Blogs Archives - Girls Who Click

Crafting a Compelling Conservation Photo-Story: A Guide for Aspiring Visual Storytellers

by adminSeptember 10, 2024September 29, 2024 1 Comment

As a storyteller and conservation wildlife photojournalist, I am driven to capture compelling stories with my camera. Whether documenting the wonders of nature, showcasing scientific discoveries, or highlighting the efforts of NGOs on the front lines of protecting our wild spaces, my work serves as a powerful tool to raise awareness and inspire action on conservation issues.

My career has taken me across the globe to communicate important conservation stories. Learning how to tell a good story can enhance many aspects of your career beyond photography. It has enabled me to become a better writer, artist, and communicator, and it can even help establish relationships with brands. Story is at the heart of everything; once you learn how to find it, doors will open for you.

Telling stories through art has been an integral part of human culture for thousands of years. These stories connect us, and art preserves them in history forever. In today’s rapidly changing world, there has never been a more perfect moment to be a conservation photographer. Climate and environmental stories are in abundance, often right in our backyards. As an aspiring visual storyteller, starting locally offers numerous advantages. It allows you to connect with your community, immerse yourself in the story and its characters without time constraints, and refine your photography skills until you capture the perfect shots.

A well-crafted conservation photo story can evoke emotions, educate the public, and inspire change. The key to telling a compelling visual story is to lead with your heart; it is this heartfelt approach that brings the magic. Here’s a step-by-step guide from my experience to creating a compelling conservation photo story.

1. Find Your Passion

Before picking up the camera, you need to find your “why” – the driving force that keeps you awake at night and excites you. Every conservation photographer should start by asking themselves: Why am I passionate about conservation? What stories excite me? What change do I want to bring to the world through my work? If you aren’t passionate about the story or subject matter you’re communicating, it will be challenging to inspire passion and excitement in others.

It’s this passion that creates magic in every photo. Understanding your motivations will guide your work and give it purpose. Whether your goal is to raise awareness about endangered species, protect a local natural area, or inspire others to take action, having a strong sense of purpose will help you create meaningful and impactful stories.

2. Do Your Research

So you have found your “why” and your passion. Now, let’s find some stories. Whether you are at the beginning of your photojournalism journey or more experienced, focusing on local stories that are easily accessible and require minimal funding is the perfect place to start.

Selecting a local conservation issue that is relevant, current, and resonates deeply with you is how impactful images are born. Topics may include endangered species, habitat destruction, climate change, or successful conservation efforts. Stay up-to-date with the news, use Google Alerts for topics of interest, and engage with local journalists, conservationists, organizations, and community members to gain a deeper understanding of the issue. This approach allows you to contribute to your community while honing your skills. By sticking with local stories, you can gradually build trust within the community, which is essential for capturing the most compelling images.

One crucial lesson I’ve learned is that if the subject doesn’t want you to do a story on them or the topic, then there isn’t a story there for you. It’s important to recognize when to stop pursuing a story and move on to the next.

Remember, photojournalism is a marathon, not a sprint, and it can take many years to complete a story. Building trust and understanding within the community will eventually lead to the most powerful and authentic work.

3. Finding Your Story's Structure

Once you have found your story, it is crucial to fully understand it before you start shooting. It’s important to distinguish between a story and a topic. Topics are broad and general, serving as umbrellas under which more specific stories and angles can be developed. Stories add specificity and context to topics, providing insights into how, why, and when events occur.

For compelling photo stories, focus on the story, not the entire topic. Each story should have three main elements: Characters, Conflict, and Timeliness. When choosing your main character, think outside the box. While characters are often people, they can also be wildlife, cities, buildings, locations, or objects. Consider these questions when identifying your character: Who are they? What are their values? What are their desires and goals?

Like a storybook, your photo story should have a beginning, middle, and end, usually following a journey or process. This journey can be broken down into three actions to make it more compelling and emotionally engaging:

Call to Action: Something happens that the character can no longer ignore, prompting them to act on their desires or motives.
Conflict: Challenges or obstacles that the main character faces and must overcome.
Resolution: How the character achieves or fails to achieve their desires. Consider what has changed and photograph how the main character’s emotions have shifted. This can be illustrated through color, location or lighting.

By finding your story, honing in on your character’s wants, needs, and desires, and following a strong structure and narrative, you will be on the road to creating a successful photo story.

Photo taken by Francesca Page whilst on assignment capturing an incredible NGO called ‘'Kebersamaan Untuk Lautan' (KUL) in Sumatra, Indonesia. This photo shows fishers pull up traps, resembling oversized lobster pots, that have been resting on the seafloor 25-30 meters deep for the past 12 hours. KUL is gradually introducing this new form of sustainable fishing to local fishers, as it increases targeted catch and reduces bycatch of critically endangered sharks and rays.

4. Plan and Visualize Your Shots

Now that you’ve identified your passion, found a story, and planned its structure, it’s time for the fun part: visualizing your shots. Before heading into the field, I recommend meeting with key people involved in the story – scientists, conservationists, and community members. Read research papers and other materials to deepen your understanding. If you can’t visit the location yet, watch documentaries, find photos, and use Google Maps to get a sense of the place.

To convey your message effectively, shoot with purpose. Ensure you capture three essential types of shots: a close-up detailed shot, a medium-angle shot, and a wide shot, making sure no image repeats itself. Start with the ‘safe shot’ and then experiment with different angles, lighting, and compositions. This variety will give you a rich pool of images to choose from when compiling your photo story.

Drawing your story in thumbnails beforehand can help you visualize and approach your work with a clear idea. Think of a photo story like a wordless comic strip, a method inspired by my studies in illustration. This approach helps me stay focused on capturing all the necessary shots.

Finally, think outside the box. If a story has already been covered, find a unique angle or perspective. Remember, you are an artist, using your camera as a paintbrush to illuminate important stories. Let creativity guide you, and don’t hesitate to use tools like camera flashes, filters, and artistic lenses to create different effects.

5. Capturing The Moment

While in the field, remember that you are the messenger, there to capture, not to interfere. Ethical considerations are paramount; your presence should not harm the environment or disturb wildlife. Follow guidelines and regulations for photographing in protected areas, obtain necessary permissions, and respect the dignity and privacy of individuals. Building trust is crucial as you document people’s lives. Approach your work with care, sensitivity, and respect.

Most importantly, enjoy the experience. The most rewarding work of my photography career has been out in nature or with people on the front lines protecting our wild spaces. It’s enriching and fulfilling to make new connections, understand new places, and spend time with new creatures.

Photo taken by Francesca Page whilst on assignment capturing an incredible NGO called ‘'Kebersamaan Untuk Lautan' (KUL) in Sumatra, Indonesia. Tangled in the sharp embrace of gill nets, a critically endangered smooth nose wedgefish represents the devastating costs of bycatch. Fortunately, there is a hopeful side to this story: the smooth nose wedgefish is still alive and will soon be tagged and released back into the wild, playing a role in the fight to save its species from extinction.

6. Be a Ruthless Photo Editor

Your first photo story is complete, congratulations! Now comes the editing process, where you need to be blunt with your work. If a shot is beautiful but doesn’t serve the story, don’t use it.

Avoid editing images on the same day you shoot; it’s easier to be objective after some time has passed. After a few days, select the best 25-50 photos from your shoot. A day or more later, narrow those down to the top 10 images, ensuring each photo serves your original story concept. Aim for 5-10 photos in your final photo story.

Seek advice from trusted friends, colleagues, or family who aren’t emotionally attached to the story. Give them your top 25-50 photos and ask them to select their top 10. This can provide valuable insight into how effectively you’ve captured the story.

Don’t fear failure. With each photo story, you’ll grow and learn. Over time, you’ll become more confident, bolder in your experiments, and more attuned to what to look for. Practice, courage, and curiosity are key to your development as a conservation photojournalist.

7. Getting It Out There

Now that your photo story is complete, it’s time to share it with the world. If no one sees your work, the power of storytelling remains hidden. Share your story on social media, and engage with your audience by sharing behind-the-scenes insights and personal reflections. Try to get it shown at local community centers and exhibitions. Contact reputable publications with large audiences that pay photographers for their work, such as news outlets, papers, and magazines. Encourage viewers to learn more, support conservation efforts, and share the story within their networks. The more people who see your work, the greater its impact will be.

