moving between places and versions of himself, he’s now back near home in Minnesota, close to his two brothers.

These days, Doug lives in a local motel, LumberJill Lodge—pink doors, flower boxes, and antique photographs of female lumberJILLS in every room. He helps run the place in exchange for a room. To make money, he substitute teaches. Somewhere along the way, he became Super Sub Doug. (Some of the high school girls call him Super Stud Doug, which makes him wildly uncomfortable.)

He walks into classrooms with an easy, open energy. The kids feel it immediately. They don’t just listen—they light up. He makes them laugh, plays games, and gives them the space to be themselves. During an art class, he asked them to draw him: hearts around his face, “#1 Teacher,” “Best Teacher Ever,” and one kid who drew him as a devil. All of it felt right.

What they respond to isn’t perfection—it’s presence. Doug doesn’t try to control the room. He meets it where it is.

A man who stepped out of one version of success and into something simpler. And somehow, exactly right.

@lumberjilllodge @djpursley #luck #youreinluck

I bought a giant stack of vintage romance novels for a new art project I’m working on for fun called…The Heroine Chooses Herself.

I’m reworking the covers through collage, paint, altered titles, and tiny rebellions.

Not anti-love. Not anti-men.

Just interested in women as whole people instead of people waiting to be chosen.

Rewriting the mythology a little.

Can’t wait to start cutting these up.

Repost from @exiliocollective
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Arriving in the United States at six years old with his family and a suitcase, Frank Del Rio would one day help shape Miami into the cruise capital of the world

Like so many Cuban exiles, Frank’s story began with sacrifice, uncertainty, and the courage to start a new business in his adopted new country.

Long before leading one of the most influential cruise companies in the world, he was building a vision from the dining room table of his home. Relentless drive, instinct, and the willingness to outwork the odds.

Frank went on to become a true pioneer of the modern cruise industry.
He founded Oceania Cruises in 2002, creating an entirely new space in upscale cruising. He later acquired Regent Seven Seas Cruises and eventually became President and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, overseeing Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, one of the largest and most influential cruise portfolios in the world.

His impact on Miami reaches far beyond business headlines.
With Miami serving as the cruise capital of the world and a primary global port, the industry generates billions in economic activity and supports countless jobs tied to tourism, hospitality, transportation, and trade.
Frank helped shape that ecosystem.

He helped build companies that brought global tourism through Miami, created thousands of jobs, and contributed to the city’s rise as the epicenter of the cruise industry. And at the center of it all was the vision of a Cuban exile who once started with nothing more than a dining room table and an idea.

One of the most symbolic moments of his journey came decades later when in 2017, he helmed one of his Oceania Cruises ships into the Port of Havana. A Cuban exile returning to the island by sea, not as the child who left, but as a man who helped shape a global industry.
History has a way of coming full circle.

His story is not simply about success.
It is about vision, reinvention, and the extraordinary milestones exiles can achieve when resilience meets opportunity.

Miami is filled with stories like this.

EXILIO exists to preserve them.

June 2020. Everglades nights with Anne Gorden-Vega—61, out-catching 37 hunters combined like it’s nothing.

We cruised at 6 mph, lights blazing, her eyes on iridescent scales… mine on vibes. No bravado—just calm women who could grade your homework and wrestle a snake after dark.

It’s not about the money. It’s about what’s disappearing.

I left humbled. Not cut out to hunt pythons—but elite truck companion? Absolutely. Snacks included.

Repost from @exiliocollectiv 🤦🏻‍♀️
•
There are people who photograph moments, and those who make you feel them long after.Mary Beth Koeth has always lived in that space.

Born the youngest in a house of five M’s, she learned early how to stand out. Texas raised, in cowgirl boots and a little chaos.

She found her way in the darkroom, then through detours. A design degree, Hallmark, years abroad, before realizing this was never a hobby, but a way of seeing.

She chased it. From Norway to Miami to LA, learning from the best and refining her instinct.

A week in Cuba shifted something deeper. The color, the people, the soul stayed with her, later becoming Exilio, a body of work rooted in connection and memory.

Her images don’t just document. They reveal. Quiet, intimate, deeply human. You don’t just see them, you recognize something in them.

Her work has appeared in Time, People, Billboard and more, but it’s never been about accolades. Only about creating images that linger.

Now between Miami and Dallas, living out of two suitcases, she continues to follow the feeling.

Still a little messy.
Still led by instinct. ✨

I was standing outside a CVS in South Beach waiting on my cousin when I heard the most beautiful whistling.

I turned and said, “You don’t hear that anymore.”

We started talking—one of those conversations that just opens.
She told me she used to sing for some of the greats.

I said, “You should come to dinner. One of my best friends used to sing too. You’d love each other.”

She paused, smiled, and said,
“I feel like I just walked into a rainbow.”

I said, “You did. We’re both rainbows.”

Ms. J has a voice that stays with you.
But it’s her spirit that makes you feel at home.

She’s family now.

