WNPS lecture on ‘Conservation Photography: Taking Pictures to Save the Planet’ on Sunday

A Wildlife & Nature Protection Society (WNPS) Public Lecture titled ‘Conservation Photography: Taking Pictures to Save the Planet’ by Ami Vitale will be held on Sunday 9 August at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom.

Ami Vitale

Wildlife conservation, the world over, is in crisis, and not just in the developing world. The United Kingdom has just announced that 25% of its native mammals are in imminent danger of extinction. In Sri Lanka, a global biodiversity hotspot, we see alarming increases in human-wildlife conflicts, widespread illegal encroachment into protected areas, and policy proposals to reduce the remaining forest cover even further. The picture is grim but not irreversible, with committed action and widespread education these can yet be stopped, but there is no time to waste.

Conservation photography is a powerful tool in bringing about this action and learning. It is much more than the taking of a pretty picture of a wild animal or a landscape to cater to the aesthetic pleasure of the viewer.

Conservation photographers take pictures that not only have technical excellence and perfect composition, but also give a message, sometimes stark and shocking, of the current reality in the jungles and forests and oceans, away from the tourist posters and the public eye. They will show the beauty of nature and the threat to its destruction, all in one frame i.e. a human guardian placing his head against the last remaining male Northern White Rhino, alas now no more.

To be able to compose such evocative pictures, the photographer not only requires the artistic and technical skills necessary for producing such images, but also a deep empathy and understanding of the subject; motivated by the desperate need to protect the world’s wild places and the creatures that call them home, and with whom we share this planet. 

There is none better in portraying this message than Ami Vitale. Ami is an American photojournalist and documentary film maker, currently based in Montana, USA, and has visited Sri Lanka on an assignment.

Some of her achievements are listed below:

• A Nikon Ambassador and National Geographic magazine photographer, she has traveled to more than 100 countries, bearing witness not only to violence and conflict, but also to surreal beauty and the enduring power of the human spirit. 
• Throughout the years, she has lived in mud huts and war zones, contracted malaria, and donned a panda suit— keeping true to her belief in the importance of “living the story”.
• In 2009, after shooting a powerful story on the transport and release of one the world’s last white rhinos, Ami shifted her focus to today’s most compelling wildlife and environmental stories 
• She was recently named by Instyle Magazine as one of 50 women changing the world, along with Jane Goodall and Ruth Bader Ginsberg, among others
• She is a founding member of Ripple Effect Images, a collective of scientists, writers, photographers, and filmmakers with a mission of creating powerful stories that illustrate how women in developing countries are affected by climate change
• She has garnered prestigious awards including multiple prizes from World Press Photos, the first Magnum Inge Morath Grant, and the Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding Reporting
• Her first book, ‘Panda Love: The Secret Lives of Pandas,’ was published in 2018
• She lectures for the National Geographic LIVE series, and frequently gives workshops throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
• Five-time winner of the World Press Photo Awards

A picture does tell a story. Ami’s amazing skill brings these messages alive, that of the desperate need for action, but also of hope that something can yet be done. 

Please register online https://forms.gle/6u8XWYPsEscfyGqE9