Storytelling and photography are powerful tools that amplify the voices of others. Crafting a compelling conservation photo story requires passion, dedication, and creativity. In a world facing significant environmental challenges, your photography can be a beacon of hope and a call to action. Let your lens bring hidden stories to light and drive meaningful change.

Now, go unleash your creativity and tell some stories!

This article was written by Francesca Page, published illustrator, award-winning photographer, writer, dive professional and GWC Ambassador.

Inspiring Wildlife Photography Workshop in Vancouver, B.C. with Gunjan Menon

by adminAugust 24, 2024September 29, 2024 Leave a comment

On August 11th, Girls Who Click held an inspiring Photography Workshop in Vancouver, Canada, led by our Partner Photographer, Gunjan Menon. This free outdoor session offered 13 to 18-year-old girls a chance to explore the basics of nature and wildlife photography in a welcoming and supportive environment. Gunjan, an award-winning conservation filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer invited girls who want to learn to click to Stanley Park, a hidden gem teeming with urban wildlife in Vancouver, Canada.

Here is what Gunjan had to say about the day:

What is your gift to the world?

Reflecting on our place in this world connects us in a shared mission—to tell stories that protect the planet and inspire people. This is the feeling I wanted to experience with the girls, and it’s how we began the workshop. The first time I was asked this question, like the girls, I too felt a bit unsure. But it’s a question that keeps coming back to me. I hope as the girls continue their journey, they’ll think about it too—and realize just how lucky the world is to receive the incredible gifts that they will be sharing of finding awe and wonder in nature.

We wanted to host this workshop to help young girls learn the basics of nature photography hands-on and learn what it takes to become conservation storytellers. We encouraged BIPOC and LGBTQ+ youth to join us, and thanks to Girls Who Click, Shelley Khunkhun and Beyond Premieres, we were able to provide cameras for those who didn’t have access, breaking down any barriers to participation.

We were fortunate to have the wonderful Melissa Hafting, a wildlife ecologist and the founder of BC Young Birders, to lead our bird walk. Melissa’s passion for birds is contagious, and she is renowned and loved as a bird expert in British Columbia. Shelley Khunkhun, an environmental photographer and UBC Masters student, also joined us and volunteered her time and camera for the participants. We’re deeply grateful to both Melissa and Shelley for joining us and spending their Sunday with our young photographers.

Photos by Shelley Khunkhun

Close one eye, make a frame with your fingers and look around!

We began by looking at the world around us through this “frame”, encouraging the girls to start thinking like photographers. We then moved on to the technical aspects, we covered shot sizes, composition, and framing, encouraging the girls to experiment with different angles and become comfortable with their camera settings.

The girls soon turned their lenses to the cool birdlife in the park, capturing stunning and rare moments—some holding a camera for the first time. We had a discussion about the ethics of wildlife photography, emphasizing the importance of respecting animals and telling compelling conservation stories. Melissa, with her deep knowledge of Stanley Park’s ecosystem, introduced the group to a variety of birds. We were on the lookout for the elusive Northern Waterthrush. Someone had sighted it in the area and we could all hear it, but somehow not see it!

Anica and Sunny in the meantime, were quick to spot a Black-throated Gray Warbler bathing in Ceperley Creek—a perfect moment to discuss lighting and composition. The girls also marveled at a Western Flycatcher and Willow Flycatcher sparring, and the playful flocks of Bushtits flitting about. Throughout the day, we worked closely with the girls, helping them fine-tune their camera settings and perfect their shots. While exposure proved tricky for some, their skills were visibly improving. The most important aspect of wildlife photography — patience — was also practiced (and tested).

My daughter thoroughly enjoyed her photography experience as it allowed her to express her creativity in new and exciting ways. Through photography, she discovered a passion for capturing the beauty of the world around her, from the smallest details to the grandest landscapes. The experience not only sparked her imagination but also taught her patience and the value of seeing things from different perspectives. It helped her develop a keen eye for detail and a deeper appreciation for the art of storytelling through images.

Sanaz

Participant Parent

After the bird walk, we regrouped to explore what makes a strong story. The task was to pick one bird species and capture its story through a series of photos. But being mindful of the birds’ natural behaviour was key. The big moment came when Naomi photographed the elusive Northern Waterthrush bobbing its tail by the muddy banks—a “lifer” for all the girls. Sunny managed to photograph a Merlin with a catch! They also witnessed an immature Green Heron catch and eat a frog, a scene many were able to capture, including the youngest participant — Armita. Nicole made a really interesting photograph of the heron hiding behind a rock just before striking its prey.

Melissa, Shelley, and I were there to answer any questions as the girls worked on their assignments, and I couldn’t help but feel proud of their growing confidence.

We sat in a circle under a famous old tree and each girl presented her photo story, choosing seven images to convey their message. The series on a Green Heron stalking its prey was particularly striking, illustrating how photography can evoke emotion and tell a deeper story. One participant even used a smartphone to capture her images, proving that the heart of storytelling isn’t always in the tools but the vision behind them. Kate and Annica surprised me by wanting to create stories about Canada geese and not the rarer birds in the park, which showed their inclination to practice their newly learnt photography and storytelling techniques on a subject they were familiar with, could get closer to and creatively see them with a new perspective. I was really impressed by everyone’s clarity of vision and thought process that went into creating these photo stories.

In the end, we discussed questions about various cameras, careers in wildlife, photography techniques, tips and tricks and shared feedback on the photo stories.

As the day ended, Melissa informed us we’d spotted an impressive 43 bird species!

A massive thanks to Melissa Hafting for leading the bird walk, and to Shelley Khunkhun and Saiyam Wakchaure from Beyond Premieres for their invaluable help throughout the day. This workshop was a memorable step in these young photographers’ journeys, and I can’t wait to see where their newfound skills will take them

Transformative Moments at the Girls Who Click Workshop in Alaska

by adminJuly 31, 2024September 29, 2024 Leave a comment

This blog post is written by photographer, ambassador and workshop lead Beth Hotchkiss.

The atmosphere buzzed with a mix of excitement and nervous energy as twelve girls, ranging in age from 10 to 17, gathered for a Girls Who Click (GWC) photography workshop in Alaska. “How many of you are photographers?” asked a volunteer. A few hands timidly rose, but most remained by their sides. It was a tentative start to what would ultimately become a day full of transformation.

Surrounded by snow-capped mountains and clusters of small, green trees, the group soon settled into their classroom at the Eagle River Nature Center. Here, they embarked on a journey of discovery, learning firsthand how to unlock their inner photographers and make an impact.

Workshop Sessions: Learning and Exploration

The day began with introductions, a safety debriefing, and icebreakers. Then a set of speakers: GWC Ambassador Beth Hotchkiss, photographer Michael DeYoung, and GWC Photographer Cathy Hart, captivated the group through informative presentations. The girls discovered how science and photography connect, and learned how to contribute to scientific exploration through platforms like Zooniverse and iNaturalist. Moreover, the group was introduced to the principles of composition and the art of storytelling through images, setting the stage for the afternoon ahead.

Under the guidance of experienced mentors, the girls set out on their first assignment: to explore the Eagle River Nature Center and use their images to tell a story. Divided into groups, they ventured into different corners of the park. With cameras in hand – some owned, others borrowed – the girls began photographing their environment. For a few, it was their first time handling a camera. As they practiced framing their shots, their confidence grew with each click of the shutter. They experimented with different angles, played with light and shadow, and found an abundance of inspiration in their surroundings.

“My heart was full of joy watching the girls so engaged,” said volunteer Sara Peebles. “Once those cameras got in their hands, they came alive!” Mentoring three Afghan girls in the workshop, Sara noted, “it’s a new cultural experience for them. Afghan girls normally go to school and come straight back home.” Watching them photograph mushrooms, flowers, and other visitors at the Nature Center, Sara saw something click within the girls, later remarking, “their passion for photography was born that day.”

An hour and a half later, all the girls gathered back in the classroom to select their three favorite images and craft their stories. Some focused on the beauty of nature, while others were drawn to moments steeped in personal memories or emotion. The culmination of the workshop was full of pride and accomplishment as each girl presented their photo story to peers and mentors alike. Each narrative was unique, giving a new glimpse of the world as seen through their eyes.

Key Takeaways: Areas of Focus.

The Girls Who Click workshop left a lasting impression on participants and volunteers alike, inspiring all to continue exploring the world through their cameras and using their skills to make a difference. Three major lessons from the day were:

1.We are ALL photographers in training. Photography is a skill that is developed through practice; it requires us to embrace the process of learning and celebrate small wins along the way. Whether it’s our first day or fiftieth year wielding a camera, there’s always room for growth. You don’t become a photographer once you’ve reached an ‘expert’ level, you become a photographer the moment you pick up a camera.

