Photo Conservation

“There are as many levels of wonder in the silent beat of a butterfly wing as in the howl of a wolf.”

– Douglas H. Chadwick, biologist

Photojournalism can expose environmental problems in their starkest forms. There’s something about the power of giving words shape and color through images. Though reading about endangered tigers in India raises awareness and emphasizes a crucial issue, it is the accompanying photograph that will brand its emotive potency into the mind of the reader. Joel Sartore has asserted himself as an environmental photographer through his devotion to conserving wildlife areas. He is a founding member of both the Grassland Foundation and the International League of Conservation Photographers. His work in National Geographic focuses on endangered species and land use issues.

Sartore aims to communicate the needs of endangered species through his photographs, especially when capturing the smaller creatures that nobody has ever heard of. He recognizes that it’s the little things that drive our ecosystems, and works to illuminate upon the dichotomy between these creatures and the ever-encroaching environmental threats. Sartore’s work spans the spectrum between meticulously close-focused shots and sweeping landscapes.

The photographic depth of Sartore’s repertoire is shown through his attention to detail. His piece on minnows in the Powder River in Wyoming depicts an ecosystem threatened by coal bed methane development. The caption of the photograph emphasizes the gravity of the abysmal fate of these rainbow-scaled fish: parts of the river are now ruined with polluted water from nearby gas wells.

The Alpine oil field spreads out into the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska

Sartore exposes the effects of policy decisions through his photography. His series of panoramic images of the far North reveal the topographical impacts of the Bush administration’s drilling decisions. A seemingly beautiful mass of misty wetland is rendered tragic when juxtaposed against the oil fields which infringe upon the native waterfowl nesting grounds.

Oftentimes Sartore captures the essence of a place in a single still. This photo of a polar bear feasting on the jaws of a bowhead whale presents nature in its most raw element. The contrast of color with the bear’s stoic form seems to probe the viewer to wonder: how do our oil and gas interests outweigh the sacrifices we have to make? A seemingly simple frame can encapsulate the conscience of the environmental movement. Is nothing sacred?