{"id":112932,"date":"2025-09-15T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-15T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/?p=112932"},"modified":"2026-02-02T11:51:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T16:51:24","slug":"meet-jessica-nabongo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/meet-jessica-nabongo\/","title":{"rendered":"Jessica Nabongo: Fine-Art Travel Photographer, Author, and the First Black Woman to Visit Every Country"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>If you\u2019re a travel lover, you\u2019ve likely heard the name Jessica Nabongo. She\u2019s the first Black woman to visit every country. She\u2019s a <em>National Geographic<\/em> author (with her second book on the way). And she\u2019s a force in the world of travel storytelling, using everything from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jessicanabongo.com\/art\/note-to-self\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fine-art photography<\/a> to a new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/thecatchmeifyoucan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">YouTube channel<\/a> to share the world with her global audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Jessica Nabongo: Fine-Art Travel Photographer, Author, and the First Black Woman to Visit Every Country\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"152\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/episode\/6b6BEYy21L2BFQbLLqZimR?si=2a9d4912849f4e46&amp;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet of all of Jessica Nabongo\u2019s accolades, I was most excited to learn about her fearless creativity\u2014a muscle she\u2019s honed throughout decades of travel photography and writing. Read on for a dose of storytelling inspiration, as well as Nabongo\u2019s sage advice for letting go of perfection to create a life that\u2019s true to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read on for storytelling insights and lessons from Nabongo, a first generation American who was raised by her Ugandan parents in Detroit\u2014the city she still calls home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Blogging beginnings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1011\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Photo-by-Jessica-Nabongo-s.jpg\" alt=\"Jessica Nabongo in Detroit\" class=\"wp-image-112958\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Photo-by-Jessica-Nabongo-s.jpg 1011w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Photo-by-Jessica-Nabongo-s-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1011px) 100vw, 1011px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Jessica in Detroit<\/em>, Photo by Jessica Nabongo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Jessica Nabongo, a first generation American who was raised by her Ugandan parents in Detroit, got her travel storytelling start before the Instagram era. In 2009, she hit publish on her now-renowned blog,<a href=\"https:\/\/thecatchmeifyoucan.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> The Catch Me If You Can<\/a>, which later became the name of her first book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNow looking back, I didn\u2019t realize how ahead of my time I was,\u201d she says, noting that her focus on doing work she loves has not only kept her going; it\u2019s helped her stay authentic. \u201cI&#8217;ve just been at this for such a long time, and now reflecting back, I realize it\u2019s because I\u2019m doing things I love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Catch Me If You Can blog harnesses Nabongo\u2019s photography and storytelling background\u2014two strengths that now translate well on social media. \u201cI\u2019m giving you an image, and I\u2019m also giving you a story,\u201d she says of her Instagram content. \u201cI\u2019m giving you the history of the country or the story of the person in the picture. I want to teach people things through storytelling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The life-changing goal to visit every country<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1016\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Japan-2008-Teaching-scaled-1.jpg\" alt=\"Japan 2008 Teaching by Jessica Nabongo\" class=\"wp-image-112960\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Japan-2008-Teaching-scaled-1.jpg 1016w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Japan-2008-Teaching-scaled-1-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Jessica teaching in Japan, 2008 <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Through words and imagery\u2014the latter are largely recorded via the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/isoa7m3.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> Sony A7III<\/a>\u2014Nabongo spent years immersing her audience in the world. In 2017, inspired while on a trip to Bali, she decided to kick that mission into overdrive by not just visiting a dozen countries, or even 100. She set out to become the first Black woman to visit all 195 UN-recognized countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t have a plan\u2014I\u2019m flying by the seat of my pants,\u201d she says. \u201cI was just like, \u2018I\u2019m going to be the first Black woman to go to every country, and I\u2019m going to do it by my 35th birthday.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the time, Nabongo still had over 130 countries to visit, and just two years and three months until she turned 35. That didn\u2019t stop her. On Oct. 6, 2019,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.com\/travel\/article\/she-visited-every-country-on-earth-heres-what-she-learned\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> she completed her expedition<\/a> to all 195 UN-recognized countries, and she concluded her journey in one of the most scenic spots: the Seychelles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nabongo learned a lot about the world, and storytelling, in the process. One of her biggest takeaways?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>\u201cJust start.