how photography can influence conservation
Oil and natural gas towers seen from the canopy in the Ecuadorian region of the Amazon Rainforest. cir. 2017 - Photo by Dailyn Souder
When it comes to conservation and environmental stewardship, it seems impossible for most of us to make the world a better place. Maybe we’ve done our due diligence to recycle, limit how much we drive and carpool whenever possible, and eat plant based most of the week. And yet, regardless of how much we implement into our daily lives to cut back on unnecessary consumption, the news bombards us with segments on climate change that leave us feeling hopelessly exhausted.
Corporations purposely put the onus on consumers to fix the problem, when it’s been proven that our spending habits will adjust to reflect the products available to us. So, if we are at the grocery store and the cheapest options are the healthiest and most sustainable, then of course that’s the option we’ll choose. However, without digging into too much of a tangent on the subject, it’s clear that corporations hold the majority of the power when it comes to influencing how we impact the world around us.
An interesting read: HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW: THE ELUSIVE GREEN CONSUMER
I bring this up, because regardless of how heavy it all feels, you still have so much power to make a change. How?
Photography and other mediums of visual storytelling.
Think about it. Humans communicate through stories. It’s how we evolved as a dominant species - being able to communicate moments of love or caution or fear or safety to one another ensured that we would live long enough to procreate and develop larger, more complex brains. In the twenty-first century our methods of storytelling are shifting toward online platforms with global audiences.
From Twitter to journalism, “images and visual artefacts play an increasingly crucial role in depicting and shaping the world we live in.” (E-International Relations)
I recently saw a post from Guardian Australia that depicted post apocalyptic images of climate change that we should all care about. The powerful images ranged from giraffes that died from dehydration to a family swimming to freedom away from a fire that consumed their home. These images told stories. Stories of a rapidly changing world, and stories of our future if we do not act now.
In my own experience, I’ve worked with conservation photographers from Tropical Herping in Ecuador, who are working to use their images to highlight the beauty of the Amazon rainforest and spark an emotional response to fix the myriad of environmental and social issues that the people of South America face on a daily basis. Their photos were blown up into marketing campaigns, or utilized in scientific papers, and even featured in magazines and documentaries. It was the first time I had ever seen the impact of science and art coming together to make a positive difference.
Amphibians are some of the most vulnerable species affected by climate change because of their porous skin. It’s amazing what has yet to be discovered. I still can’t believe we found frogs the size of a thumbnail. cir. 2017 - Photo by Dailyn Souder
My goal as a conservation marketer, photographer, and filmmaker is to guide people through the process of using their art to make the world a better place. Each of us sees the world through a different lens which means each of us has the ability to influence the world around us in a unique way.
If you’re looking for tips to become a conservation photographer, check out this post from Outdoor Photographer.
With gratitude,
Dailyn
