From lava-spitting volcanoes to the rusted prow of the sunken Titanic, National Geographic photographers travel to some of the most dangerous places on Earth to get their shots.
Exactly how they do this will be examined in the upcoming documentary The Best Job in the World, screening on Monday.
Check out some of the photos:
A celebration of the magazine's 125th anniversary, it's an in depth look at how the magazine's most iconic images came to fruition.
It will feature interviews with the magazine's most well known photographers, including Steve McCurry, Steve Winter, Emory Kristof, Jodi Cobb and Bill Allard.
* National Geographic Photographers: The Best Job in the World, National Geographic Channel, December 16, 8.30pm.
- nzherald.co.nz