2. Photography is about YOU. “The best camera is the one you have on you,” shared workshop volunteer Michael DeYoung. At its core, photography is not about the type of gear you have but about the person behind the lens—their vision, creativity, and unique perspective. No two people see the world in exactly the same way, which is what makes photography such a powerful art form. It’s our individual viewpoints that set our images apart and enable us to make a meaningful impact.

3. No IMPACT is too small: Photography can be used to inspire others, advocate for change, document moments, express feelings, and so much more! Understanding the power of images, and photographing with intentionality can help us make an impact. Whether you are creating a story for publication or sharing a moment with a friend, each photograph has the potential to evoke emotions, provoke thoughts, and ignite conversations. This is what makes photography worthwhile.

Conclusion: A Final Snapshot

Thanks to Our Sponsors

In addition to the generous support from Girls Who Click, this photography workshop was sponsored by Alaska Photo Treks, Subway, and the Alaska Society of Outdoor & Nature Photographers. Thank you to all who made this event possible!

The New Age of Women in Wildlife Photography

by adminJuly 28, 2024September 29, 2024 Leave a comment

The post was originally published by the Nature Photography Library written by Rylee Jensen.

Finding Your Niche

A gray wolf trots across the steamy landscape of Yellowstone National Park. In this land of fire and ice, wolves simultaneously embrace negative temperatures in the winter and navigate geyser basins where the sleeping supervolcano below the surface breathes through the Earth’s crust. Yellowstone is not only a geothermic wonder, but one of the few intact ecosystems in the contiguous United States that can support native large carnivores like wolves.

In order to survive in a variety of complex environments and coexist with their neighbors, animals must carve out their own “niche” in space and time, which refers to the unique role species occupy in their respective ecosystems. This could mean being nocturnal while everyone else is out and about during the day, or specializing in a particular diet to avoid competition for resources. For example, mesocarnivores like bobcats, coyotes, and foxes all coexist through subtle changes in diet and habitat use: bobcats prefer brushy habitat where they can avoid detection and ambush small mammals, coyotes spend time in open meadows and often scavenge from larger carnivores, and foxes lie somewhere in the middle. In this way, these three species are able to persist and share the same space without conflict.

Photographers, too, must find our own niche in this rapidly changing modern world. Social media has changed the game when it comes to visibility, networking, finding opportunities, and boosting our careers. The field is saturated with millions of photographers on apps like Instagram and Facebook, not to mention the ever-growing prevalence of AI infiltrating artistic spaces. Wildlife photography, in particular, is a specialized sphere of visual media that comes with its own set of challenges; it can be physically demanding, mentally taxing, and expensive with gear and travel costs. It often seems like there are no images that haven’t already been captured before, or “secret gem” locations that have not already been revealed. Additionally, women in this field often encounter hurdles that highlight the unique reality we face on a regular basis compared to our male colleagues:

– Planning out travel routes and backup plans carefully when shooting solo.

– Trying to appear agreeable and not “high maintenance” to senior colleagues who make us uncomfortable.

– “Did you really take those photos?” being asked of us at every art market we participate in.

Standing Out From the Crowd

So how do up-and-coming female wildlife photographers stand out from the crowd?

Photographers serious about selling prints for income must become marketing gurus, video editors, social media managers, and accountants all in one. We need to simultaneously follow social media trends but also express our own style and personality through the photos we capture in order for our work to get noticed. For multifaceted artist Alyson Yates, this unspoken rule never sat well. She expressed:

“My photography covers a wide range of subjects and conceptual ideas, which has made it challenging for me to build a cohesive body of work on the Internet. I intend to continue working in multiple different themes and mediums, and I hope to eventually cultivate an online presence that accurately represents my photography.”

Alyson’s work centers around misunderstood species like bats, as well as abstract feminist themes and ideas. Artistic influence can be greatly enriched by the support of other photographers that serve as mentors and role models. In Alyson’s case, the vision for many of her own photos is drawn from the work of photographers like Art Wolfe, whose “impossibly vibrant colors and cinematic compositions” exposed her to the world of art and photography early on.

Another one of Alyson’s inspirations, Morgan Heim, also serves as a mentor for wildlife photographer Jessica Hadley. Jessica is a bear technician who spent the last six years working in national parks like Yosemite, Yellowstone, and now Grand Teton. She spends her days documenting human-wildlife interactions throughout the park, from “bear jams” to food-conditioned foxes. However, her career path did not start off on a bright note:

“I had a bad experience in my first year of college when a photography professor told me to stop taking pictures of nature. Thankfully, I didn’t listen.”

More recently, to overcome self-doubt and lack of inspiration, Jessica says she took a step back and studied the work of other photographers like Jen Guyton, Steven Gnam, and Corey Arnold; this allowed her to focus on the bigger picture in her work moving forward.

My own career has taken many twists and turns over the years. I am formally trained as a scientist, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Ecology & Management in 2019 and currently finishing up a Master’s degree in Biology this year. I have published research projects on killer whale behavior, carnivore interactions, seabird mortality, and—soon—about African herbivore gut microbiomes. However, when I decided to take a step toward pursuing photography as a career in 2019, I was clueless. I knew little about camera gear, manual camera techniques, or the social media game. Due to my nomadic seasonal work around the country, I also did not have a physical community to grow and learn from. Then I discovered an organization known as Girls Who Click in 2022.

Ambassadors

Girls Who Click is made up entirely of female photography ambassadors and mentors from around the world with the aim of encouraging other women to develop a lifelong passion for capturing—and striving to protect—the natural world. Alyson, Jessica, and I all joined as photography ambassadors with this organization in the past few years.

“It is easy to feel inspired when you are surrounded by supportive peers with great creative achievements,” says Alyson.

New ambassadors with the program are paired up with mentors during their first year to boost their career goals and home in on project ideas. This community has profoundly shaped my own outlook on the impact my photography can have and expanded my professional network in a way I never would have dreamed. Jessica adds that:

“The Girls Who Click community has fueled my confidence and inspired me to continue pursuing a photography career.”

With an inclusive community like this comes fresh, creative ideas for showcasing our work, encouragement during tough times, and confidence building with every meeting. Learning from diverse perspectives and finding commonality with other photographers rather than competition allows us to open ourselves up to endless possibilities. In this way, it is much easier to see the bigger picture when we inevitably end up with tunnel vision at times. For instance, one of my long-term goals is to delve more into the world of photojournalism and use my background in science to communicate important conservation stories to a general audience through visual media. Alyson hopes to exhibit her work at a Portland gallery where she is based, and is currently building up a new body of work centered around “feminist themes in the Internet age, with a focus on body image, sexualization, power dynamics, and domestic feminine ideals in contemporary media.” Jessica strives to combine her work with bears in the National Parks with her images on human-wildlife interactions into a final, published product, which she calls her passion project.

Conclusions

Despite the challenges that come with breaking into photography in such a hectic world, young women like us are finding our niche every day and motivating others to do the same. Finding role models and community early on can provide an enormous source of support and encouragement as we navigate the jungles of social media and discover our creative edge.

Jessica advises aspiring photographers to apply for everything and to not be afraid to contact other photographers who inspire you. Additionally, throughout my own career, I have personally strived to never lose my curiosity and to always pursue what brings me joy. There is always a story waiting to be told and, in the end, you will be amazed at how far you’ve come.

Rylee Jensen is a 27-year old biologist, guide, and wildlife photographer. Her early role models included the likes of Steve Irwin, Saba Douglas-Hamilton, and Ingrid Visser who inspired her to pursue a career in wildlife biology; she earned B.S. in Wildlife Ecology & Management from Utah State University in 2019 and is finishing up a M.S. in Biology from Northern Michigan University. Throughout this journey, she also naturally gravitated toward capturing the natural world through the lens of a camera. Rylee’s photography has earned her accolades such as the grand prize of PetaPixel’s Wild Personalities contest in 2022, an ambassadorship with Girls Who Click in 2022, and a project role with NANPA’s College Scholar Program in 2023. Her long-term ambition is to build a career in scientific communication and craft a photography portfolio centered around local wildlife conservation issues.

