What is Conservation Photography?
Conservation photography is nature photography with a purpose, to inform and empower people to take action on issues affecting the natural world. Conservation photography leverages the power of visual storytelling to further conservation goals.
The heart of conservation photography is building connections between people and place. The natural world is an incredibly diverse place and that diversity is necessary to sustain life on this planet, including our own lives. In many cases, people are called on to help protect or conserve wild places far removed from their daily lives. So, how do we convince them that their individual actions, whether that’s recycling, reducing their reliance on fossil fuels, avoiding certain products, or donating to specific causes are worth doing? The answers to those questions are as complex and diverse as the ecosystems we’re trying to protect. But there is one core theme that runs through all of them, strong visual storytelling is critical to success.
This shouldn’t be surprising. The marketing industry has known for a long time the value of a powerful image. Billons of dollars are spent each year capturing images of models and products to increase sales of products and services. Those dollars are spent because businesses known that they can shape and change our individual behaviors based on a photograph. An image can change how we feel about ourselves, the world around us, and our place in it.
A peregrine falcon surveying its surrounding at the Eagle Mountain Wilderness Preserve
My Background in Conservation Photography
When I started taking my photography seriously I was focused entirely on landscapes. At that time in my life I was living and working in the Adirondack High Peaks Wilderness. I had been studying photography since high school, but turned to photography at that time as a way to share with the world the beauty that surrounded me on a daily basis. Working on the summits of the highest peaks in New York as a Summit Steward, I knew that not everyone had the phsyical ability to see what I had the privilege of experiencing on a daily basis. I turned to photography, and social media, as a way to share this place with others. My belief then, and still is today, was that if I could show people the beauty of these places they would want to protect them, even if they would never have the opportunity to experience this landscape themselves. At the time I had no idea what I was thinking about was conservation photography.
Lapland rosebay is an alpine plant found only on the summits of the highest peaks in New York
Seven years later, in 2015, I had the idea to raise money to photograph alpine plants. I had worked for the Adirondack Mountain Club for eight years and had a strong love for the alpine ecosystems found in the High Peaks. I knew that there was a lack of high-quality photographs of these unique and rare plants. My hope was that by taking photographs of these plants I could raise awareness of this important ecosystem and provide the Adirondack Mountain Club with a library of images they could use to promote their program and aid in their education efforts. I raised a little over $1,000 dollars, which felt like a huge sum of money, and the project was featured in regional magazines. The photographs continue to be used to this day.
I’ve worked on dozens of other smaller projects over the years, but the one I am most proud of is the Eagle Mountain Wilderness Preserve. In 2018, I started a Patreon page, which is a way for individuals to support my work as an artist. I allocate a portion of those funds for conservation photography purposes. Specifically, the contributions people make pay for my time to work on a project that supports a conservation organization. Later that year, Northeast Wilderness Trust approached me with a request to photograph a parcel of land in the Adirondack they were hoping to purchase. In short, my photographs were used to show the world the importance of conserving this land and helped Northeast Wilderness Trust raise over 1 million dollars. A little over a year later they closed on the parcel and it is now forever protected as wilderness.
My images of the Eagle Mountain Wilderness Preserve helped the Northeast Wilderness Trust successfully preserve this important landscape
My Future in Conservation Photography
I have a unique perspective on conservation photography because I have a strong background in the environmental sciences, a track record of working and being involved with conservation organizations, and a solid foundation in landscape, nature, and wildlife photography. This allows me to dive even deeper into conservation issues and help tell stories that will inspire people to take action. My vision is to build a community of support through Patreon and other platforms that will give me the freedom and flexibility to pursue projects that might otherwise never see the light of day. I honestly believe that together we can live sustainably on this beautiful little planet and that we need to leverage all of the tools of marketing and storytelling to get there.
