More than Pretty.

This is my personal journey as a photographer, and how my passion for conservation changed everything. Photography started as a necessary evil of carrying a paperweight around to capture my memories abroad. Freeze frame clips of whatever captivated my attention but not always my heart.

If standing in the frame does not move you, how is the replica going to move your audience? Art is a form of communication, it says things through textures, colors, and convey emotions that cannot be put into words. When you allow yourself to be taken by what you want to say, your work will be more then just pretty, it’ll have substance.

My passion does not lie in the image, but in the story. The story of the wild, their plea for action, this was what changed and really started my journey in photography. It’s beyond the clicks on the ground, it’s research about behavior, habitat conditions, and getting to know your subjects intimately on and off the field. Their expressions, and movement that speaks to the human condition. Giving them a voice in our human existence gave substance of my work. Understanding the gravity of their story, finding my own authentic connection with a subject or place became a criteria of when I pick up my camera. This is likely the most important thing that I learnt as an artist, and finding it is not something anyone can teach you.

My interests in conservation has been my guiding light in finding a voice for my art, and in it I hope it inspires others to do the same. If science is the brains behind conservation, then perhaps its the Arts that will move people for change.

Whatever the story or message you want to convey with your art, find it, make your art more then just pretty, give it substance, and body. In a sea of pretty images, this is how you make it your own, and how it will connect with your audience beyond just skin deep.