Photographer  |  Filmmaker  |  National Geographic Explorer

Hailey Sadler is a National Geographic Explorer and award-winning documentary photographer & filmmaker based out of Washington, DC who works regularly across the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Americas.  Her work explores themes of trauma, memory, and identity through the psychological and emotional experiences of conflict and forced displacement. Hailey specializes in long-form, research-based projects but is also available for news assignments and commissions.

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Hailey's work has been supported by grants from the National Geographic Society, Getty Images, Adobe, the IWMF, the Berkeley Film Foundation, and Solutions Journalism Network, and published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, CNN, PBS Newshour, BuzzFeed News, and more. Her work has been exhibited worldwide including at The United Nations Headquarters in New York City. A passionate speaker and workshop leader, Hailey has presented at universities and conferences around the world.

Hailey is also a co-founder of a long-term, global project The Home Collective, which brings together academics, scientists, community leaders, and new generation storytellers to explore the intersection of home with geopolitical issues from conflict to climate. 

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Hailey's reporting and research is rooted in years of prior policy experience as senior staff for legislators serving on the House Armed Services and Intelligence Committees. She holds a Masters of International Public Policy concentrating on international conflict from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies where her capstone research project focused on the long-term impacts of intergenerational trauma after protracted war.

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She is certified in Hostile Environment Awareness Training (HEAT+) and is available for assignments worldwide.  

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