Environmental Values of Photography and Communication

Introduction

The urge to simply capture and display how lovely nature is—whether it be landscapes, plant life, animals, or even people interacting with their environment—is one of the most popular inspirations for environmental photographers. There are countless locations where Mother Nature will shine off, whether you're a professional photographer seeking to attract a larger audience or an amateur photographer simply looking to add more green to your Instagram feed.

In this article, we'll talk about what environmental photography is, its significance, the numerous approaches to capturing the environment, and some advice for taking effective photography without generating waste.

Well, for some photographers, environmental photography can seem quite complicated and difficult, however it is simple to shoot an environment once you understand its significance and the background of its history. Anyone with a basic understanding of and interest in their surroundings can try their hands on environmental photography. You can take environmental pictures while working as a reporter, a landscape or wildlife photographer, a researcher, a conservationist, or even for the love of taking pictures, etc. It’s even better if your one picture says a million words and needs no caption to explain it. 

Just like the one below.

An environmental photograph is one that depicts an environment, its events, and scenes in and around it. Environmental photography, to put it simply, is the practice of taking pictures of the environment. However, these days, with the increase in environmental exploitation, photographers are making it a point to show the beauty as well as the dark side of our nature. The most common purpose of environmental photography is to inform and educate people about how their actions affect the environment. It is crucial to conservation efforts and one of the most pressing problems of our day, climate change. Due to its diversity, it aids in bringing the concerns that the world faces daily to the attention of audiences around the globe.

"If you take pictures, use them for something." Ansel Adams, a renowned photographer who devoted his career to capturing the striking landscapes of the American West, said these words in one of his interviews. Adams was able to preserve some of the nation's most cherished parks and wilderness regions through his moving black and white photographs. His work serves as a symbol of the influence that photography can have in bringing environmental issues to the public's attention.

Adams used the natural landscapes he photographed beauty as a technique to emphasise their value and assure their survival. 

Below: Photograph by Ansel Adams

As climate change intensifies, there are an increasing number of images showing gorgeous landscapes, wildlife, and towns that have been devastated. Work that focuses on environmental subjects in-depth and over a long period of time is less typical. These ongoing initiatives, as opposed to solo photographs, shine light on intricate and nuanced issues that might not receive enough attention in the media or are difficult to understand due to the complicated numbers and jargon that surround them.

Environmental Photography

Photographers must depict the threats facing the living things around them, as well as any advancements that are taking place, in order to educate the public. It is not enough for photographers to only capture the lovely scenery, pretty objects, and creatures they come across. This will encourage the audience to act to correct problems as needed. One single step is all it takes!

Environmental photography is possible and useful for a variety of goals, including research, environmental monitoring, awareness-raising, public relations, and merely artistic ones. When a photographer is passionate about environmental issues, they can reach a large audience with the facts.

The photographer will be able to record the events or changes that take place in a certain location over time by using environmental photography. For research, comparison, data collection, and other valuable purposes that will aid in the development of plans to make improvements for a better environment, these images will be preserved as a part of history. To demonstrate the changes occurring as a result of natural phenomena or human acts, it is important to picture developments, growth, and improvements in addition to the negative aspects of a situation.

But Why Is It Important?

If done with sincere passion and purpose, photography can be of immense benefit to the environment. It is possible to raise awareness of a great deal of global environmental issues through photography. Nothing better than a picture can describe a scene, evoke an emotion, or even start a conversation on social media.

You don't have to wait for those who work for magazines or newspapers to help with an environmental issue. Photographing the issue and displaying it to the public will enable necessary steps to be performed, which will have a significant positive impact on the situation as you are a local photographer. You will be able to give a real-time account of what is occurring in the surroundings you are familiar with or that you visit. So, go ahead, pick your camera (hey, it could be your phone camera too!) and go on a long stroll and find what captivates your interest and coaxes you to capture it.

