5 Steps to Become a Conservation Photographer

Ask people why they love photography and you’ll hear a wide range of responses:

“It gets me out exploring.”

“It’s an artistic outlet.”

“I can share my point of view on a subject.”

“To capture moments in time or memories.”

If you love nature or wildlife photography, you may hope your photos can move others to action—to preserve landscapes, habitats or threatened species.

Would you like to move beyond capturing individual, artistic shots of nature or wildlife to craft narratives that raise awareness to protect places you hold dear? Then read on for five steps to become a conservation photographer.

Nat Hab guest showing off her shots of bears catching salmon in wild Alaska © Brad Josephs

What is Conservation Photography?

Conservation photography goes beyond capturing beautiful images of the natural world; it combines the artistry and experience of nature and wildlife photography with storytelling to become a powerful tool for environmental advocacy.

Conservation photography aims to bring attention, understanding, and positive action to important environmental issues.

Imagine a photograph of a majestic tiger in its threatened habitat—that image not only celebrates the tiger’s beauty but could also compel viewers to consider the urgent need for conservation efforts if paired with the right stories and data. Conservation photographers leverage art to share compelling stories and essential information, evoke emotion and inspire positive change.

The artistry of conservation photography might involve surprising subjects, too. Images of ocean plastics and pollution have raised awareness, funding, and action regarding ocean cleanup and environmental regulations. Images of drought, flooding and wildfires are raising awareness around climate change.

How does Conservation Photography differ from Wildlife or Nature Photography?

Conservation photography is wildlife and nature photography with a distinct purpose: to increase awareness and compel action. A beautiful landscape or wildlife photo can also become a prime example of conservation photography; it’s all from the point of view of the photographer and how it’s used. Conservation photography tells a particular story to further conservation aims.

We often say people care for and take care of what they care about. Travel and firsthand experience create that connection, and photography can, too. Photography can create that emotional connection in people who have not seen polar bears in the Arctic firsthand, for example, prompting action to protect them. That’s the goal of conservation photography.

Is Conservation Photography photojournalism?

In many ways, yes! Just as photojournalists expose and bear witness to events, conservation photographers seek to convey information, evoke emotion and raise awareness through images of the environment. Both photojournalists and conservation photographers should document reality without excessive manipulation.

Conservation photographers may have a more explicit agenda than photojournalists. Conservation photography is a form of advocacy that raises awareness of the threats to our environment and its inhabitants and offers opportunities to preserve them.

© Richard de Gouveia

How to Become a Conservation Photographer

You do not need press credentials or formal training to become a conservation photographer. All it takes is commitment and creativity to begin to develop your craft. 

According to the Conservation Visual Storytellers Academy, the three essential elements of conservation photography are Idea, Image and Impact.

IDEA

The Idea stage represents the concept, issue or theme the conservation photographer focuses on—whether it’s deforestation, an endangered species, climate change or something else. Your first steps are to clarify your motivation and the ideas you want to convey.

© Alexis Campbell

Step 1: Identify Your Conservation Priorities

What is most important to you? What’s your unique point of view? Your purpose will shape all of your decisions as a conservation photographer.

Step 2: What’s the Conservation Story?

When most of us think of nature and wildlife photography, we think of breathtaking, memorable, individual images—those once-in-a-lifetime shots. What do you want those images to convey? What change would you like them to make? What information would you like to impart both with and through your photography? What’s the context and story around the shot?

IMAGE

Your images, of course, play a crucial role. They should grab and hold attention. They should be memorable. They should be images people will want to share because they’re beautiful, funny, gripping or important. Conservation photographers’ images illustrate circumstances or situations for viewers, evoke empathy, and convey urgency to promote action. They tell a story that requires intervention. The quality of those images can make them more memorable and impactful.