Shot a story on Dr. Paul Offit — a man who’s been called a lot of things, including “the devil” by RFK Jr.

But here’s what I experienced:

A warm home in Naples.
A kind, generous couple.
An awesome, really bright wife.
A quiet presence.
A sense of humor that meets you right where you are.

As I was setting up lights, I said,
“Let’s make you look like an angel, not a devil.”
We both laughed — and honestly, it didn’t feel like much of a stretch.

It’s always fascinating to witness the space between public narrative and private reality.

Grateful to Claudia Gavin @claudiaaann for the trust, the kindness, and for bringing me into this story.

Some assignments stay with you. This was one of them.

📷 @mbkoeth for @phillymag
💪🏽 @josearizmendi
Photo Editor @claudiaaann
😇 @pauloffitmd

Shot a story on Dr. Paul Offit — a man who’s been called a lot of things, including “the devil” by RFK Jr.

But here’s what I experienced:

A warm home in Naples.
A kind, generous couple.
An awesome, really bright wife.
A quiet presence.
A sense of humor that meets you right where you are.

As I was setting up lights, I said,
“Let’s make you look like an angel, not a devil.”
We both laughed — and honestly, it didn’t feel like much of a stretch.

It’s always fascinating to witness the space between public narrative and private reality.

Grateful to Claudia Gavin @claudiaaann for the trust, the kindness, and for bringing me into this story.

Some assignments stay with you. This was one of them.

📷 @mbkoeth for @phillymag
💪🏽 @josearizmendi
Photo Editor @claudiaaann
😇 @pauloffitmd

Shot this story for the The New York Times with the absolute legends known as the Plus Size Park Hoppers — and I’m sorry but I will never do Disney without them again.

Pure joy.
Pure chaos.
Disney character outfits.
Snacks.
Honesty.
Laughter that doesn’t quit.

The kind of day where you forget about everything else and just be — fully in it, fully alive, fully yourself.
These women don’t just go to Disney… they expand it. Make it softer, louder, funnier, more human.

Madison Malone Kircher told the story, I got to witness the magic.

Best shoot ever.
Would do it again in a heartbeat 💫

📝 @4evrmalone
📷 @mbkoeth for @nytimes
👯‍♀️👯‍♀️ @plussizeparkhoppers

Shot this story for the The New York Times with the absolute legends known as the Plus Size Park Hoppers — and I’m sorry but I will never do Disney without them again.

Pure joy.
Pure chaos.
Disney character outfits.
Snacks.
Honesty.
Laughter that doesn’t quit.

The kind of day where you forget about everything else and just be — fully in it, fully alive, fully yourself.
These women don’t just go to Disney… they expand it. Make it softer, louder, funnier, more human.

Madison Malone Kircher told the story, I got to witness the magic.

Best shoot ever.
Would do it again in a heartbeat 💫

📝 @4evrmalone
📷 @mbkoeth for @nytimes
👯‍♀️👯‍♀️ @plussizeparkhoppers

Shot this story for the The New York Times with the absolute legends known as the Plus Size Park Hoppers — and I’m sorry but I will never do Disney without them again.

Pure joy.
Pure chaos.
Disney character outfits.
Snacks.
Honesty.
Laughter that doesn’t quit.

The kind of day where you forget about everything else and just be — fully in it, fully alive, fully yourself.
These women don’t just go to Disney… they expand it. Make it softer, louder, funnier, more human.

Madison Malone Kircher told the story, I got to witness the magic.

Best shoot ever.
Would do it again in a heartbeat 💫

📝 @4evrmalone
📷 @mbkoeth for @nytimes
👯‍♀️👯‍♀️ @plussizeparkhoppers

Shot this story for the The New York Times with the absolute legends known as the Plus Size Park Hoppers — and I’m sorry but I will never do Disney without them again.

Pure joy.
Pure chaos.
Disney character outfits.
Snacks.
Honesty.
Laughter that doesn’t quit.

The kind of day where you forget about everything else and just be — fully in it, fully alive, fully yourself.
These women don’t just go to Disney… they expand it. Make it softer, louder, funnier, more human.

Madison Malone Kircher told the story, I got to witness the magic.

Best shoot ever.
Would do it again in a heartbeat 💫

📝 @4evrmalone
📷 @mbkoeth for @nytimes
👯‍♀️👯‍♀️ @plussizeparkhoppers

Shot this story for the The New York Times with the absolute legends known as the Plus Size Park Hoppers — and I’m sorry but I will never do Disney without them again.

Pure joy.
Pure chaos.
Disney character outfits.
Snacks.
Honesty.
Laughter that doesn’t quit.

The kind of day where you forget about everything else and just be — fully in it, fully alive, fully yourself.
These women don’t just go to Disney… they expand it. Make it softer, louder, funnier, more human.

Madison Malone Kircher told the story, I got to witness the magic.

Best shoot ever.
Would do it again in a heartbeat 💫

📝 @4evrmalone
📷 @mbkoeth for @nytimes
👯‍♀️👯‍♀️ @plussizeparkhoppers

Shot this story for the The New York Times with the absolute legends known as the Plus Size Park Hoppers — and I’m sorry but I will never do Disney without them again.