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1013\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Photo-by-Justin-Millhouse-s.jpg\" alt=\"Photo by Justin Millhouse s\" class=\"wp-image-112959\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Photo-by-Justin-Millhouse-s.jpg 1013w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Photo-by-Justin-Millhouse-s-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1013px) 100vw, 1013px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo by Justin Millhouse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Nabongo isn\u2019t one to map out a plan or stick to a strategy. Instead, she follows her intuition and treats life like an experiment\u2014and an incredibly fun one at that. \u201cEverything we\u2019re doing every day is an experiment,\u201d she says. \u201cOnce you get tied to a routine, that\u2019s when life becomes boring.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The idea of experimentation can be daunting to some. What if you fail? What if you look silly? Consider adopting Nabongo\u2019s storytelling outlook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cNothing is precious; I don\u2019t feel like I have to do things to perfection because I think perfection is truly the enemy of creativity,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m not trying to do something that\u2019s perfect, and I\u2019m not precious about things. These two pieces allow me the freedom to pursue multiple things at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of these noteworthy pursuits?<a href=\"https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/729565\/the-catch-me-if-you-can-by-jessica-nabongo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> Writing a book for National Geographic<\/a>. After completing her every-country journey in 2019, Nabongo was approached by an editor from the beloved brand. \u201cI was in Delaware on a solo 2020 road trip,\u201d she says. Noting she\u2019d already spoken to several publishers about a potential book, but nothing had felt quite right. \u201cThis was the first time I had a conversation with an editor who wanted to help me write the book I wanted to write. That\u2019s what made me say yes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It may seem like Nabongo\u2019s entire globetrotting career was leading up to this massive book project, which highlights her top 100 destinations as well as many of her own images. Yet, true to her approach to life, this wasn\u2019t part of her plan, either. \u201cIf I knew I was going to write a book for National Geographic, I would have taken better notes,\u201d she says. \u201cI was really going to every country in the world because I was genuinely curious.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Storytelling through food<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1013\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/CotedIvoire-3-s.jpg\" alt=\"CotedIvoire\" class=\"wp-image-112956\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/CotedIvoire-3-s.jpg 1013w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/CotedIvoire-3-s-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1013px) 100vw, 1013px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo from Jessica Nabongo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The next iteration of storytelling done by Jessica Nabongo explores a medium she\u2019d never really considered: cookbooks. After her first book, National Geographic suggested she research and create a book spotlighting recipes from around the world. At first, she declined. \u201cI\u2019m not even really into food,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then she realized the potential for digging into even more global stories. \u201cI feel like I\u2019m a food anthropologist, and I love it because it\u2019s another layer of storytelling,\u201d she says. Getting to the origins of different foods and ingredients has helped her become even more fluent in a destination\u2019s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor example, I didn\u2019t know chili peppers originated in the Americas,\u201d Nabongo says. \u201cThat\u2019s crazy because, if there was no global trade, we wouldn\u2019t have Asian food as we know it today. It\u2019s like a rabbit hole.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nabongo\u2019s cookbook,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/jessicanabongo\/reel\/DAlq6G-J_cS\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> <em>Catch Me in the Kitchen<\/em><\/a>, will publish late next year. Until then, she has another creative endeavor in the works: going all in on video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Catch Me If You Can hits YouTube<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1013\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Jessica-Nabongo-in-Cuba-Photo-by-James-Bland-s.jpg\" alt=\"Jessica Nabongo in Cuba, Photo by James Bland s\" class=\"wp-image-112957\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Jessica-Nabongo-in-Cuba-Photo-by-James-Bland-s.jpg 1013w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Jessica-Nabongo-in-Cuba-Photo-by-James-Bland-s-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1013px) 100vw, 1013px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Jessica Nabongo in Cuba<\/em>, Photo by James Bland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Many followers have seen Jessica Nabongo and her videos on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/jessicanabongo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a>. But recently, she decided to add YouTube to the mix. \u201cPeople have been on me for years about getting on YouTube,\u201d she says. It means that the actual process of filmmaking has largely held her back. But she figured out a solution: finding a talented creative partner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m a photographer; I do not have a filmmaking bone in my body,\u201d she says. \u201cSo I often travel with a videographer. He went to Antarctica with me, he came and filmed something in Detroit for a brand deal for Cadillac, and we just came back from Asia. Being with him is nice because I tell him what\u2019s important to me, but he can figure out how to film and edit it. It just makes my storytelling more dynamic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This kind of trusted partnership allows Nabongo to continue pushing boundaries with her storytelling\u2014which these days is not only about encouraging people to travel. Nabongo wants creatives from all walks of life to feel inspired to share their stories, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI want to remind creatives that we have to reflect the times, and we are creating time capsules of the world around us.