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".