About Thomas

The Photographer Behind the Lens

Thomas Kokta was born and raised in Germany. Thomas was confident he wanted to experience more of this remarkable world during his college years when he traveled to both the U.S. and Canada. His noteworthy explorations include a 220-mile-long hike through the John Muir Trail, summiting Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, McKinley in Alaska, Aconcagua in Argentina, and an attempt at Mount Everest – reaching 26,000 ft (the summit stands at a massive 29,030 ft) . Thomas wanted to share his exciting world with family and friends, so he began dabbling in the art of photography.

Thomas’s photography skills have been recognized multiple times by extremely competitive international competitions, such as “Travel Photographer of the Year,” “Best Windland Smith Rice International Awards,” “Wildlife Photographer of the Year,” and “Black & White Spider Awards.” His photography has also been sold through a variety of stock agencies, including the renowned Getty Images.

Searching for new ventures and challenges, Thomas moved on from his wildlife of summiting mountains and dicey outdoor activities. Thomas found a new appreciation for new landscapes, cityscapes, night skies and wildlife all over the globe. Whether he is battling -40 degree temperatures (Fahrenheit) for the perfect polar bear photo, bearing rocky seas to capture the great white shark, or sweltering in the African Savanna, photography has continued to motivate Thomas to persevere through any condition. Thomas appreciates how blessed he is to observe the different beauties of the world and hopes to continue to share his adventures. He began organizing tours to regions he frequently travels to, in hopes to share real-life experiences along with his visual experiences. He offers Polar and Bhutan experiences.

To learn more about Polar Tours, visit www.polarholidays.com

To learn more about Bhutan Tours, visit www.bhutanvisits.com

Awards