\u201d she says. \u201cWe can\u2019t be too precious about it. At a time when they\u2019re trying to erase everything, our work is literally the history books. Get out of your own way and just share the thing, post the thing, paint the thing, or sing the thing \u2014 whatever it is, let it out.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Read about Jessica Nabongo, the first Black woman to visit every country, a National Geographic author, and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11111175,"featured_media":112953,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18495,17781],"tags":[18716,1514,18717,13143],"class_list":["post-112932","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel","category-travel-photography","tag-jessica-nabongo","tag-national-geographic-1514","tag-national-geographic-author","tag-travel-photographers"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Jessica Nabongo: Fine-Art Travel Photographer, Author, and the First Black Woman to Visit Every Country - Adorama<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Read about Jessica Nabongo, the first Black woman to visit every country. She\u2019s a National Geographic author and a force in the travel world.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/meet-jessica-nabongo\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Jessica Nabongo: Fine-Art Travel Photographer, Author, and the First Black Woman to Visit Every Country - Adorama\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Read about Jessica Nabongo, the first Black woman to visit every country. She\u2019s a National Geographic author and a force in the travel world.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/meet-jessica-nabongo\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Adorama\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/adorama\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-09-15T16:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-02T16:51:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/THUMBNAIL-Botswana-Credit-Photo-by-Karston-Tannis.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1013\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"675\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Thierry Jose\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@adorama\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@adorama\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Thierry Jose\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/meet-jessica-nabongo\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/meet-jessica-nabongo\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Thierry Jose\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f9fa23cd59f7ea33a4ee906b7590cea5\"},\"headline\":\"Jessica Nabongo: Fine-Art Travel Photographer, Author, and the First Black Woman to Visit Every Country\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-15T16:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-02T16:51:24+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/meet-jessica-nabongo\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1322,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/meet-jessica-nabongo\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/THUMBNAIL-Botswana-Credit-Photo-by-Karston-Tannis.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Jessica Nabongo\",\"national geographic\",\"National Geographic author\",\"travel photographers\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Travel\",\"Travel Photography\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/meet-jessica-nabongo\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/meet-jessica-nabongo\\\/\",\"name\":\"Jessica Nabongo: Fine-Art Travel Photographer, Author, and the First Black Woman to Visit Every Country - Adorama\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/meet-jessica-nabongo\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/meet-jessica-nabongo\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/THUMBNAIL-Botswana-Credit-Photo-by-Karston-Tannis.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-15T16:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-02T16:51:24+00:00\",\"description\":\"Read about Jessica Nabongo, the first Black woman to visit every country. She\u2019s a National Geographic author and a force in the travel world.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/meet-jessica-nabongo\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/meet-jessica-nabongo\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/meet-jessica-nabongo\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/THUMBNAIL-Botswana-Credit-Photo-by-Karston-Tannis.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/THUMBNAIL-Botswana-Credit-Photo-by-Karston-Tannis.jpg\",\"width\":1013,\"height\":675,\"caption\":\"Photo by Karston Tannis\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/meet-jessica-nabongo\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Photography\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/category\\\/photography\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Travel Photography\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/category\\\/photography\\\/travel-photography\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Jessica Nabongo: Fine-Art Travel Photographer, Author, and the First Black Woman to Visit Every Country\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/\",\"name\":\"Adorama\",\"description\":\"Your destination for photography, video, audio, drones, electronics, computers, and more!\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"42 West, the Adorama Learning Center\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/42-West-Logo-Blue.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/42-West-Logo-Blue.png\",\"width\":870,\"height\":252,\"caption\":\"42 West, the Adorama Learning Center\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/adorama\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/adorama\",\"http:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/adorama\",\"http:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/adorama\",\"http:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/adorama\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f9fa23cd59f7ea33a4ee906b7590cea5\",\"name\":\"Thierry Jose\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/36ef69caa622fde8119f1a23f080fdb4f9d1731665af83152738def76abb918e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/36ef69caa622fde8119f1a23f080fdb4f9d1731665af83152738def76abb918e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/36ef69caa622fde8119f1a23f080fdb4f9d1731665af83152738def76abb918e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Thierry Jose\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/author\\\/thierryj\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Jessica Nabongo: Fine-Art Travel Photographer, Author, and the First Black Woman to Visit Every Country - Adorama","description":"Read about Jessica Nabongo, the first Black woman to visit every country. She\u2019s a National Geographic author and a force in the travel world.