question for Melissa!

[avmil]

Hi Melissa! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this event, it's so special! 

My question is a little basic, but I don't really understand the difference between nature photography and conservation photography? 

[Melissa Groo]

That's actually a great question! I love it. Thanks for asking. I think the difference is that with conservation photography, there is an intention behind the act of photography, to have the resulting image(s) serve a purpose, which is, most broadly speaking, to raise awareness about the condition or existence of living beings (from insects to plants to humans) or landscapes. To tell a story either within a single frame, or a series of frames, that might lead to greater appreciation, and, ideally protection or restoration, of a species or habitat or culture. 

Of course, nature photos can certainly affect these aims, and very often does. A hallmark of conservation photography lies in what the photographer does with the photo after they have taken it. They work to get it into the hands of people who might care. People who are working on the issue, or people who need to work on--or at least be aware of--the issue! From policymakers to nonprofit organizations to news media to general audiences. This stage is often where those of us who call ourselves conservation photographers, spend a lot of time and energy. And often, at the outset we might craft our photos with a particular kind of audience in mind. 

Does that make sense? 

 

[avmil]

That does make sense, thank you! 

So I guess my follow up question (if that's allowed!) would be what advice do you have to get started in conservation photography? I love taking photos, especially for nature and wildlife but I don't know how to transition that to more conservation work! 

Thanks again! 

[Melissa Groo]

Another great question, avmil! 

The best way to get started is to start local. You will always be able to go more deeply into an issue in your community--largely because it's accessible to you--so you can work on it whenever you are able. If you are interested in conservation photography, you are also probably emotionally invested in the health and well-being of the community and ecosystem you live within. We don't have to travel to exotic places to tell important, rich stories. Pretty much everywhere humans live, there are habitats and species in crisis. And stories needing to be told. 

A great place to start is to partner with a local environmental nonprofit, to help them visually address a challenge. It might be a land trust or an Audubon chapter. Reach out to them and ask to meet with a project manager, or someone in their public relations department. Find out what are the most pressing issues they want to educate people about. Volunteer to document one or more of their projects. Perhaps they are in a struggle to protect valuable wetlands from development, or an effort to raise awareness about salamander migration routes every spring. Show the range of living beings that depend on an ecosystem, from insects to reptiles to birds to mammals. And, of course, people. 

Because an important part of conservation photography is capturing the story of how humans are interacting with or affecting an animal or landscape. As much as all love to take photos of simply wild animals or plants or natural landscapes, the most powerful photos are often those that demonstrate the impact we have, the threat we pose--or the joy and refuge we find in such a place. It might be documenting the work of citizen scientists as they gather data. The human dimension is vital.

After you have your images, make them available to the nonprofit, for use on their web site, social media, and in their campaigns. Consider also approaching a reporter for a local newspaper and pitching a story together. You will license your photos. If you're comfortable with it, propose writing the article yourself, and approach the editor. You will by this time have learned a lot about the topic.

I hope this is helpful! Thanks for the question!

PS to learn more about the art of conservation photography, follow the work of the iLCP fellows on social media--that's a great place to learn how to tell a conservation story visually--there are so many masters in the fellowship!

https://www.conservationphotographers.org/search-members

 

 

[Susan Norton]

Melissa - thanks so much for doing this weeklong forum.  You are such an inspiration and an important part of iLCP.  To add to this discussion, iLCP Founding Fellow Joel Sartore has said (maybe not exact working), "Let's look at a photo of a beautiful flower in a field; that is a nature photograph; now look at another photo of that same beautiful flower in a field but with a bulldozer getting ready to decimate the landscape - that is a conservation photograph". 

[Melissa Groo]

Thank you, Susan! For your very kind words. And for adding that quote by Sartore, which has really become such an iconic and defining statement (it was a butterfly on a flower--but simply the flower works too!). It's such a great visual that instantly drives home the nature of conservation photography.