Meet Rylee Jensen (pictured above), a passionate photographer and ambassador for Girls Who Click—the empowering organization, founded by Suzi Eszterhas, dedicated to bridging the gender gap in nature photography for young women aged 13-30. In this guest blog, Rylee shares her insights into the challenges and triumphs of navigating social media, tackling gender biases, and finding her unique niche as a photographer. Explore how mentorship and community has empowered Rylee and her peers to break barriers, pursue their passions, and shape conservation narratives through visual storytelling. Throughout the blog, Rylee has handpicked imagery from Nature Picture Library’s female photographers, spotlighting the groundbreaking work of women who are reshaping the landscape of a traditionally male-dominated industry.

Meet the 2024 Ambassadors!

by adminJanuary 12, 2024September 29, 2024 Leave a comment

We are thrilled to introduce the stunning roster of our 2024 Girls Who Click Ambassadors! Following an intensive selection process, we’ve carefully curated a collection of 16 outstanding New Ambassadors and welcomed 22 Continuing Ambassadors from a pool of over 160 fiercely competitive applicants. These adept photographers and videographers, representing diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, add a kaleidoscope of perspectives to our program.

Beyond their technical prowess and dedication to launching their professional photography careers, these creatives are also champions of conservation. We invite you to explore their captivating portfolios and follow their artistic journeys. Supporting these emerging talents not only nurtures their development but also fosters optimism for a luminous future.

Join us in applauding these exceptional ambassadors.

Alejandra Rendón, Spain
Alicia Hayden, England
Anna Sapp, U.S.A.
Andrea Sherry, U.S.A.
Beth Hotchkiss, U.S.A.
Chelsea Mayer, U.S.A.
Emma Balunek, U.S.A.
Hallie Cowan, U.S.A.
Jo Davenport, England
Karabo Magakane , South Africa
Katie Waddington, France
Laia Soler, Norway
Lana Tannir, Germany
Lea Milde, Germany
Maddy Rifka Brunt, U.S.A.
Mya Van Woundenberg, Canada
Neo Mokoena, South Africa
Nicole Holman, Canada
Ningjing Wang, England
Rylee Jensen, U.S.A.
Sadie Hine, U.S.A.
Viktoria Pezzei, Germany

A Fruitful Year Ahead

Each Ambassador has been thoughtfully matched with one of our Partner Photographers, forming a dynamic duo poised to hopefully help take their careers to new heights. These amazing individuals, the backbone of the Girls Who Click Ambassador Program, generously contributes their expertise and mentorship, for which we are profoundly grateful.

Beyond personalized guidance, Ambassadors gain access to Girls Who Click’s nature photography workshops and portfolio reviews, chances to utilize the GWC Social Media platform for their own work, and peer-to-peer connection all over the world in Ambassador-Only virtual meet-ups.

Many of our Continuing Ambassadors, some with us since 2021, will continue into leadership roles, embodying the mission of Girls Who Click.

A heartfelt thank you goes to our program sponsor, Gitzo, who are ensuring our Ambassadors receive cutting-edge equipment, hopefully helping them in the field.

Gitzo and Girls Who Click: Empower young generations of female nature photographers

by adminOctober 1, 2023September 29, 2024 Leave a comment

This post was originally published by Gitzo.

Girls Who Click

Gitzo has always been committed to nurturing and inspiring nature photographers to grow and take a step further. By collaborating with Girls Who Click, Gitzo extends its mission to empower the next generation of female wildlife photographers.

Beyond broadening Gitzo’s horizons, this partnership also paves the way for a more inclusive and diverse world within nature and wildlife photography.

Nature photography is a way to celebrate and explore the beauty of nature. It’s for anyone with a curiosity and passion for the natural world, who likes creative storytelling and being outdoors. Now, picture a nature photographer out in the field, skillfully planning their shot and
maneuvering their gear.

What do they look like? Who do you see? What kinds of stories are they telling about nature?

The field of nature and wildlife photography is disproportionately male, and far fewer women than men enter wildlife photo competitions. What factors contribute to this phenomenon, why are the numbers of female wildlife photographers limited, and most importantly, is there potential for change soon?

There is nothing inherently gendered about the skills or traits required to be a nature photographer, so why aren’t there more women? While this issue is complex with no simple solution, that doesn’t mean nature photography can’t become a more balanced field. Nature is incredibly diverse and the voices telling the stories of nature should reflect that. That’s where Girls Who Click comes in.

About Girls Who Click

Girls Who Click is a nonprofit organization founded by Suzi Eszterhas, an award-winning wildlife photographer, that is inspiring and empowering girls to develop a lifelong passion for framing the nature around them and striving to protect it. Girls Who Click partners with full-time working professional photographers from around the world to offer free workshops, physical and online, for girls ages 13-18. It also runs an annual mentorship program, the “Ambassador Program”, for young female conservation photographers and videographers ages 16-30.

The Mission

Girls Who Click’s philosophy is based on the real-life experiences of nature photographers in the industry leading free photography workshops for teen girls, ages 13-18. In-person workshops include a full day of photography instruction, combined with hands-on practice in the field. For photographers who can’t make it to one of the in-person locations, Girls Who Click hosts frequent online workshops, which are accessible worldwide. All the workshops are led by Girls Who Click partner photographers able to share knowledge, experience, and advice about nature photography, from technical skills to artistry and professional development.

Through this collaboration, Gitzo aims to empower and inspire young women to pursue their passion for framing the natural world, breaking down barriers and stereotypes that may have hindered their participation in the past.

By supporting Girls Who Click, Gitzo is not only championing gender equality in photography but also ensuring that fresh perspectives and talents thrive, enriching the field of wildlife and conservation photography for years to come.

Ambassadors Mentor Program

Girls Who Click believes that the perspectives behind the lens should be as various as the nature in front of it. This is the reason behind the Ambassador Program, a hands-on mentorship project for female nature photographers and videographers ages 16-30 who seek to take their art to the next level. Ambassadors come from all over the world and different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.

What makes the Ambassador Program unique? How does Gitzo enter the game?

Each Ambassador is paired up with a mentor based on their professional and personal goals.
During the year-long mentorship, they will virtually meet with their mentor to
develop their portfolio, gain key insights on breaking into the industry, and cultivate a network
of supportive peers in the photography industry.

Renowned for its commitment to excellence, Gitzo has gone above and beyond by offering top-tier professional gear tailored to support photographers during the educational program, thereby paving the way for their aspirations. Are you curious about Ambassadors’ works?
Keep following us on social media to stay up to date on the partnership.

Meet the GWC 2022 Ambassadors Based in Africa

by Samantha StephensFebruary 23, 2023September 29, 2024 Leave a comment

Alexis Wangare

Alexis is based in Kenya and completed her bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications, saying that “as much as I was pushed to being in front of the camera, hosting shows and fun interviews and stuff, I never really had an interest in that, but I always wanted to be behind the scenes along the lines of a Director of Photography.” It’s clear when talking to Alexis about wildlife photography that she has found a career path that she is truly passionate about.

On a trip to Virunga, Alexis met a group of photographers who were there working to spread awareness about conservation. “My heart just gravitated towards that, and I felt like, wow, this would be a really cool thing if I considered doing this because I already do love photography, and I like spending time in nature, so the two just merged—and I started doing it!” She adds that sunsets and elephants are two subjects that are inspiring her at the moment. In fact, it’s a special elephant named Craig—who is one of the few remaining ‘Super Tuskers’ —that Alexis had particularly connected with. She hopes to spend more time photographing Craig and perhaps use her photographs to help tell his story.

“Alexis has an artistic eye and a beautiful way of seeing the world. Her wildlife photos are particularly captivating, with elegant compositions and a strong sense of place,” says Suzi Eszterhas, Founder and Executive Director of Girls Who Click (GWC). It’s clear that Alexis puts a lot of thought into the compositions she creates in her images.

Alexis’ goal is to use her photography to encourage people to have empathy for animals. She plans to develop her skills in fine art and publish a coffee table book that inspires people to care about wildlife. She’s also working towards developing her storytelling skills to be an assignment photographer for magazine features. Most importantly, she hopes to continue learning about conservation and aims to make contributions to conservation throughout her career.

Tay Belcher

Growing up in Kenya and spending lots of time in the bush, Tay has always had a love of nature. Near the end of primary school, her parents gifted her a camera to bring on field trips. “I got carried away. I couldn’t stop clicking the button, taking all these photos!” she says. Tay continued to use the camera to photograph flowers in her garden and to document her experiences attending a high school located in the bush on the outskirts of Kruger National Park. “My passion for nature was already there; it was just amazing that I now actually had the device to record and take photos and have the memories of everything I saw.”

