It is my great pleasure to announce the launch of a new project that I've developed in coordination with conservation photographer and
ILCP Founding Fellow,
Niall Benvie. It's called
“Meet Your Neighbours” and its mission is to celebrate the species of plants and animals that we
think we know best: those commonly found within our own neighborhoods and communities. These species are often people's first and only connection with the natural world and their importance is often
unrecognized. In essence, Meet Your Neighbours is a photographically driven, environmental education program designed to nurture those connections.
There is just one catch: We need your help!
Niall and I are searching for photographers around the world to participate in this effort. We want people to sit up and take notice of these wild neighbors by presenting them as celebrities: photographed in the
white field studio, in exquisite detail under beautiful lighting. If you are a photographer who has spent time working with conservation
NGOs within your own region to highlight locally wild species we want to hear from you! Whether you are a seasoned pro, or an experienced recreational photographer, it matters not. What does matter is your dedication to showcase these often overlooked, and undervalued species within your own communities.
To learn more about the Meet Your Neighbours project and how you can participate,
Please Read More Here.To Sign-up for our mailing list, visit our developing website at
meetyourneighbours.org or
follow us on Twitter: @MYNeighbours.
You may have heard some photographers stressing the importance of 'making photos' rather than 'taking photos.' In order to make it as a professional (nature) photographer, one has to be able to adapt to the situation that you're faced with and come home with good, salable images. Otherwise, it is highly likely that your client will not call on you again.
Although I love the serendipity of hiking along a mountain trail and coming upon an amazing subject to photograph, more and more, I find myself shooting with an agenda in mind. This morning was no exception: I needed to make photos of trout lilies for Meet Your Neighbours, for my catalog of wide angle macro photographs for an upcoming project and for my general stock collection to boot. To make things more tricky, each direction required a different style and approach.
With a little creativity and good planning a single location can yield a wide variety of completely different images that can be delivered to different customers and markets without conflict. All of the images included in this post were photographed in a single morning.
