• Photographer
    Graham Hobart
  • Prize
    Honorable Mention
  • Company/Studios
    Graham Hobart
  • Date of Photograph
    July 2011
  • Technical Info
    Nikon D7000
Story

These five images are a part of a large wildlife conservation campaign titled “AFRICA – In a Different Light”. They resemble Victorian-era etchings or lithographs often found in books at the time. They harken to a day when animals roamed freely across the plains a century ago. They are meant to do the opposite of what most conservation narratives do which is to stir up the usual moral outrage with scenes of animals caught in snares, dead rhinos without horns etc. That sort of passion is intense but short-lived and only works with a tiny portion of society who are probably nature lovers already. It is a little like “preaching to the choir”.

My work aims to reach a much larger audience by evoking a feeling of empathy mixed with nostalgia. This is achieved by showing the animals in an idyllic state of natural balance that existed a century ago. I grew up in Africa and would sometimes see antelope grazing in the early morning light on my way to school. Sadly this is now a distant memory of a paradise lost. By falling in love with Africa the viewer is more likely revisit the topic of conservation and perhaps even visit the animals in their natural surroundings. When they compare their experience to that of visiting a zoo they will be more likely to make a significant effort to preserve the animal’s habitat for their children and future generations as well. This campaign is all about recruiting the most loyal and passionate supporters who will go on to address the issues of poaching, habitat encroachment and government neglect in a more comprehensive way than people just “writing a check”.

I decided that if my images were delivered as something beautiful rather than horrific the message would be reinforced further because it would always be on display. Who wants to have an image of a rotting elephant on a calendar or a headless gorilla on a coaster? The sale of these beautiful pieces of art also serve as a way to raise more money as well as serve the purpose of thanking donors when they pledge.

I thought I would mention that all my images are captured within the infrared spectrum of light on a converted Nikon D7000. It is the first time anyone had captured infrared images using super telephoto lenses on a DSLR body. In addition to problems of low light-sensitivity forcing wide apertures the refractive index at longer focal lengths wreaks havoc on critical focusing. These limitations, along with all the usual difficulties of travel, dust, unpredictable animal behavior etc. means that many great images were lost. So the question is why capture in infrared? In a nutshell the answer is that infrared sees green as white. This means that I am able to better separate the grey tones of an animal against the whites of the surrounding foliage. The etching/lithographic style is achieved in post-production. This collection was first exhibited by National Geographic, in London, in 2012.

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