“I love Tay’s work,” says Danielle Carstens, Tay’s GWC mentor. “I admire the dedication that she has given to her photography since a very young age. I can hear the excitement in her voice when she speaks about photography, and that alone is a strength that will take her far. It takes a lot of skill to get the images that she has in her portfolio so far.”

“Photography and nature in general have sort of helped me to slow down and appreciate what’s happening in the moment and connected me more to my surroundings,” says Tay. “It’s also just 100% increased my curiosity for nature, especially through bird photography. The more time I spend with one species, the more interested I become in learning about its habitat and surroundings.”

Tay started out working as an underwater photographer in the tourism industry, where she would photograph people during their nature experiences. In the last few years, she has decided to get more involved with conservation—she’s realized that’s where her passion truly lies. “About three years ago, I got diagnosed with a severe case of scoliosis, and unfortunately, I wasn’t given the right information. I was basically led to believe that I had to completely change my career and only have a desk job. So, I didn’t take any of that very well.” Tay explains that the pandemic allowed her to slow down and spend time in nature. She has been able to seek better information about her diagnosis and no longer believes it is a barrier to her career goals.

Tay’s goals are to create positive images that inspire people to care about conservation. One day she hopes to open her own gallery that showcases these images as well as build a following for her work on social media platforms (follow her)! Alongside her own storytelling work, she aims to get others involved in this work as well. “I would live to get more Africans involved in photography and have them tell their own stories.”

Karabo Magakane

Karabo is from Bushbuckridge in Acornhoek, South Africa. She first got into photography in 2020 when a friend invited her to take a two-week workshop offered by Wild Shots Outreach (WSO). “I gave it a try, and from the first day, from the first time I picked up a camera, I actually fell in love with it.” It was also Karabo’s first time becoming more involved in conservation. “[Photography] allowed me to actually engage more with nature because most of the photography assignments I get, or I go for, are basically to tell a story to communities about the conservation issues we have.”

“My favourite subject to photograph would have to be an elephant. I love that it always commands its presence,” says Karabo, adding, “I have so much respect for them.” Karabo’s GWC mentor, Helena Atkinson, says Karabo “is really excellent at taking unique photos and has a very good eye for editing her photos in a creative way. She definitely has the ability to see things in a very special way.” Mike Kendrick, Founder of Wild Shots Outreach agrees, saying, “she’s got a really, really good eye and that’s something that I find very difficult to teach.”

Currently, Karabo is working on the media team for WSO and is now teaching workshops for WSO on her own. “I’ve also just gained my pilot’s license—it is my dream to combine my passions for photography, conservation and aviation.”

Queen Manyike

Queen comes from a small village called Tintswalo in Acornhoek, South Africa. “I started photography in 2016, the same year I met Mike Kendrick of Wild Shots Outreach, who gifted me with a 750D EOS Canon camera. He’s the one who taught me how to use a camera,” says Queen. Since then, Queen has been continuing to pursue photography alongside her career as a field guide at the prestigious Mala Mala Game Reserve in Sabi Sands. “I’m hearing all sorts of positive things from her guiding, from the people that she’s working for now, that she’s one of the best guides that they’ve got at the moment, which is just incredible,” says Mike Kendrick.

It’s no surprise that Queen’s favourite subject to photograph is wildlife. “Queen brings her images to life, and I love her creativity and different perspective when she captures images. Queen has a very good eye; she is very creative and makes an ordinary scene seem magical. She has very good technical skills, and above all, she has amazing attention to detail,” says Angelica Mills, one of Queen’s GWC mentors. Janet Kleyn, who also mentors Queen through GWC, echos Angelica’s thoughts, adding, “she has a good understanding of light and she sees things differently which is lovely.”

“Nature photography has had a positive effect on my life because I have met other amazing young people who are doing great in photography, and they inspire me more,” says Queen. “My career goals are to be a professional female guide and a businesswoman.” Through her photography, Queen aims to inspire others to see the beauty of nature so that we look after it for future generations. Queen hopes that one day her daughter Erica will follow in her footsteps and be involved in conservation and wildlife photography. “But I’ll support anything Erica chooses to embark on!”

Connecting with young women photographers in Africa

When GWC welcomed the first cohort of international Ambassadors in 2020, the photographic community was quick to ask, “where are all the African women?!” And they were right.

“In North America, women are underrepresented in professional nature photography, we know that; that’s why we started GWC, but it’s even more extreme on the African continent,” says Suzi Eszterhas. “So, when we started looking for applicants in Africa, we really got very little interest.” GWC needed to find a better way to reach young African women who might benefit from the Ambassador program.

Then, while Suzi was in Africa on a photography assignment, she met Mike Kendrick over dinner at Mashatu Game Reserve. “I just realized that there was a lot of common ground between us and a log of synergy in what we’re doing trying to address these different imbalances,” Mike recalls. As a founder of Wild Shots Outreach, an organization that aims to engage young people from disadvantaged communities in wildlife and wild places through photography, Mike was right; there certainly is a lot of cross-over with GWC’s mission. After learning about the GWC Ambassador program, Mike shared it with Karabo and Queen, two graduates from WSO’s workshops, and encouraged them to apply. In 2022, both Karabo and Queen became GWC Ambassadors.

“It was by partnering with these organizations like Wild Shots Outreach where we could actually reach those women, and that’s why I think programs like WSO are so powerful is that they’ve created this space for African women where there wasn’t a lot of opportunity before,” explains Suzi.

In addition to WSO, Wildlife Direct has also been instrumental in getting the word out about the GWC Ambassador program to local women photographers in East Africa, including our 2022 Ambassador Alexis. “We are very grateful for that, and we will try to get the information out in future years so that we will continue to have applicants every year from the African continent,” says Suzi.

Wild Shots Outreach (WSO)

Mike Kendrick has always been involved in education. After working as an education specialist in Britain, he moved to South Africa eleven years ago. “I was really shocked to find that none of the young people in the Black community had been into the Kruger National Park or the private game reserves which are on their doorstep. You know, some of them live within ten, twenty kilometres of the gates to those wildlife reserves and they’ve never been in,” says Mike. “How will we protect Africa’s wildlife and wild places if there is a disconnect with the local communities?”

Alongside learning the reality of the local community’s access to wildlife, Mike also learned from helping his wife bring the international photography conference she had founded in Britain to South Africa. “We managed to find a few female wildlife photographers [to present], but they were always white. We ended up bringing people in from Botswana, and from Zambia and from Zimbabwe,” says Mike. “I wanted to change this, and with my previous experiences in social upliftment and conservation, and understanding the power of photography, I wanted to see if we could use photography as a vehicle for reconnecting, reengaging, young Black people with their natural heritage. And here we are six years later with over 100 courses competed and over 900 young people through the program. I’ve got a team of young people who have been through the program who deliver the program for me now. It’s no longer the strange grey-haired white guy that goes into the communities and teaches it; it’s young, cool, funky members of that community who can act as role models for the young people in those communities.” Rifumo Mathbila, a former WSO student, has now become the Programme Director with WSO, which involves running all the workshops and game drives. Mike explains, “I am so proud and delighted that Rifumo has just been named the international Young Environmentalist of the Year by the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management!”

WSO has won multiple awards, including South Africa’s National Parks Kudu Award for Environmental Education and Capacity Building. “And that’s great,” says Mike, “but the most important thing for me is what happens to these young people.” Indeed, it’s clear from WSO’s actions that this is true. Although WSO’s program delivery focuses on photography workshops, they also have a bursary fund to help provide opportunities for further training and employment to some of the most talented young people that they’ve come across, not just in photography but also in other careers, such as science, wildlife guiding or hospitality. WSO alumnus Wisani Ngwenya, will be the first from the bursary program to graduate, earning a Bachelor of Arts in film-making, with multiple bursary program participants on his heels.

Now that past participants of WSO’s programs have been trained to run the WSO programs in South Africa on their own, Mike has been able to deliver pilot programmes in Kenya and Botswana and is expanding to the program to Namibia in 2023. “We’re scaling up, but we’re keeping a very close eye on the quality of our delivery. That’s the most important thing,” says Mike.

Challenges and hopes for the future

“Black Africans are underrepresented in the professional wildlife photography community in Africa, and even more so, female Black African wildlife photographers are hugely underrepresented,” Suzi says, “There are a unique set of challenges that are very different from those in North America both in terms of the history and culture and also the modern-day. It’s been a learning experience for us working with organizations like Wild Shots Outreach to recognize the unique challenges that this continent has, and then, of course, our female partner photographers based in Africa are also wonderful at understanding and helping us navigate these challenges.”

