A Milestone for Meet Your Neighbours

Today, April 30th, 2010, marks a milestone for Meet Your Neighbours. Early on, it was decided that this date would mark the last day that we would be accepting photographer applications for the project. When Niall Benvie and I first launched Meet Your Neighbours back in February, we knew that it was a unique concept, but had no idea that it would take wings as quickly as it has done.

To date, we have received applications from an amazing group of photographers representing North America, South and Central America, Africa, Europe, the UK, Australia, and Japan. There is a healthy mix of professional and serious non-professional photographers; some of which you may know and others that you will get to say hello to for the very first time. Perhaps most importantly, this talented group of individuals has come forward to participate in this project because they all share a common love for their local wildlife, and have a willingness to tell their local communities why they should take notice.
We have also been fortunate to gain the support of so many members of the conservation community. Early on, The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland backed the project and offered seed funding to get us up and running, and shortly thereafter, The International League of Conservation Photographers honored us by becoming Endorsing Partners. Most Recently Mark Lukes from Fine Print Imaging and Linda Helm at Art for Conservation have thrown their support behind the project, which has made a tremendous difference in regards to applicant interest, and visibility around the world.

So what now? Well, in the coming days we will be working with applicants to secure the support of their NGOs of choice. We will also be introducing applicants who have already gained support on our website, on our upcoming MYN blog, and on our rapidly growing Facebook group.

Exciting things are on the horizon for Meet Your Neighbours! Already, photographers are beginning to develop new techniques for creating the field studio images, including novel approaches to showing both the subject and environment in one image. Others are developing long range plans for sharing the images with their communities. By working together, we hope that common, overlooked species of wild plants and animals will be seen in a different light!

For photographers out there who are still interested in Meet Your Neighbours, and are able to make an arrangement with a partner NGO there still may be a place for you in the project. Please visit our website to download the MYN photographer's guide and begin building a relationship with your local conservation community. Although the April 30th deadline has been reached, we still may be able to help support you in other ways!

Finally, if you represent a NGO, business or are a person in a position to introduce Meet Your Neighbours into your own community, please contact me at clay@meetyourneighbours.org and will help to connect you with an appropriate photographer partner.

Meet Your Neighbours: Project Update

It has been a few weeks since Meet Your Neighbours was launched.We have received inquiries and interest from photographers and NGOs from around the world; the list includes places as diverse as Uganda, Brazil, Italy, the Ukraine, New England, Wales among others. Needless to say, I have been very encouraged by the response so far! If you believe that you would be a good candidate for this effort, please don't hesitate to send your information to clay@meetyourneighbours.org !

I also wanted to publicly thank several organizations and individuals who have stepped forward to offer support and spread the word about MYN. Sincere appreciation to all of you who have done so! And to those who are working with us behind the scenes, many thanks to you as well.

Here are a few highlights:

• Endorsing Partner The International League of Conservation Photographers featured the project in their February newsletter and on Facebook
• Rob Sheppard wrote a nice piece on the effort for his blog photodigitary
• Charlie Borland has kindly promoted MYN on Pro Nature Photographer
• Richard Bernabe allowed us to share the word on NaturePhotographers.net
• Miki Johnson spread the word on their Livebooks Community on Facebook
  
• Thanks to The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina for highlighting it on Facebook
• Ibarionex Perello highlighted MYN on Twitter
• Sublime Magazine will be featuring a really nice spread on MYN in their upcoming April issue
  

In the next few days, we will be posting more detailed information on how the project works and ways that applicants can partner with NGOs. In addition, Niall and I will also be sharing a "Photographer's Guide to Meet Your Neighbours" as a resource for candidates.

Once again, for those who are interested in applying, please contact me via the blog, or by e-mail at clay@meetyourneighbours.org.

Introducing "Meet Your Neighbours"

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.

Bits & Pieces

In lieu of a long rambling post, here are few items of note.

• I made my first foray into the world of international life-style publications this month in the new issue of Sublime Magazine. This issue features, among other interesting things, a selection of six winning images from the 2009 CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year Competition. I was lucky to be one of the chosen few winners who were represented. Thanks Laura!
• Just discovered the work of 17 year old Jaco Ottevanger today. He has some really beautiful, creative images on his website. It is so exciting to see the next generation coming in swinging!
• Really interesting post on how to create 360 panoramic photos here and several great examples here and here. With the addition of narration, these really can be powerful photographic tools, which can be used for conservation awareness.
• Check out Niall Benvie's take on the “Vivaldi-isation" of Nature Photography

Great (Glowing) Flowers Photo Technique

If you want to learn how to make stylistically fresh images of plants on a white background then visit Niall Benvie’s blog and check out this really informative post. Niall is very generous and shares the entire overview of his process and includes equipment specs as well. This technique takes white-sweep studio portraits of flowers to the next level by creating translucent impressions of each subject through the use of backlight.

