We’re back with another round of interviews with GWC Ambassadors, including some of our youngest members in the program. We have no doubt you’ll be inspired.
We’ll be posting more of these blogs throughout this year. Make sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2 of the series as well!
Featured in this blog:
Celina Chien
This photo of an orangutan in a zoo. It’s so clear that the orangutan should not be there, standing on his two legs, it stirs emotion. I think that’s why it defines me. It’s a photo that not only gives you context about ecology, it also makes you look twice, and makes you question yourself and our place in the world as human beings.
1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m an intersectional conservationist, approaching conservation from the perspective of an ecologist, a photojournalist and storyteller, while trying to see these issues in context of their social ecosystems. I always call myself a conservationist first and photographer second since I got into photography from a biology background. My love of nature and wildlife drives me, and photography happens to be my chosen medium for wanting to protect it.
I’m also EurAsian, I come from a mixed European-Asian background and grew up in many countries. This is another reason I felt compelled to be in photojournalism and photography because I found that many of the conversations that we’re having around environmentalism are coming from the same, almost neo-colonialist, perspective. Especially around the issues that I care deeply about like the wildlife trade. I felt that people were really pointing their fingers toward certain cultures and communities of people that they either just didn’t even try to understand, or just weren’t granting enough cultural empathy to different traditions, ways of thinking, and ways of life… which doesn’t do these issues justice and is ultimately an obstacle to progress. So that’s another big reason why I wanted to go into the storytelling element of conservation.
2. Why did you apply to the Ambassador Program? What are you hoping to achieve?
Well, I think Girls Who Click is just the most wonderful organization. I really see it like a little family and it represents what I think is the most important thing we need to do as women in this industry, and that is collaboration, connection, and supporting each other.
It’s also such an incredible opportunity to have a mentor, which is especially valuable in the photography industry. I talk about representation a lot, and how you don’t understand how bad it feels to not have representation until you finally do have representation. To feel seen and welcome in the community, or at least see a little bit of myself in somebody out there is so helpful. There’s almost no representation for women, particularly women of color in our industry. So I thought I’d apply and see if I could connect with someone who I might not have come across before that could act as that role model for me.
Through this mentorship, I’m hoping to achieve a sense of community, to grow as a person and a photographer, and to be held accountable to my growth. I’m also doing a degree at the same time, and it’s really quite easy to put this part of my life on the back burner.
3. Who is your mentor? How has the program helped you?
She’s the most fantastic human being. Her name is Amy Marquis and we have so much in common from our values to our experiences as women of color. She’s a filmmaker, but also actively stands up for her principles and what she believes in, which is really inspiring. Her background in film has also encouraged me to think about different mediums to approach the same conversations. So I’m super happy and grateful to have connected with her.
I think the program has helped me in providing community and support, having representation, and having this mentor. It means so much to me in terms of how I view myself in this industry now and where I see myself going in my career.
4. What are you up to now? Anything you’re really excited about?
I’m doing a master’s degree in tropical forest ecology focusing my research on acoustic ecology, which has been great but is also consuming my day-to-day. I’ve been trying to develop a story that I started during the pandemic that I could do from the UK but haven’t had the time to fully pursue. It’s one of those things where you’re sitting on an idea for a while and you have some photos…but with London in lockdown for the last four months and being a full-time grad student, you’re limited by what you can do. Let’s just say that I’m brewing the ideas but also allowing myself to rest considering this chaotic year.
See Celina’s work here.
Sadie Hine
1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m a 17 year old from Colorado who really enjoys the outdoors and working around wildlife. At the young age of six, I told everyone I wanted to be an entomologist when I grew up. Even though bugs aren’t my favorite thing in the world anymore, I’ve always known that I want to do work involving the natural world in one way or another. I’ve volunteered for a couple different environmental studies and was able to work with a zoo’s outreach team to teach kids about conservation. I have also always been a creative person and am constantly creating drawings and playing music. Nature photography has been a great way for me to connect my creative side with the outdoors, all while showing others what it is that makes wildlife and nature so interesting.
2. Why did you apply to the Ambassador Program? What are you hoping to achieve?
Being a junior in high school comes with a lot of people asking about where you want to go to college or what career path you want to pursue. With all of these big decisions coming up, I wanted to learn more about some of the directions I could go in. Up until I applied, wildlife photography had been a hobby that I didn’t take super seriously. Since applying, I’ve been learning how to take my photography to the next level and about different opportunities to look out for.