Janet Kleyn, General Manager of C4 Photo Safaris and partner photographer with GWC, explains that in South Africa and Botswana, the field of wildlife photography is very closely tied to nature guiding. “Many of Africa’s wildlife photographers come from a wildlife guiding background, which is how I started my journey in this industry [. . .] there are very few, it any, photographers making money as a wildlife photographer in Africa. Most of them that I know of are running photo tours and workshops, and that’s how they survive,” says Janet, adding that in Botswana, “there are only two companies that I’m aware of that permanently employ wildlife photographers. When you start out in the wildlife photography industry, often the best way to do it is freelance, but freelancing isn’t part of the culture in Africa in the same way that it is in North America.”

“The safari guide position is a bridge to wildlife photography, and that is largely male-dominated, and so that is also part of the issue, and in some countries, that position is largely white,” Suzi explains. Janet adds that breaking into the male-dominated field of wildlife guiding as a woman can be very difficult. “It can be a physically challenging job with skills required that are typically associated with men, such as off-road driving, rifle handling, etc.”

Other challenges include access to wildlife, the internet and camera equipment. “People don’t all have Wi-Fi in their homes as they do in the United States, particularly in these rural areas,” Janet says. “This makes attending online networking events and sharing photography online particularly difficult.”

“The nature photography community, to me, is already doing great work. It just needs more and more youngsters to be involved,” says Queen. Mike stresses the importance of having role models so that younger women or young Black people can “imagine themselves holding a camera and imagine themselves in a situation where they’re taking beautiful photos and understanding that it is for them. It is for them. You know, it’s something that they can pursue, and they can become outstanding at.”

“In order for us to change the photography world, we need more organizations like GWC that try to bring women and embrace their potential and try to grow the photographer in us. Then we can say we are going in the right direction in trying to actually change the photography industry, trying to change the balance in the photography industry,” Karabo says.

The GWC Ambassador Program

Connecting young women photographers from around the world through the Ambassador program helps build community within the field of nature photography. When the Ambassadors come together for virtual meetups, they can share challenges and experiences, help encourage each other and troubleshoot, and build friendships with other young women who have similar career goals. Tay says, “the group chats at the end of the month when we discuss what we’ve been going through and hearing about other people’s projects, that’s been super helpful.”

“I believe it’s building a good relationship with more photographers, more female photographers,” says Karabo. Alexis adds that joining GWC has helped her find more women photographers whose work she enjoys following and that it has helped her discover and connect with more photographers who are at the same career stage.

One of the key aspects of the GWC Ambassador program is pairing each Ambassador with a GWC partner photographer to be a mentor. “I have to say Janet has been more than a mentor to me; she’s an amazing woman,” says Queen.

Mike Kendrick points out that mentorship is not easy to come by. “It’s just really cool that there are these people at Girls Who Click who are willing to give their time and share.” Alexis explains that understanding her mentor’s career path has helped inform her own. “It made me switch my way of looking at things. I’m seeing that it’s more about the quality of work and the experiences than it is about just posting content.”

This past May, mentors Helena, Angelica and Janet were able to meet up with their mentees, Karabo and Queen, in person for a weekend of wildlife photography alongside other local photographers from WSO, who funded the trip. “What we really wanted was to get to know each other better,” says Helena. “It was a wonderful experience to meet the young ladies we work with and to learn more about them. It was good to assess as well what their skill levels are so that we can adjust the programme to suit their needs. But most of all we had good laughs and good fun! I am so proud of the connection I now have with the GWC programme and with my mentee Karabo.”

“Personal connections are so valuable to ensure that my mentee knows I am here to support and readily available to assist her not just with photography but in general,” Angelica says. She adds, “it motivates me to know that I am making a difference in my community by being there to support and encourage mentees through their journey as nature photographers.” Angelica was part of GWC’s first cohort of Ambassadors, and she is now paying that forward to mentor other GWC participants.

“It’s a lot about confidence building,” says Janet. “[As Africans], we tend to think about ourselves as not up there with everyone else. But we are, we just do it differently. We have different issues, like connectivity, but we have our way of communicating.”

How you can show support

Follow our Ambassadors and support their work: Follow Karabo, Queen, Alexis and Tay on Instagram.

Offer an opportunity to a local photographer: Are you an organization with a work or sponsored training opportunity related to wildlife tourism or photography in South Africa? Get in touch with Wild Shots Outreach. They have 1000+ talented young people who have graduated from their program that they can recommend.

Share the GWC program with your network: Share the GWC Ambassador Program and the Wild Shots Outreach program with local youth, or share our work with organizations that work with youth in Africa who can help spread awareness of these programs.

Provide support to GWC and WSO: There are several ways you can help GWC and WSO continue to grow their programs. Visit the GWC Support Us page to see multiple ways you can provide support. You can support WSO by directly donating funds or by getting in touch to donate used camera or computer gear.

Become a Partner Photographer: Are you a female or non-binary professional photographer located in Africa? Inquire about joining GWC as one of our Photographers and help us lead workshops in your community or become a mentor for our next Ambassador cohort.

Want to be an Underwater Photographer? Here’s How to Start!

by adminJanuary 5, 2023January 5, 2023 Leave a comment

Written by Chelsea Mayer

As a photographer, I was always intrigued by the ocean. However, the thought of getting into the water and submerging my precious camera stopped me in my tracks. Not only does underwater photography require a new set of skills, but it’s a whole series of expenses on top of the already costly field of photography. That being said, it’s also the most fun I’ve had with a camera! If you’ve ever wanted to get into underwater photography but were unsure where to start, please read on, because this article is for you.

The first step to being an underwater photographer actually has nothing to do with photography: it’s becoming comfortable in the ocean. This doesn’t just mean swimming, but using specialized gear that will allow you to see below the surface. For some, that might mean using a mask and snorkel and staying shallow. For others, it might mean freediving, where you swim down on a single breath hold. And then there’s the activity that allows you to stay underwater the longest: scuba diving! For any of these activities, it should go without saying that you must be confident in the water. While I recommend taking a freediving course with a professional, if it’s something that interests you, let’s focus on the logistics of becoming a scuba diver and taking photos on scuba.

Finding the right scuba mask for your face shape is really important – it’s your window to the underwater world! – Photo by Joel Wilson.

To put it very simply, scuba diving allows you to breathe underwater for long periods of time from a portable air cylinder. That’s why scuba diving absolutely requires training from a professional. You can access scuba training through dive shops, which should have a reputable dive instruction organization that they’re affiliated with. This means that the shop offers scuba lessons designed by a professional agency and carried out by an instructor certified to teach that agency’s standards. Depending on where you live, you may have a scuba shop nearby, but if not, many people travel in order to complete their training.

During your entry level certification, you’ll learn the principles of diving through both written and practical instruction. Most classes begin in a pool, and end in a larger body of water like a lake or the ocean. Once you’ve completed this type of course, you’ll receive a certification card, which will enable you to rent scuba gear from shops, obtain air cylinders, and dive in open water without an instructor (but always with a buddy!). Many agencies offer certifications to children as young as ten, though these junior certifications will likely have other restrictions attached.

Scuba diving lessons can be expensive and not within someone’s budget. Don’t panic yet; there are scholarships available! The Women Divers Hall of Fame offers grants every year for basic dive training, and a quick internet search may illuminate other financial assistance available in your area. You can also look for grants through the websites of professional dive organizations or ask your local dive shop. In some cases, you may even be able to get certified through your high school or college.

While you don’t have to buy your own scuba equipment right away, renting gear over and over can become more expensive than buying it. Investing in quality gear and taking good care of it will ensure that it lasts a long time. If your budget is limited, keep a sharp eye out for secondhand gear on social media. Many people resell gear that has hardly been used, so you can often get quality items at a discount if you are persistent in checking these sites. Always have any used gear serviced by a professional scuba shop before you trust your life with it

So you’ve gotten scuba certified and you have your own gear- now what? Resist the temptation to take a camera with you immediately and practice your scuba skills! Building confidence and comfortability underwater should be your first priority, and you don’t want to make a mistake because you’ve introduced a camera before you were ready. You may even want to take additional scuba courses before you get to this point. Once you’re very confident in your diving abilities, you can add a camera.