Step 3: Get Great Conservation Photos

When it comes to capturing your nature and wildlife images, patience may be your best tool, but if you’re like us, you’ll also want gear. Check out The Natural Photographer’s Gear Guide from Nat Hab’s Chief Sustainability Officer and Expedition Leader, Court Whelan.

Again, keep in mind: unlike posed photography, nature and wildlife move at a pace entirely their own. Being respectful and flexible will help you capture and create truthful and impactful images. On Nat Hab Photo Expeditions from the Canadian Tundra to the Kalahari desert to the sprawling wetlands of Brazil’s Pantanal and unparalleled access to brown bears in Katmai and Lake Clark national parks, we work with small groups and make choices that put you in the best positions to get shots you’ve dreamed of—and sometimes, we wait.

Closer to home, you can walk and shoot. Embark on a local photo safari or street photography project of your own:

• Observe and catalog local species
• Capture and share stories of climate change in your local community
• Focus on local nature, wildlife, and conservation organizations and initiatives

What environmental issues are most important in your own backyard? Whether it’s supporting political initiatives to protect natural habitats or supporting wildlife rescue organizations, there are countless local opportunities to practice conservation photography close to home.

© Court Whelan

IMPACT

Once you have captured compelling images, impact arises from how conservation photography. Whether through exhibitions, educational programs, or collaborations with conservation organizations, the goal is to raise awareness and drive action. Who needs to hear the story?

Step 4: Make an Impact Close to Home

If you started with shots closer to home, consider making an impact in your own community.

© Courtney Kent

Here are some ideas for how to share the conservation story:

• Raise awareness: deliver slide shows and talks in senior homes, schools, professional organizations, libraries or community centers.
• Show your photos in art galleries or coffeehouses.
• Partner with local conservation organizations: provide images to support their preservation and conservation efforts.
• Impact local issues and initiatives by partnering with policymakers or environmental scientists.

Step 5: Share your Experiences to Amplify Conservation Impact

Social media can be a great way to share your conservation images and stories in your local community and further afield. Reach out to local publications to publish conservation stories and share your stories on social media to raise awareness about important local issues.

© Courtney Kent

University of Michigan researchers recently conducted a series of studies using Instagram images from a nonprofit environmental organization. They combined experimental and deep neural network modeling techniques to help explain the effectiveness of nature images. Among their findings: 

• The aesthetics of beautiful nature photos increase engagement with the images on social media.
• This aesthetic value of the images encourages a moral responsibility to protect nature and wildlife.
• Feelings of awe and inspiration created by the images are the specific drivers of these effects.

This makes conservation photography an incredibly powerful tool for raising awareness and inspiring an emotional response among your audience.

Photos are also more shareable on social, which spreads the word. Research from HubSpot on the Facebook algorithm has shown that photo posts receive 53% more engagement than text alone. And, of course, photo-centric platforms, like Instagram and Pinterest, require an accompanying image to make a post. With these social platforms, you can build awareness and generate traction for your conservation stories more quickly.

© Andrew Ackerman

Some Tips for Sharing on Social Media

Posting conservation photography on your social media accounts requires careful consideration. Social media is a great place to curate your professional portfolio and share important conservation stories with an audience.

Post with a delay and avoid geotagging your photos. Geotagging specific locations on Instagram can inadvertently contribute to habitat destruction and wildlife displacement. As more people are directed to these areas, the demand for infrastructure (trails, parking lots, facilities) may increase and disrupt existing wildlife patterns and behaviors. The construction of these amenities can lead to the clearing of natural habitats, fragmentation of ecosystems, and disruption of wildlife corridors. This loss and fragmentation of habitat can have severe consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.

© Kendra Olson

Court Whelan advises:

“Avoid geotagging things as much as possible. We want to keep things wild; we want to keep things pristine. I absolutely love sharing information and intel from my scouting trips from little gems that I’ve found. But the problem is…how easy it is for other people to see where you’ve been and try to repeat it on their own…thousands and thousands of times.”

