Nature Photography
Activity 1: Explore Nature Photography
(15 minutes)
Why do you think people photograph nature? Do a Google Image search for nature photography. What do you notice? Some nature photographers use their photos to help make people aware of environmental issues. Check out this blog post: 7 Conservation Photographers Saving The Planet Through Amazing Pictures. How do you think you could help document wildlife in your area?
Activity 2: How can nature photography be used to help scientists?
(10 minutes)
Sure, photos of plants and animals look beautiful, but how do you think these stunning shots can help science? Read this article from National Geographic on ways regular people are helping track wildlife with personal technology. Wanna help?
Activity 3: Check out a Citizen Science Project
(20 minutes)
Help scientists by becoming a member of a photo-sharing citizen science project, either iNaturalist or Project Noah. The goal of both projects is to document and identify plants and animals. Scientists use this information to study the diversity and abundance of wildlife. Check out the website of both projects, and decide which you would like to join. If you have a smartphone, download the app. If you don’t, use a camera to take photos and upload them to the project through a computer.
Before going outside get familiar with the process for sharing your photos. This video explains more about Project Noah. And this one walks you through sharing photos via the iNaturalist app.
Activity 4: Go Outside
(time will vary)
No matter where you live you can find a bit of nature to document. Take photos of plants and animals. Respect nature by not touching the plants or animals. Identify them if you can, or ask for help with identify when you upload the photo. How many different types of plants and animals can you find?
Activity 5: Submit your work!
(5 minutes)
Want to earn a few digital badges in photography?
If you want to upload your photos to a citizen science account, share your favorites! Either way, email the digital media you created to BGCAmediamaking@gmail.com or send it through instagram to @BGCAmediamaking
Still Interested? Take a look at these resources:
Video: Scott Loarie, Crowdsourcing Biogeography with iNaturalist
Article: THE UGLY SIDE OF WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY
Article: Don't Feed the Bears: Ethics in Wildlife Photography and Filmmaking
What You'll Need:
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