Wake Up! We're Leaving Ecological Footprints

Call it ironic but one medium which helps create awareness for environmental issues — photography, is the one which is too responsible for generating environmental waste. It is estimated that around 2000 kgs of hazardous waste is generated by cameras every year. Tourism has been greatly influenced by photography and videography, and as more people travel abroad to some of the world's most stunning and environmentally sensitive locations, more habitats that are popular tourist destinations are being destroyed.

Making the most of one's vacation time is a natural desire for those who are away. This frequently prompts people to deviate from the norm in quest of finding the most grammable photo locations.  There are many different minerals and rare earth elements found in high-tech photographic equipment. The natural environment suffers greatly and is frequently severely polluted by the exploitation of these rare earth minerals. The majority of these mining operations take place in nations with weak environmental laws, which causes ecosystems in the area to deteriorate and lead to pollution of the water, air, and soil.

But we can stop it…

Camera and videography equipment buyers should make an effort to guarantee that the materials they purchase are from sustainable sources and that the local miners and workers are paid fairly for their labour. Making sure that the production of cameras, including their accompanying accessories, and the mining of rare earth minerals are all done in an environmentally friendly way.

Many people who work in the fields of photography and videography have a large collection of tools and accessories that they seldom ever use. Even if you own five or ten tripods, chances are you only use one or two of them frequently. Every product uses up natural resources and generates waste during production, especially if it is made of plastic.

It can be worthwhile to think about selling any equipment you no longer require or that you use infrequently. Reselling second hand equipment saves someone from having to purchase a new piece. They will save money by doing this, and the resources that were used to build the equipment are also recycled.

Generally speaking, taking pictures and making videos is a harmless hobby, and big businesses, rather than lone individuals, are usually the ones who do significant environmental impact. The majority of photographers who specialise in wildlife photography adore nature, and they would never intentionally harm the ecosystem if they could help it. However, occasionally you could unintentionally hurt the environment or the animals that inhabit it in your haste to capture the ideal shot or because you lack the necessary information.

Most Influential Environmental Photographers: What They Have To Say Through Their Work

Environmental photography focuses on presenting and documenting our environment. It frequently serves as a method for educating people about significant environmental and conservation challenges, such as climate change. Below is a list of winners from the 2021 The Environmental Photographer of the Year competition, highlighting the world's most inspirational environmental photography.

• Subrata Dey

In a Bangladeshi facility that recycles plastic bottles, a young child is seated on a ladder. 

•  Pedro de Oliveira Simões Esteves 

Atop a cloudy day, wind turbines on mountaintops are seen just before sunset.

• Sultan Ahmed Niloy

In Shora-9 of the Gabura union in Satkhira, women look for water. Freshwater ponds and wells have started to become more salty during the past ten years after storm Aila. Water collection is generally the responsibility of women, who undertake numerous excursions over longer distances to provide for their family.

• Amaan Ali

In Yamuna Ghat, New Delhi, India, a little child is battling forest fires not far from his home. Due to the poor living circumstances, locals claim that forest fires started by human activities in the area occur frequently.

• Kevin Ochieng Onyango

A little boy appears to be blowing air into the bag with a straw that appears to be coming from his nostrils as he holds a tree seedling with one of its leaves covered in a polythene bag. He is in a toxic environment as a sandstorm rages in the background. It is our responsibility to grow trees that serve as water catchment areas by caring for and planting their seedlings. By absorbing carbon dioxide from the air, storing it in soil and trees, and releasing oxygen into the environment, these trees combat climate change.

• Ashraful Islam

Sheep flocks prowl the fractured ground looking for grass. Extremely dry conditions in Bangladesh have made life difficult for all living things.

• Nguyen Duy Sinh

Ponds close to the beach that are used for aquaculture directly release their waste into the ocean, polluting the marine ecosystem.

• Antonio Aragon Renuncio

On Afidegnigba beach, a toddler sleeps on the floor of a house that is going to collapse due to coastal erosion. More than 4,900 miles (8,000 km) of seacoast in 13 West African countries are being affected by the rising sea levels off the coast of Togo and other West African nations, which are engulfing everything in their path. By removing material from the coast and washing it away from the coastline, rising sea levels are causing the ocean bottom to adapt.