15 Sep 2020

Conservation photography is the active use of the photographic process and its products, within the parameters of photojournalism, to advocate for conservation outcomes.

Conservation and Photography may represent two very distinct fields, but their combined impact can be profound. Simply put, conservation photography is photography that enables or empowers conservation.

The serious conservation photographer doesn’t take pictures merely out of a sense of duty, but brings to his or her work a deep empathy for the natural world. The resulting images, when properly used, have the power to bring about positive change.

When Approached Well, Photography can be a Successful Tool in Wildlife Conservation

Conservation photographs fall into two broad categories, both of which are equally valuable:

  • The snapshot: You see something that strikes you, quickly pull out your cell phone or point-and-shoot camera, and grab some pictures without expending too much time or effort.
  • The carefully crafted conservation picture: you see the same scene, but instead of quickly shooting it and moving on, you take a series of carefully crafted, high-quality images that help tell the story in a more powerful way. Such photographs always have a better impact.

Telling The Right Story To The Right Audience Is Key

The real work in conservation photography begins after the image has been shot, because, to create an impact, conservation pictures have to be put to work for specific causes. While not every picture may find an immediate use, a carefully catalogued archive of conservation pictures can help generate news stories, provide material for awareness campaigns and even form evidence in court cases.

What about that collection of all your beautiful wildlife pictures? Are they useless? Of course not! They can be extremely valuable for conservation too.

Listed below are a few examples of conservation photo opportunities to look out for during your next photography trip:

  • Any destruction/construction activity inside a protected area.
  • Any commercial activity in ecologically sensitive zones (ESZs) – the areas immediately bordering national parks and reserves.
  • Any habitat destruction or fragmentation — from tree felling to a full-blown hydroelectric project.
  • Forest fires.
  • Cattle / goats inside protected areas.
  • Roads that have sprung up inside or near a protected area.
  • Evidence of poaching or hunting – snares, jaw traps etc.
  • Photographs of road kills.
  • Wildlife kept as pets.
  • Tourism and its impacts.
  • Harvest of forest produce.
  • Pictures of man-animal conflict.

Article Credit: Conservation India,  By Shekar Dattatri and Ramki Sreenivasan