3. Who is your mentor? How has the program helped you so far?
I’ve been working with Karine Aigner. It’s been amazing to hear her story, which is helping me learn how to make connections. She has critiqued many of my photos and helped me decide on which photos to enter into contests. I’m also new to using a DSLR camera and Karine has been an amazing resource for learning about different gear and camera settings. The program is also connecting me to a lot of amazing like-minded people.
4. What are you up to now? Anything you’re really excited about?
I just spent the last eight months in California and now I’m back in Colorado. So far, I’ve had good luck finding a few different species of owls. This summer, I’ll be able to document multiple nests and the behaviors these birds show when raising families. When I go back to California later this summer, I want to begin focusing more on the many different reptiles and amphibians in the area.
See more of Sadie’s work here.
Chelsea Mayer
1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I grew up in Huntington Beach, California, and earned my bachelor’s degree in Film Production at UCLA. After working as a director and cinematographer for a few years, I found my dream job, working as a wildlife photographer on a whale watch boat, where I got to photograph whales and dolphins every day. When the pandemic hit, I was furloughed, and I have used this time to earn my 100 ton captain’s license, and try scuba diving for the very first time. It turns out I love being underwater, and I’ve been diving every chance I can get. I now have my advanced open water certification, and I’m currently working toward my divemaster credential, as well as expanding my body of underwater photography.
2. Why did you apply to the Ambassador Program? What are you hoping to achieve?
I applied to GWC because I was feeling very directionless, as I was jobless in the midst of the pandemic. While I had the wildlife photography skill set, I felt that I was lacking a network of contacts and wasn’t sure where to turn for help. Through the program, I am hoping to build connections with like-minded, powerful women whose aim is to support one another in the pursuit of conservation photography. If it results in me finding paid work in this field, all the better!
3. Who is your mentor? How has the program helped you?
My mentor is Brenda Tharp, and I am overjoyed to have her as a mentor and a friend. Knowing that I wasn’t sure what direction I wanted to go with my photography, she has given me space and support to test my strengths. Brenda has helped me to hone my focus into specific areas, so I can sharpen those skills and define myself better as an artist. She has also been essential in quelling my self doubt and encouraging me to do things outside of my comfort zone.
4. What are you up to now? Anything you’re really excited about?
I’m diving every day that the weather will allow me to! Working on my underwater photography and videography has been such a fun challenge, and I’m currently on the lookout for interesting underwater animal behaviors in order to shoot a short film. That being said, I’m really excited for when I can travel again- I haven’t had the joy of diving in warm water yet!
See more of Chelsea’s work here.
Daphne P.
1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Daphne, and I’m finishing up my junior year of high school in Northern California. I’m still undecided on what exactly I want to do in college, but I’ve always loved STEM and nature, so likely something astronomy or biology related. I actually first got into photography because of my love for nature and the critters within it. Now, I’ve been a wildlife and nature photographer for about four years!
2. Why did you apply to GWC? What are you hoping to achieve?
I applied to GWC because I’ve never really had professional feedback on my work. My cousin mentored me initially, and although he takes stunning, professional photographs and has built up quite the following on Instagram, he still had high school to focus on.
3. Who is your mentor? How has the program helped you?
I got to attend one GWC workshop before COVID shut down in-person activities, which is where I met my mentor, Suzi Eszterhas. She and I connected out in the field and realized we live in the same town. We kept in touch after the workshop, and when the Girls Who Click Ambassador Program was announced, I was super excited to apply and she encouraged me to as well. Since then, she has taught me a lot about how to diversify my composition and edit. We also have created a few different portfolios of varying sizes and subjects to help me with future photography enterprises.
4. What are you up to now? Anything you’re really excited about?
On Instagram, I am working on a color feed to try and keep editing. I haven’t had very many photography opportunities this year, but Suzi and I came up with a project to keep me actively taking photographs: an eye project! I’ve always been fascinated by all the beautiful shapes and colors that eyes reflect on the outside, so I’m working on a portfolio of different species’ eyes.
See more of Daphne’s work here.
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for the next installment of this series.
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.