Consider substituting specific geotagging to join powerful conservation campaigns, like World Wildlife Fund’s campaign to reduce the demand among Chinese tourists for ivory, or #TooLatergram campaign to grow awareness of environmental destruction.

For WWF Pakistan, Hammad Anwar shared, “Social media management is a lot more than just posting on different forums; it is an art of creating and communicating messages that have a lasting and powerful impact.”

Conservation photography is a great way to use your passion for photography to make a positive difference in your local community, wildlife and our natural world. Use these five steps to get started on your own conservation photography journey.

© Richard de Gouveia

The post 5 Steps to Become a Conservation Photographer first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.

Explore Nat Hab’s Photo Expeditions & Conservation Photography: Q & A with Our Photo Expedition Co-Directors

At Natural Habitat Adventures, we endeavor to offer the most inspiring and enriching nature photography adventures available. Want to learn more about our Photo Expeditions? I recently sat down with  Mike Hillman and Jim Beissel, Nat Hab’s Photo Expedition Co-Directors, to hear directly from them what you can expect from these trips.

How do Photo Expeditions differ from other Nat Hab itineraries?

Since 1985, Natural Habitat Adventures has delivered life-enhancing nature and wildlife experiences to small groups of passionate explorers. On Photo Expeditions, we build upon that tradition and maximize travelers’ photography opportunities. As Photo Expedition Co-Directors, our commitment is to provide exclusive access to remote locations, private inclusions and unique itineraries to the farthest corners of our planet.

This commitment to exclusive nature photography experiences can take many forms: private camps within national parks, our Aurora Pod® in Churchill, Nat Hab’s Tortoise Camp in the Galapagos or even our new pop-top, 4WD North American Safari Trucks that get travelers further afield. It also means unmatched itineraries such as Nat Hab’s circumnavigation of Iceland or heading into the remote backcountry on our Ultimate Alaska Wildlife Photo Expedition.

Photographed by Nat Hab traveler © Ron Todd on our Alaska Bear Quest Photo Expedition

“On these nature journeys, we’re always thinking about photography, first and foremost, and the photo opportunities we can give our guests in the field. That focus on photography dictates the locations, activities, trip duration and daily choices Expedition Leaders make so that you get the best photography opportunities and instruction possible.

For example, being out in the field during the right lighting conditions is key. So, changing when meals happen—if sunset’s at dinner, we try to move things around to get that beautiful golden hour light and a beautiful sunset, then have dinner a little earlier. Those are the kinds of choices we make on these kinds of trips.”

In addition, Photo Expeditions have smaller groups to allow for personalized photo instruction and increased baggage allowances for carrying camera gear.

Nat Hab traveler on our Galapagos Wildlife Photo Expedition © Mark Hickey

Who are Photo Expeditions for? Do I need special photography skills or gear? 

These are trips for everyone interested in photography, from basic to expert level skills, first timer to lifetime. All interested photographers are welcome to join, no matter your skill level.

Our Expedition Leaders meet you at your level and help you explore the world with a camera. They provide an enriching experience that leaves you inspired about the planet and conservation.

Interested to learn more about the gear we use? Check out Nat Hab’s Chief Sustainability Officer and Expedition Leader Court Whelan, doing a deep dive into his camera bag for an upcoming African safari:

Who leads Photo Expeditions?

A Nat Hab Expedition Leader guides each Photo Expedition. Along with a strong naturalist background, they are also expert photographers and instructors. Their naturalist knowledge is key from a photography perspective—they know when wildlife is most active, how to position you for ideal lighting and composition, and which photo-worthy animal behaviors to look out for. 

Our Expedition Leaders are outstanding photographers and superb naturalists who intimately understand the animals and the environment, dramatically increasing your chances of capturing the images and stories you are hoping for.

“We’ve got excellent Expedition Leaders that meet the criteria of being great naturalists and photographers. On top of that, they can translate those skills and knowledge into providing excellent educational experiences.”

