Saving the world.

July 11 2010

It's a tough job saving the world but it seems that photographers everywhere are on a mission to do exactly that. You have to be careful when you proclaim a cause of course - there are plenty in the wings waiting to point out inconsistencies in your stance; those that are only too happy to undermine the bedrock of your passion.

I's very easy to call yourself a 'conservation photographer' but what does it mean? Does it mean taking animals from the wild, putting them in a fridge and then photographing them against a perfect background? Does it mean renting a wildlife model and then selling prints of that model to 'heighten awareness'? Does it mean travelling the world clocking up a hefty carbon footprint to 'bring back the story'?

I know a fair few 'conservation photographers' who do all of those things on a regular basis. But it's OK because they are 'conservation photographers'. Let's face it, conservation photography is the latest convenient way to justify doing what we want, when we want. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of photographers doing some fantastic communication work, but for the majority it's a convenient term entitling them to a green halo.

This can be a petty, political business laced with jealousies and self-serving agendas, more often than not born from deep-seated insecurities. For peat sake, it's nature photography! Within the wider scheme of things, we're insignificant, self-indulgent chancers.

And me? I'm not perfect, nowhere near. But I do try to do what I do as responsibly and as fairly as I can. I want to do my bit, I want to make my living and I want to avoid getting dragged into a worthiness competition. I take the odd flight, I wear leather shoes and it has been known for me to eat battery chicken. There, I admit it!

There are some good photographers out there who seem pre-occupied with looking over their shoulder at what the competition is doing. I don't care if they brand themselves as 'conservation photographers' and neither should they lose any sleep wondering if I buy Fairtrade coffee.

It's been a while since my last rant, but sometimes, just sometimes...

The BIG new photography project!

April 12 2010

Fanfare...I'm delighted to announce the launch of a fresh, dynamic, exciting...and collaborative new photo-project. 2020VISION has had an elephantine gestation but is now soiling nappies. The project takes inevitable influence from Wild Wonders of Europe and it is only with the blessing of my WWE colleagues, that 2020VISION has come into being.

Behind the scenes, our small team has been working away with branding, legal stuff, photographer correspondence, partner sourcing, location research, web site building and generally bickering about just about everything! Seriously, the team have worked really hard to date and I think that solid groundwork will pay dividends in the long-run.


The christening takes place at a major IUCN conference in Edinburgh on 19th - I'll post some pix from the event.

So do get involved. Visit the web site, join our mailing list, join us on all the usual social media sites...and tell everyone you know! Communication is the word!!

Does photography make a difference?

February 17 2010

It's a question I ask myself much of the time. The answer? Yes, but how? Sharper minds than me can articulate this so over to Cristina Mittermeier of the International League of Conservation Photographers (www.ilcp.com)

"Are we all about pretty pictures? This is a question that has been asked many times and in many forums to define the work that conservation photographers do. The real question however, is, do we want to focus on inspiring people, or do we aim to shock them?

There is a constant tension in finding the right balance between images that seduce and move and those that horrify. I believe that finding the right mix means the difference between entertaining people and moving them to action.

A carefully edited mix of images, weaved into a compelling story, can show both the beauty of what we stand to lose as well as the devastation that our planet's ecosystems are enduring all around the world. Most importantly, if we do our jobs right, photography can help us connect the dots to show the impacts that this loss has on human societies, and especially on the most vulnerable among us.

Our most valuable currency continues to be credibility; the perception by the public that what we are showing is a true reflection of reality".

Swedish wolves no longer welcome.

January 4 2010

One of the facets of wildlife management that bemuses me is the concept of 'too many'. It seems that conservation efforts are fine until such time they actually work. And if they work very well, and if they're targeted at certain 'problematic' species, we seem unable to tolerate the results of our endeavours. Already there are calls for a cull of grey seals, buzzards, peregrine falcons. How long before there are 'too many' ospreys or otters? What does 'too many' actually mean?

It appears that in Sweden there are now too many wolves: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8436670.stm

The IEPA

November 4 2009

Apparently I've become a member of the International Environment Photographer's Association. I say apparently, as I'm not entirely sure how it happened. They are based in Japan (which is why communication has been a tad strained) and are launching themselves later in the month with an exhibition on the island of Sado. It all looks very impressive...apparently.

http://www.theiepa.org/sado/index.html

Middle Class conservation?

October 11 2009

I recently revisited the snappily titled 'Scottish Biodiversity Communications Strategy Framework'. If you slip in a chapter here and there and definitely before it gets dark, it does in fact make for quite interesting reading...kind of.

In common with other such conservation strategy documents, it makes frequent reference to the word 'engagement'. But engagement with who? The jargonised mumbo-speak of the modern conservation community is all very well for middle-aged, middle-class, middle-England...dare I say, males. But what about the other 90% of society?

No, that word 'conservation' has to change, it's too close to the word 'conservatism'. And if we don't get creative in our thinking, it will disappear, along with its audience, to the other 'c' word: Crematorium.

Golden eagle poisoned

August 1 2009

Yet again a golden eagle has been found poisoned on a Highland Estate. But this is not just any eagle, this is a bird (christened Alma) that has been followed by thousands of people for two years via its satellite transmitter. Alma's death comes as a blow to the game shooting industry, already at pains to dispel association with illegal persecution. Apart from the obvious implications to eagle conservation in Scotland, this inevitably undermines efforts towards a more collaborative approach to wildlife management.
I normally try to adopt a balanced pragmatic view of such issues, recognising and respecting cultural divides, but this has sickened even me to the core and is all the more poignant as Alma was born only a few miles from my home.

More at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jul/30/conservation-scotland

More wildcat press coverage...

July 21 2009

Check out a really nice wildcat feature in North Magazine at www.north-magazine.com

Osprey flying but not by usual means...

July 6 2009

This image shows one of the young ospreys from the Ballintean nest about to be loaded into a box for a very quick flight to Spain as part of an ongoing reintroduction project. Raptor expert Roy Dennis had rung the young ospreys in the nest before choosing this one to be part of a pioneering population.
I'm sure the young bird will find Spain's climate a tad more comfortable than on the afternoon it left Scotland!

An insurance plan.

June 14 2009

Capercaillie are an absolute must for a project wishing to celebrate the best of European nature. With this in mind, Wild Wonders of Europe commissioned three photographers to try and capture images of this icon of the pine forest. I was one of them. The full blog from my mission with a few more images will shortly be available at www.wild-wonders.com.