iLCP at Wildscreen Festival 2018

This year, iLCP is the conservation photography partner at Wildscreen Festival. To explain more about the partnership and conservation photography, Wildscreen interviewed our Executive Director, Susan Norton. Please see the interview below: 

Wildscreen is partnering with the International League of Conservation Photographers at Wildscreen Festival 2018 where many of it’s fellows and associates will be speaking at the festival this October. We spoke with Susan Norton, iLCP’s Executive Director, about the organisation and their role supporting conservation photographers.

Tell us a little more about iLCP, your mission and your work.

iLCP was founded in 2005 by professional photographers who devote their lives to conservation photography.  Our mission is to promote environmental and cultural conservation through ethical photography and filmmaking.  We have 107 Fellows and Emerging League Photographers based in 26 countries, working in more than 100 countries.

Can you tell us more about iLCPs Emerging Talent league and why it’s important to you to encourage early career photographers?

iLCP has an Emerging League Photography (ELP) program that selects up to three photographers each year who are just starting out as professional photographers. The ELP term is three years and each one has an iLCP Senior Fellow as a mentor.  This program is very important as we encourage and inspire early career photographers to join us in the effort to use their images to support conservation efforts.  As an ELP, they join a global community of like-minded individuals who use their work for the greater good.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a professional photographer?

Perseverance, passion and patience are key traits of successful professional photographers.  It is very important to understand the business side of photography and wonderful when someone decides to devote their lives to photography for a cause.  It is also very important to practice good ethics in dealing with any subject – whether human, wildlife or environmental.  Professional photographers should always stress the value of their work, and anyone wanting to use their images should appreciate the experience and professionalism that went into creating such compelling images and be willing to pay fair market value to use these.

What projects are coming up for iLCP and its Fellows?

We are excited to be working with a number of iLCP Fellows, Emerging League Photographers, Affiliates and Partners on eight different expeditions to Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  These begin at the end of May and last until September.  The expeditions will involve photographers, filmmakers, artists, writers and members of the Gwich’in community.  The resulting images and text will be used to promote awareness of and appreciation for this important biodiversity and culturally rich area in the wake of plans to allow oil and gas drilling. #arcticrefugestories

We’re thrilled that iLCP is partnering with us on creating content for some of the photography content at the Wildscreen Festival 2018. Why is it important that Wildscreen and iLCP are working together in this way? 

Wildscreen has long supported and celebrated the very best wildlife and natural history filmmaking through the Wildscreen Festival and the PANDA Awards.  iLCP is delighted to be the conservation photography partner for the Wildscreen Festival 2018 with its new two-day focus on photography and the inaugural PANDA Photography Award.  It is more important than ever to educate the world about the value of ethical photography taken by dedicated professionals.  We welcome the opportunity to have our Fellows share their images and conservation projects with the Wildscreen audience and look forward to growing our partnership.

Wildscreen Festival takes place in Bristol, UK, October 15-19, with the two-day photography programming on October 18 and 19.  This is the first year of the PANDA photography Award which will be presented on the evening of the 19th.

iLCP Fellows confirmed as presenters are Tom Peschak, Robin Moore, Pete Cairns, Carlton Ward, Esther Horvath, Jen Guyton, Emanuele Biggi, Jasper Doest, Doug Gimesy, Sandesh Kadur, and Morgan Heim. Check out the Wildscreen website for the schedule and other details. 

*Please note, this post originally appeared on the Wildscreen Arkive Blog*