Tag: conservation photography

Should Photographers Intervene in Nature?

by
Screen shot of The Times (UK) article about a film crew intervening in nature.

Screen shot of The Times (UK) article about a film crew intervening in nature.

If you saw an animal in the wild that appeared to be in distress, would you try to help? Would you report it to the authorities? Would you leave it alone, since it’s just nature being nature? As nature photographers, we are interested in conservation and generally love the animals we photograph. Is it our responsibility to let nature take its course, even if an animal dies? Is it our responsibility to save the animal? Or, does it depend on the specific situation?

Continue reading →

Has Instagram Changed Your Photography? Part 2

by
@nanpapix on Instagram

Are you following @nanpapix on Instagram?

A while back, we asked a cross section of NANPA members whether Instagram and its social media cousins had changed anything about their nature photograph and, if so, how.  Did it change their approach to photography, to sharing images, to marketing their business?  Did it change the type of images they created or the way they processed images?  We’ll continue posting the answers in a series of blogs over the next few weeks.

Continue reading →

Has Instagram Changed Your Photography?

by
@nanpapix on Instagram

Are you following @nanpapix on Instagram?

We recently asked a cross section of NANPA members whether Instagram and its social media cousins had changed anything about their nature photograph and, if so, how.  Did it change their approach to photography, to sharing images, to marketing their business?  Did it change the type of images they created or the way they processed images?  We’ll be posting the answers in a series of blogs over the next few weeks.

Continue reading →

From the President: Gordon Illg

by
The photographer at the end of the rainbow, Bandon Beach, Oregon.

The photographer at the end of the rainbow, Bandon Beach, Oregon.

This photo of a rainbow on the beach at Bandon, Oregon, is pretty much the perfect picture of me. My image is small enough to be totally unrecognizable, and it captures the way I feel about myself—the treasure at the end of the rainbow. Unenlightened photographers tend to see me as a distracting picture element, but that’s another story. One thing is certain. Putting a person at the end of the rainbow makes the image different, and making images look different may be important to you.

Continue reading →

What Winning NANPA Foundation’s Philip Hyde Grant Means

by

 

Cullinan Ranch levee breach - The 1500 acre Cullinan Ranch was purchased by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as part of San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge in 1991. It was diked off from tidal action and drained in the 1800’s to grow oat hay. It is now being restored for endangered species and other wildlife.

Cullinan Ranch levee breach – The 1500 acre Cullinan Ranch was purchased by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as part of San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge in 1991. It was diked off from tidal action and drained in the 1800’s to grow oat hay. It is now being restored for endangered species and other wildlife.

Story and photographs by Beth Huning, 2011 Philip Hyde Grant Recipient

As photographers, many of us are good at telling our conservation stories through imagery.  We use our photos to support projects that protect or restore the earth, its ecosystems, and inhabitants. Philip Hyde was a pioneer in using photographs for conservation and I have long admired his achievements. A native Californian, he was passionate about protecting the American West, and his photographs were influential in many conservation campaigns.

From the Editor: Applications for the 2018 Philip Hyde Grant and the 2018 Janie Moore Greene Grant are encouraged and will be accepted through midnight, October 31st. Details are at the end of the article.

Continue reading →

Volunteer Profile: Daniel Dietrich

by
NANPA volunteer and ethics committee member Daniel Dietrich.

NANPA volunteer and ethics committee member Daniel Dietrich (and some precious cargo).

Volunteers are the life blood of membership organizations.  At NANPA and the NANPA Foundation, volunteers serve on committees, help plan conferences, present webinars, judge competitions and evaluate grant applications.  Volunteers serve on the Board of Directors and play other key roles in keeping NANPA vibrant, relevant and growing.

This is the third of an occasional series of volunteer profiles, saluting those whose hard work, ideas, passion and commitment benefit NANPA and its members.

NANPA recently had the opportunity to ask NANPA ethics committee member Daniel Dietrich a few questions about his volunteer experiences.

Continue reading →

From the President: Gordon Illg

by
Close encounters with unimpressed bighorn sheep.

Close encounters with unimpressed bighorn sheep.

In the old days, not only did we have to walk through two feet of snow on our way to school (which was really tough for me because I lived in Tucson), but we didn’t have access to all the species and landscapes that photographers do today. If one has the money, there is now almost no place on Earth that cannot be reached and photographed with only a couple of days travel. Nature photography has indeed changed over the last 30 years, and I’m not just talking about technological advances in photo gear. I’m also referring to our subjects, our relationships with them, and our access to them. Most, if not all, of these changes have resulted from an exploding human population and the fact that we are increasingly mobile. Have these changes been good or bad? The answer is yes. The immediate conclusion most of us jump to is that a hordes of people are bad for the natural world, and this conclusion is not wrong. But, and this is a big but, lots of people can make nature photography better.

Continue reading →

Volunteer Profile: Jennifer Leigh Warner

by
Jennifer Leigh Warner

Jennifer Leigh Warner

Volunteers are the life blood of membership organizations.  At NANPA and the NANPA Foundation, volunteers serve on committees, help plan conferences, present webinars, judge competitions and evaluate grant applications.  Volunteers serve on the Board of Directors and play other key roles in keeping NANPA vibrant, relevant and growing.

This is the first of an occasional series of volunteer profiles, saluting those whose hard work, ideas, passion and commitment benefit NANPA and its members.

NANPA recently had the opportunity to ask Jennifer Leigh Warner a few questions about her volunteer experiences.

Continue reading →

Grants and Awards Recognize the Work of Nature Photographers

by
Photo by Morgan Heim 2017 Philip Hyde Grant winner

“Candlight Grow”
All that glitters is not gold. Each light represents marijuana plants that once grew within this stretch of the High Sierra National Forest in California. A single grow can range from a thousand to tens of thousands of plants. © Morgan Heim 2017 Philip Hyde Grant winner.

If a nature photographer clicks her shutter in the wilderness, and no one else is around to hear it, can it still make an impact? It sure can! The work of professional and aspiring nature photographers can save ecosystems, species and beautiful landmarks. NANPA understands the important work you’re doing.

And better than the sound of one hand clapping, NANPA and the NANPA Foundation have many ways to recognize and support the work, career or budding potential of nature photographers. All during the year, there are opportunities to apply or nominate someone for an award, a grant or other recognition.

Several are running now or about to start. Let’s take a look. One could be tailor made for you!

Continue reading →

Connecting the Dots: From Photographing Birds to Saving Species

by

Story and Photography by Jim Shane (unless otherwise noted)

As a nature photographer, I spend a large percentage of my time photographing birds, and raptors are at the top of my list of favorite targets. Fortunately, The Peregrine Fund is headquartered close to my home so I attended a live flight show. In a blatant attempt to establish some form of communication, I offered images to the bird handlers, which blossomed into a role as volunteer photographer and adviser. Now I get opportunities and requests for help gathering images for use in educational programs. The American Kestrel photo below is one example.

Once eggs hatch the feeding frenzy intensifies. Scientists at the American Kestrel Partnership learn from looking at images of the prey being delivered to the chicks by the parent birds. © Jim Shane

Continue reading →