Pure joy.
Pure chaos.
Disney character outfits.
Snacks.
Honesty.
Laughter that doesn’t quit.

The kind of day where you forget about everything else and just be — fully in it, fully alive, fully yourself.
These women don’t just go to Disney… they expand it. Make it softer, louder, funnier, more human.

Madison Malone Kircher told the story, I got to witness the magic.

Best shoot ever.
Would do it again in a heartbeat 💫

📝 @4evrmalone
📷 @mbkoeth for @nytimes
👯‍♀️👯‍♀️ @plussizeparkhoppers

Shot this story for the The New York Times with the absolute legends known as the Plus Size Park Hoppers — and I’m sorry but I will never do Disney without them again.

Pure joy.
Pure chaos.
Disney character outfits.
Snacks.
Honesty.
Laughter that doesn’t quit.

The kind of day where you forget about everything else and just be — fully in it, fully alive, fully yourself.
These women don’t just go to Disney… they expand it. Make it softer, louder, funnier, more human.

Madison Malone Kircher told the story, I got to witness the magic.

Best shoot ever.
Would do it again in a heartbeat 💫

📝 @4evrmalone
📷 @mbkoeth for @nytimes
👯‍♀️👯‍♀️ @plussizeparkhoppers

Shot this story for the The New York Times with the absolute legends known as the Plus Size Park Hoppers — and I’m sorry but I will never do Disney without them again.

Pure joy.
Pure chaos.
Disney character outfits.
Snacks.
Honesty.
Laughter that doesn’t quit.

The kind of day where you forget about everything else and just be — fully in it, fully alive, fully yourself.
These women don’t just go to Disney… they expand it. Make it softer, louder, funnier, more human.

Madison Malone Kircher told the story, I got to witness the magic.

Best shoot ever.
Would do it again in a heartbeat 💫

📝 @4evrmalone
📷 @mbkoeth for @nytimes
👯‍♀️👯‍♀️ @plussizeparkhoppers

Shot this story for the The New York Times with the absolute legends known as the Plus Size Park Hoppers — and I’m sorry but I will never do Disney without them again.

Pure joy.
Pure chaos.
Disney character outfits.
Snacks.
Honesty.
Laughter that doesn’t quit.

The kind of day where you forget about everything else and just be — fully in it, fully alive, fully yourself.
These women don’t just go to Disney… they expand it. Make it softer, louder, funnier, more human.

Madison Malone Kircher told the story, I got to witness the magic.

Best shoot ever.
Would do it again in a heartbeat 💫

📝 @4evrmalone
📷 @mbkoeth for @nytimes
👯‍♀️👯‍♀️ @plussizeparkhoppers

Photographed Chuck Norris in 2021.
Yes, that Chuck Norris.

Turns out the toughest guy in the world was also one of the kindest. And the real hero on set? His wife—gracefully making sure everything ran smoothly, quietly looking out for him the entire time.

Legends don’t just walk in with presence…
they walk in with love.

Rest in peace 🤍

Photographed Chuck Norris in 2021.
Yes, that Chuck Norris.

Turns out the toughest guy in the world was also one of the kindest. And the real hero on set? His wife—gracefully making sure everything ran smoothly, quietly looking out for him the entire time.

Legends don’t just walk in with presence…
they walk in with love.

Rest in peace 🤍

Photographed Chuck Norris in 2021.
Yes, that Chuck Norris.

Turns out the toughest guy in the world was also one of the kindest. And the real hero on set? His wife—gracefully making sure everything ran smoothly, quietly looking out for him the entire time.

Legends don’t just walk in with presence…
they walk in with love.

Rest in peace 🤍

Photographed Chuck Norris in 2021.
Yes, that Chuck Norris.

Turns out the toughest guy in the world was also one of the kindest. And the real hero on set? His wife—gracefully making sure everything ran smoothly, quietly looking out for him the entire time.

Legends don’t just walk in with presence…
they walk in with love.

Rest in peace 🤍

Hammer Man 🔨

Shot Ben Helmrath for @golfdigest—the sweetest mastermind in the room.

While everyone else was swinging, Ben was quietly in the background… studying, planning, and taking care of the team like their secret weapon.

No spotlight, no ego—just heart, brains, and a perfectly timed hammer. 💛

🏌️‍♂️@ben.helmrath
📷 @mbkoeth
💻 @lightisbeauty
Photo Editor @stephendentonphoto

Hammer Man 🔨

Shot Ben Helmrath for @golfdigest—the sweetest mastermind in the room.

While everyone else was swinging, Ben was quietly in the background… studying, planning, and taking care of the team like their secret weapon.

No spotlight, no ego—just heart, brains, and a perfectly timed hammer. 💛

🏌️‍♂️@ben.helmrath
📷 @mbkoeth
💻 @lightisbeauty
Photo Editor @stephendentonphoto