Adaptive

Adaptive – Intrinsic beauty adapted

Many photographs that have inspired conservation have been driven by the desire to capture intrinsic beauty. Renowned conservationist and photographer, Craig Potton MNZM, took this image looking out across Golden Bay after sunset from his holiday home. It draws the viewer’s eye into the expansive and tranquil scene and the horizon.  When Golden Bay was threatened with extensive commercial shell fish farming operations, the local community, concerned at the potential loss of this unspoiled place and view, created a campaign to save Golden Bay. This image was the poster for the campaign.

Craig Potton had not considered ‘conservation photography’ as a term.  For him, it’s really about photography as an art form first.  Perhaps later, he may consider using or allowing others to use his images either for political effect or for conveying a message to bring about change.

“It’s two things – 1, taking photographs for the aesthetic, for the intrinsic value of that image, and then 2, applying that image to a cause, politicising an image that had been created without the cause in mind”. Craig Potton

Ansel Adams started the same way, taking landscape photos of Yosemite National Park for their intrinsic beauty and then later, using them to promote environmental protection. And back in New Zealand, photography and writing by the late remarkable Andy Dennis MNZM in 1981 (“The Paparoas Guide”) with photography from others including conservationists Craig Potton, Bruce Watson and Graham Loh, led to the formation of the Paparoa National Park in 1987.

Love not loss

Many environmental campaigners use heartbreaking photographs to provoke reactions, whether seeking donations, submissions or changed behaviour. Whenever wildlife is shown to be suffering, our response may be visceral, but does it drive change? Futerra, a sustainable communications agency in London, in their publication ‘Branding Biodiversity‘, explored psychological evidence to find out what actually drives people to want to conserve nature  They advise that the focus of conservation messages must be love, awe, wonder, fascination and deep connection with nature. These love messages drive action. They suggest that loss messages – extinction, threat, harm – generate apathy.

And it’s true. How often have you seen an image of an orangutan helpless in the face of massive diggers and forest clearance operations and felt helpless yourself? Or perhaps that anguish will inspire you to donate, stop buying palm oil, spread the word …

It may be that such painful images will be seen, will be shared, and might encourage action but more endearing images combined with a clear call to action might work better if we follow Fonterra’s guide. The photograph below was taken and shared with a deep love for these creatures, not from any sense of promoting action to protect them, but in fact adding a simple message to a photograph that inspires love and warmth and care for the future of orangutans could be a more successful approach.