Photo Expedition Co-Director Jim Beissel guiding in Yellowstone National Park © Megan Brief

What kind of photography instruction is available on a Photo Expedition?

Photography instruction on a trip can vary depending on the itinerary and guests. Mike shared that Photo Expedition instruction can include the following:

• Field Instruction, getting inspiration and ideas from your Expedition Leader when you’re taking photos out in nature. From camera tips to how to get the right shot, your Expedition Leader is a go-to resource to answer any and all questions you may have and to set you up for success.
• Formal Photography Instruction, when Expedition Leaders present at mealtimes or during workshop sessions to talk through composition and other elements of photography, so guests can learn as much as possible before heading into the field again to use those skills.
• Photo Editing Instruction, another big part of what we do. How should you edit a photo to get closer to your creative vision? Our Expedition Leaders demonstrate different editing techniques and have lots of helpful tips to get you started.

Photo Expedition Co-Director Mike Hillman and Nat Hab traveler © Jim Beissel

Photography with a Direct Connection to Conservation

When I asked Jim and Mike what hopes they had for their work as Co-Directors of Nat Hab’s Photo Expeditions, Jim said right away:

“Photography can inspire a lot of things: it can inspire you to explore, to be more creative, to connect to nature, to change the world and to make the world a better place.”

There is power in these kinds of experiences and sharing these images. As the conservation travel partner of WWF and a supporter of conservation initiatives around the globe, Nat Hab offers Photo Expeditions that highlight the power of photography in our destinations. We want to motivate our travelers to share their nature experiences and inspire others to protect the planet by becoming conservation photographers.

Nat Hab travelers photograph a black-and-white ruffed lemur in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar © Greg Courter

Inspiring nature photos have long helped protect wild places; the history of Yellowstone National Park is a great example. It might have never become a national park if photography hadn’t existed. William Henry Jackson, a pioneering photographer, and Thomas Moran, a landscape artist, joined Ferdinand Hayden’s 1871 expedition to survey the Yellowstone region for the federal government. Their images provided the first visual proof of Yellowstone’s wonders and helped persuade Congress to preserve the area. On March 1, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed the bill to make Yellowstone the first U.S. national park.

“Today, we are traveling to places that not a lot of people are privileged enough to visit; we are seeing things that not a lot of people are able to witness because they’re remote and vanishing in some cases. Our documentation of these species, places and conservation issues is valuable in getting the attention necessary to protect them.”

At Nat Hab, we want to drive home the positive impact of photography and support our travelers in capturing photos in the name of nature, wildlife and conservation. 

Nat Hab travelers experience the natural wonders of North America on our Canyons of the American Southwest Photo Expedition © Courtney Kent

Jim: “The impact we hope to have is not always about taking a photo that changes the world. Participating in this activity, even if it’s just a hobby, is a way of exploring and a valuable way of connecting with nature. It’s a change in values: We’re valuing wildlife and wild places from a utilitarian standpoint and not only as a shift away from hunting for trophies. You can take a photo many times over. And that can support a community for many years versus harvesting an animal once. So you’ve got this recurring source of revenue for local communities, too, and you’re part of something bigger, exploring the world with a camera and feeling inspired by that process and the people around you.”

 Mike: “We hope to create the kind of experience that nature photographers want to be on, that will inspire them, that will take them to places they have been dreaming about to see wildlife that they’ve been dreaming of taking photos of. We hope their experience comes back not just as images they were hoping for but as a more holistic appreciation of that place and the journey. We want to be in—and take others into—nature on its own terms.”

Are you inspired? If you’re looking for a nature adventure that offers exceptional photography opportunities and personalized instruction to take your skills to the next level, choose a Photo Expedition! Check out all of Nat Hab’s Photo Expeditions here.

The post Explore Nat Hab’s Photo Expeditions & Conservation Photography: Q & A with Our Photo Expedition Co-Directors first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.