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/meet-jessica-nabongo\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Jessica Nabongo: Fine-Art Travel Photographer, Author, and the First Black Woman to Visit Every Country - Adorama","og_description":"Read about Jessica Nabongo, the first Black woman to visit every country. She\u2019s a National Geographic author and a force in the travel world.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/meet-jessica-nabongo\/","og_site_name":"Adorama","article_publisher":"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/adorama","article_published_time":"2025-09-15T16:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-02-02T16:51:24+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1013,"height":675,"url":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/THUMBNAIL-Botswana-Credit-Photo-by-Karston-Tannis.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Thierry Jose","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@adorama","twitter_site":"@adorama","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Thierry Jose","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/meet-jessica-nabongo\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/meet-jessica-nabongo\/"},"author":{"name":"Thierry Jose","@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/#\/schema\/person\/f9fa23cd59f7ea33a4ee906b7590cea5"},"headline":"Jessica Nabongo: Fine-Art Travel Photographer, Author, and the First Black Woman to Visit Every Country","datePublished":"2025-09-15T16:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-02T16:51:24+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/meet-jessica-nabongo\/"},"wordCount":1322,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/meet-jessica-nabongo\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/THUMBNAIL-Botswana-Credit-Photo-by-Karston-Tannis.jpg","keywords":["Jessica Nabongo","national geographic","National Geographic author","travel photographers"],"articleSection":["Travel","Travel Photography"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/meet-jessica-nabongo\/","url":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/meet-jessica-nabongo\/","name":"Jessica Nabongo: Fine-Art Travel Photographer, Author, and the First Black Woman to Visit Every Country - Adorama","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/meet-jessica-nabongo\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/meet-jessica-nabongo\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/THUMBNAIL-Botswana-Credit-Photo-by-Karston-Tannis.jpg","datePublished":"2025-09-15T16:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-02T16:51:24+00:00","description":"Read about Jessica Nabongo, the first Black woman to visit every country. She\u2019s a National Geographic author and a force in the travel world.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/meet-jessica-nabongo\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/meet-jessica-nabongo\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/meet-jessica-nabongo\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/THUMBNAIL-Botswana-Credit-Photo-by-Karston-Tannis.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/THUMBNAIL-Botswana-Credit-Photo-by-Karston-Tannis.jpg","width":1013,"height":675,"caption":"Photo by Karston Tannis"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/meet-jessica-nabongo\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Photography","item":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/category\/photography\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Travel Photography","item":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/category\/photography\/travel-photography\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Jessica Nabongo: Fine-Art Travel Photographer, Author, and the First Black Woman to Visit Every Country"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/","name":"Adorama","description":"Your destination for photography, video, audio, drones, electronics, computers, and more!","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/#organization","name":"42 West, the Adorama Learning Center","url":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/42-West-Logo-Blue.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/42-West-Logo-Blue.png","width":870,"height":252,"caption":"42 West, the Adorama Learning Center"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/adorama","https:\/\/x.com\/adorama","http:\/\/www.instagram.com\/adorama","http:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/adorama","http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/adorama"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/#\/schema\/person\/f9fa23cd59f7ea33a4ee906b7590cea5","name":"Thierry Jose","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/36ef69caa622fde8119f1a23f080fdb4f9d1731665af83152738def76abb918e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/36ef69caa622fde8119f1a23f080fdb4f9d1731665af83152738def76abb918e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/36ef69caa622fde8119f1a23f080fdb4f9d1731665af83152738def76abb918e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Thierry Jose"},"url":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/author\/thierryj\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112932","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11111175"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=112932"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112932\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":115080,"href":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112932\/revisions\/115080"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/112953"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=112932"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=112932"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=112932"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}