Perhaps you already own a nice camera, and want to but an underwater housing for it. I wouldn’t recommend this as a fist step. A proper dive housing for a professional camera may be more expensive than the camera itself! This is because the housing must be able to withstand huge amounts of water pressure for sustained periods of time in order to keep your camera dry and safe. These housings are vacuum sealed and rated to depths well beyond what you would be diving, and are not to be confused with “waterproof” housings. While “waterproof” may sound like you can take it scuba diving, you will want to look closely at the technical specs, because waterproof may really mean that it allows you to briefly submerge your camera at the surface. This is not something you will want to cut corners on, as a failure of you housing can ruin both the housing and your camera.

With this in mind, most beginner underwater photographers start with a simpler and less expensive underwater camera setup while they master the principles of diving and underwater photography.

The Olympus TG-6 is a very popular entry level option. On its own, it has a depth rating of 50 feet, but you should purchase the dive housing for this small camera, changing its depth rating to 150 feet. This camera will shoot 4k video and 12 megapixel photos, and has a built in 25-100mm lens with a macro function. This allows you to shoot in a variety of styles and figure out what style of underwater photography you like.

The GoPro Hero series is another great option. These cameras shoot video and photos, are super compact, and can be used with a wide variety of mounts and accessories. Just remember to buy the protective housing, which will allow you to take it to depths of 192ft (far deeper that you’ll go on a recreational scuba dive!).

If you have a decent camera on your smartphone, this can be another great beginner underwater camera! Companies like Sealife sell housings for smartphones that make them waterproof up to 130 feet. If you’re interested in experimenting with artificial light to enhance your photos, Sealife even offers trays with lights attached, which also make it easier to hold your phone underwater.

Now that you’ve got your camera, go play! You’ll probably find, as I did, that adding a new element to your diving makes it feel like you’re on your first dive all over again. That’s okay! Take your time, stay clam, adjust to the new feelings, and don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t come together right away.

The best natural light is in shallow water! Check out the pretty light dapple on this octopus.

You’ll also discover that underwater photography is completely different from shooting on land; it’s almost like learning photography all over again. Water absorbs light, so everything is much darker. In fact, many underwater photographers choose to use strobes with their professional setups, a complicated subject that deserves its own article. If you’re working with a beginner’s setup, and no lights, you’ll quickly realize that only shallower subjects are illuminated enough to get a decent photograph. This is also okay! Working with natural light is a good place to start while you learn.

Waiting in front of a cool background can be rewarding! The colors of this parrotfish stand out better against the brown of the corals than the blue of the water.

Water also distorts things, so you’ll find that you may need to be much closer to a subject than what you’re accustomed to. This often means waiting patiently for a fish to swim right in front of your lens, where you’ll have only a second to snap the perfect frame. Sometimes I’ll wait by a particularly pretty rock or kelp clearing until a fish comes by, because I think it will make a nice background. As you go out and experiment, you’ll find other strategies that work for you, and that just takes practice.

Once you’ve mastered your basic underwater camera, you may decide to upgrade to a professional camera and dive housing, along with a set of strobes. Just like with scuba gear, you can get a good deal on something lightly used if you look hard enough. Regularly check dive forums, social media and your local scuba shop, because people are likely to resell something relatively unused for a much better price than new gear.

Hopefully, this has given you some clarity on a field where there is so much new information to absorb. If you’re still nervous about the prospect of going underwater, please know that this is totally normal! The key is to be patient. Be patient with your scuba skills, be patient with mastering underwater photography, be patient waiting until the time is right before you finally purchase your long-awaited professional dive camera setup. The payoff for that patience is the privilege of visiting and documenting places that most humans will never get to see. What could be more worthwhile than that?

Thank you for reading!

Written by Chelsea Mayer

Chelsea Mayer (She/Her) grew up in 
Huntington Beach, California, and 
attended UCLA’s School of Theater, 
Film and Television. After working 
on film sets, she took a job with 
a whale watching company as a 
photographer and deckhand, and she 
fell in love with wildlife 
photography. Wanting to explore as much of the sea as 
possible, Chelsea earned her 100 ton captain’s license, 
and then took up scuba diving and became a divemaster. 
She continues to work on boats as a divemaster, captain 
and naturalist, in addition to working as an underwater 
photographer.

Photography workshop at Kukula Kids’ Club!

by Girls Who ClickSeptember 14, 2022September 29, 2024 Leave a comment

This post was originally published by the Sloth Conservation Foundation. Written by Sarah Kennedy

Photography workshop at Kukula Kids’ Club!

The Kukula Club, a new initiative for The Sloth Conservation Foundation, aims to enable and empower children with additional educational classes, gain new skills through workshops and provide them with fun activities they may not usually have access to due to geographical or financial barriers.

Recently we teamed up with the amazing Girls Who Click foundation to arrange a week-long photo workshop for the 11 children in our Kukula Club.

The Kids of the Kukula Club

All of our children in the club, aged 7-12, also participate in the El Puente – The Bridge project. This incredible organization has been serving the indigenous community for decades, they give space to hundreds of indigenous families, helping to provide; food, cultural events, classes, clothing, and school supplies, among many other things.

We wanted the Kukula club to serve the indigenous communities of the area so we were so grateful to team up with El Puente for this. One of the pillars of SloCo’s mission is to actively have a huge impact. El Puente worked with us to choose 11 children that attended their project to be our first group of the new Kukula Club.

Girls Who Click

We also teamed up with Girls Who Click (GWC) to bring photography to our Kukula Club kids, Girls Who Click is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Founded by Suzi Eszterhas, an award-winning wildlife photographer, she sought to create a foundation to inspire young girls to join the nature photography industry.

In a heavily male-dominated field, they aimed to bridge this gap and, to do so, partner with full-time working professional photographers around the country to offer free nature photography workshops for teen girls. Girls Who Click inspires girls to develop lifelong passion for capturing the nature around them and strive to protect it

They kindly offered to send one of their partners, the amazing Diana Caballero, to give a free week-long workshop to our kids. Diana, from Mexico, is an amazing photographer in her own right, and we couldn’t wait to host her here and give the children this amazing opportunity.

The Initiative:

For the workshop, we wanted to provide the kids with the necessary tools and knowledge to learn to use the camera as a means of photographic expression through play and experimentation. Through the activities, we wanted to show them how our gaze is a very powerful instrument to share what we are and what surrounds us.

The cameras

Most of the children do not have access to cameras or phone, so when we decided to do a workshop with them, we knew we wanted to be able to provide them with their own cameras. We used this digital camera and they ended up being the perfect little cameras for the kids. Thank you to everyone who helped support this project so that we were able to provide this item for the children to use.

What we did:

During our 4-day workshop, Diana set a variety of activities for the children to do so they could learn how to use their cameras and also understand different methods for taking photos. We also set them homework each day to do specific photography assignments at home. Some of the activities and assignments included:

We explain what the camera is, the elements that make it up, how it works, who invented it, and its evolution to this day.
We play and explore the multiple possibilities of looking through a rectangle made with a piece of cardboard that simulates the viewfinder of a camera.
We observe our pet, we follow it everywhere and we take pictures of it. We share and exchange experiences of our pets during the workshop.
We take our favorite toy and imagine a normal day in the life of the toy. We take 10 photographs recounting its life. At the end of the activity, we tell how its life is.
We take photos representing different emotions, for example, joy, sadness, anger, fear, and surprise.
We imagine that we are very small beings, like an ant, a beetle, a dragonfly, a bee… We become that being and we seen many things that we could not see with the naked eye; details and textures, what used to be small can now be something huge.
We incorporate the latest images, review all our photographic work and make a group selection to present an exhibition.

An unexpected visit

We were so lucky to be visited by a sloth on day 3 – this was amazing and it came down so low that we were able to get an amazing photo of the sloth – the perfect gift for our Kukula Club kids!

The future of the photography workshop:

We exhibited the children’s photos at El Puente over the weekend so that during their soup kitchen that Saturday, the families who visit El Puente, would be able to see all the kids’ hard work. Now that the children have been taught how to use the cameras we plan to continue working with them and having them photograph different experiences. We have met twice since the workshop and they have worked on getting the following photos:

A beach landscape photo
A photo of movement i.e. dancing, running, jumping
Photos of the great green macaws

We want to be able to continue to nurture the children’s passion for photography and capturing the world around them. In October, for international sloth day, we are also planning on doing a huge exhibition with the kids’ photos to showcase their talent at the event.