By the way, if you didn’t catch my earlier post on the subject, Niall’s brand new blog is a fantastic resource for anyone interesting in photographing wild nature. His site, entitled ‘Images from the Edge’, includes some of the best insight into the ethics of nature and conservation photography on the Web. Give it a read, why don’t you?

Niall's Great New Dia-Blog

Scottish natural history and conservation photographer Niall Benvie recently launched his new blog entitled "Images from the Edge." Those of you who are already familiar with Niall will certainly be able to attest to his brilliant imagery and as well as his keen insight into the business of photographing nature and the many ethical issues that surround the discipline. Perhaps my favorite part of about Mr. Benvie's essays is that they are often laced with a great sense of humor and a biting wit, which I always enjoy. I would highly recommend this blog for anyone who is involved or interested in the nature photography field.

Please take the time visit "Images from the Edge" if you have a chance.

Become a Photo-Lobbyist

Over the last few years I've really come to admire Scottish photographer Niall Benvie for his prolific output of essays and fine portfolio of images. One of the concepts that he has pioneered is something called "Photo-Lobbying" which is a powerful way to tell your elected officials about your concern for natural areas that are under threat. The following information is from Niall's website, "Images from the Edge," and is reproduced with his permission.

"The long cherished belief amongst nature photographers that we can bring about positive environmental policy change merely by showing the public the beauty of nature is now largely discredited. The accelerating rate of biodiversity loss highlights our failure in the public arena and the need instead to target our efforts directly at the people in positions of power (pipop) - those responsible for formulating policy. New technology means that this is no longer the preserve of the professional lobbyist. Now, if you own a digital camera and have internet access, you can effectively lobby on behalf of the environmental issues that affect you in your neighbourhood.

The concept of photo-lobbying is simple, its message delivered directly. Document those natural places and things in your area that enrich your life, that you would feel disappointed to see disappear - or whose destruction has angered you. We’re not talking about wilderness here, just the ordinary places where most of us actually engage with nature on a daily basis. Then e-mail these images on a regular basis to your elected representatives - from parish councillor up to Senator or MEP. Once you’ve set up a mailing list it is easy and quick to repeat with fresh images. The message that accompanies the pictures is short and to the point:

This matters to me,
You are my elected representative,
What are you going to do about it?

A visual statement is inherently more powerful - and quicker to prepare and assimilate - than a written one. Few of us actually bother to sit down and write protest letters - but many more of us enjoying taking a photograph. Central to the philosophy of photo-lobbying is the construction in the recipient’s mind of the natural fabric of their constituency and what matters to a vocal, networked sector of their electorate. The photography need not necessarily be issues-led. Photo lobbyists are effectively advertising agents for nature in their area, with incessant repetition being the key to getting the message heard. Lazy (or overwhelmed) pipop can either delete or forward the e-mails to someone higher up the political food-chain to deal with. But the flow will keep coming. Indeed, sometimes politicians will find that they can advance their own prospects by championing a cause.

Photo-lobbying can work on a local level because residence lends authority and election obliges a response. No response, no vote.

Practicalities
Photo-lobbying is all about making elected representatives aware of what you value in your environment and calling them to account. But don’t be a pain:

• Edit your pictures rigorously. Bad photos just give a bad impression.
• Keep the picture size fairly small (500 pixels along the long axis is adequate) and save the files as .JPG so that the final size is under 100 Kb. to speed up download times.
• Maintain an up-to-date list of democratic representatives whose e-mail addresses are in the public domain and send your images and comments to them using the Blind Carbon Copy (BCC) function of your e-mail programme.In your subject line, use something to suggest that your correspondence isn’t spam. Try, “A message from one of your constituents”
• Don’t attach any more than a couple of images per e-mail; this will speed up sending and download times
• If you have you own website, post your pictures on it and send the link to the pictures instead; many people are justifiably wary of attachments
• Get your facts right; identify species correctly and don’t make statements that can’t be verified. Be a credible witness for the wild.
• Working with like-minded people in your area for a co-ordinated effort is sensible but mail your pictures in an individual capacity; votes are held by individuals, not groups.
• Do not invoke the name of any organisation without its express permission.
• And remember, as in advertising, persistence and repetition are crucial."