In the future we hope to give this workshop to more children in the area, continuing to work with Girls Who Click to do so.

– Sarah Kennedy

Director of Education & Outreach

Sloth Conservation Foundation

Q&A with GWC Ambassadors (Part 5)

by adminOctober 16, 2021March 8, 2022 1 Comment

Welcome to Part 5 of our GWC Ambassador series! In this post, we feature three more talented photographers in the program. Read on to learn more about their inspiring work.

Make sure to check out the rest of the series on our blog.

Featured in this blog:

**Evelyn Smalley** (mentor: Erin Ranney)

**Samantha Stephens** (mentor: Morgan Heim)

**Emma Balunek** (mentor: Jaymi Heimbuch)

Evelyn Smalley

This picture was taken by one of my closest friends in an attempt to get my first “headshot”, before Erin introduced me on her Instagram. This picture highlights how awkward I am in front of the camera compared to behind it. As a fairly introverted character I really struggle to put myself out there, a fear I am desperately trying to overcome before the inevitable freelance life arrives!

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

After having the wonderful opportunity to experience Southern Africa at a young age, I knew for my sanity I needed to spend the rest of my life working in the remote places of the world surrounded by nature. It therefore seemed logical to apply to the BSc Zoology in Manchester’s concrete jungle. Whilst day-to-day life is pretty nature deprived, I have been able to travel across the world for various field courses and placements, teaching myself how to navigate a camera along the way.

Only now after four years have I realised I actually have an aversion to everything statistical. Whilst we would be nowhere without science, it’s actually its communication I’m interested in. Instead of being cocooned in a laboratory pumping out research papers, through the lens of a camera I want to share inspiring stories from the front lines of conservation. The visual medium is a formidable, emotive tool that when wielded effectively can galvanise audiences to protect the natural world and the well-being of our species.

2. Why did you apply to the Ambassador Program? What are you hoping to achieve?

I applied to the Girls Who Click Ambassador Program because it’s such an ingenious, empowering initiative that I really wanted to be a part of. But also because I had never had a professional opinion of my photography. It’s lovely when your friends and family give you compliments, but to be accepted onto this program alongside such astonishing women was just insane. Through this mentorship, not only am I hoping to grow as a person and storyteller, but also to build a supportive network of like-minded women who are driven to protect the natural world through the visual medium.

3. Who is your mentor? How has the program helped you?

My mentor is the badass wildlife camera operator Erin Ranney – who can carry her own kit, thank you. Just as she followed in the footsteps of Justine Evans and Sophie Darlington, my dream is to follow in hers. Erin has provided invaluable advice from camera settings to the importance of storytelling. Through our chats Erin has given me much needed confidence in my ability, because of her I actually believe I can become a wildlife filmmaker.

4. What are you up to now? Anything you’re really excited about?

As part of my final year dissertation, I chose a science communication project. For this I had the amazing opportunity to create my first film. The Salamander’s Saviour is a short documentary about the conservation of a critically endangered Mexican salamander by a convent of nuns. Whilst the process was slightly stressful due to COVID restrictions and a complete lack of experience, I’m very proud of the finished product. As I am no longer a student and now just unemployed, I am currently looking for any jobs vaguely wildlife or media-related before applying for UWE’s MA Wildlife Filmmaking.

See Evelyn’s work here.

Samantha Stephens

This image, titled Nature’s Pitfall, is one of my favourite images I’ve created so far. First, it involved some technical challenges related to figuring out how to light and compose this scene creatively. It’s something that I photographed over and over again, and I am proud of the result of that process. Additionally, it has captured people’s curiosity. Curiosity is such an important element of the scientific process and so when I photograph stories of scientific research, I try to inspire that same feeling in the viewer. I hope that I can create images that make people ask, “what is going on here?!” and then be intrigued to delve further into the story.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Growing up science was my favourite subject in school. Back then, I didn’t realize that there was any other way to turn that passion into a career aside from the obvious choice to pursue an education in science. While studying biology, I became much more interested in communicating science, rather than conducting research. When I heard about the Environmental Visual Communication program, a post-graduate program that teaches those with a background in science to become visual storytellers, I knew right away that that was the career path I wanted to pursue.

I am currently based in Ottawa, Canada, where I grew up, and the majority of my photographic work focuses on wildlife research and conservation local to this area. For the past few years, I have been primarily based at the Algonquin Wildlife Research Station, located in Ontario’s iconic Algonquin Provincial Park, where I’ve been documenting various wildlife research projects on turtles, salamanders, wolves and small mammals.

2. Why did you apply to the Ambassador Program? What are you hoping to achieve?

GWC is such an important initiative. I think if something like GWC had existed when I was younger, I would have recognized photography as a career path earlier in my journey. I applied to GWC because I was keen to join a supportive group of women who are empowering each other to become the best visual storytellers we can be. The opportunity to be mentored by a woman photographer who can not only help with the craft of photography itself, but also provide advice and share experiences related to navigating a career in this field is an invaluable opportunity. There’s a lot of variability in what a career in nature/conservation photography can look like, which is exciting, but can also make it difficult to navigate. I hope one day, when I’m further along in my own career, I can be a mentor to a future GWC Ambassador!

3. Who is your mentor? How has the program helped you so far?

My mentor is Morgan Heim. I’ve admired Morgan’s work since I first considered switching from a career in wildlife research to one in photography. Morgan’s work has led to tangible conservation outcomes, and that’s something I aim for with my own projects. I have been working on some long-term photography projects that I’m able to go back and shoot again and again, so Morgan has been helping me think about how I can photograph these stories in different, creative ways and how to build a narrative. She is also helping me learn how to pitch this work to editors.

4. What are you up to now? Anything you’re really excited about?

As I write this, I’m currently in the field, at the Algonquin Wildlife Research Station. I’m continuing to document wildlife research projects that take place here and I’m excited to start sharing some of that work soon!

See more of Samantha’s work here.

Emma Balunek

I love this photo because my friends, my dog, and I were hanging out in a beautiful aspen grove in Colorado. My dog and I are happiest when we are exploring outside with a camera, so it is a fitting photo.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Growing up I spent almost every weekend outdoors catching newts and fireflies, planting trees, and putting up bird boxes to help restore our family property for wildlife. My affinity for nature continued when I moved to Fort Collins, Colorado to study ecosystem science and sustainability. I now work for the Colorado Natural Heritage Program doing field work to conserve Colorado’s ecosystems and species that call them home. Colorado is such a diverse state with mountains on the west and plains on the east. I love being able to go hiking in the mountains and well as explore the plains.

The turning point for me into conservation photography was on a Kids Conservation Photography Workshop in Ecuador. Our project for the trip was to create a photo story. I learned that I could combine two things I loved: conservation and photography. Since then, I have been improving my photography storytelling skills by working on projects near home, specifically with prairie dogs.

2. Why did you apply to the Ambassador Program? What are you hoping to achieve?

I applied to GWC to connect with other women photographers. My mentor has helped me work through story ideas and solve problems that arise. Being a part of GWC has allowed me to build new connections with similar people.

3. Who is your mentor? How has the program helped you?

My mentor is Jaymi Heimbuch. She is the perfect mentor for me because she loves conservation photography and knows how to help others improve. Jaymi has been helpful in talking through ideas about my projects and other photography related topics.

4. What are you up to now? Anything you’re really excited about?

I am working on a camera trap project in the plains focused on a rock pile where a variety of wildlife comes, like golden eagles, badgers, coyotes, and swift foxes. A new addition to my story is a timelapse camera to document what the wildlife experience in a year. I am excited to turn this project into a science communication master’s program in the near future! I am looking forward to learning more about how to communicate science effectively through photos and videos and building photography into my career.

See more of Emma’s work here.

Thanks for reading!

Responses have been edited for length and clarity

Written by Alice Sun

Growing up, Alice’s dream was to become a National Geographic photographer. This passion led her to spend much of her high school years photographing and sharing stories of wildlife in her own backyard, which earned her a spot in the 2016 NANPA High School Scholarship Program. She then went on to pursue a degree in environmental biology and a graduate certificate in environmental visual communication, sharpening her skills and building a foundation for a career in visual storytelling. Today, she is a freelance science communicator and conservation storyteller based in Vancouver, Canada. Inspiring young people to pursue the same dream she had is something that Alice is passionate about, and why she’s extremely be on the Girls Who Click team! Visit Alice’s website (alicesun.ca) to see the stories she has told over the years.