On the final day of the simply spectacular Xposure International Photography Festival 2018, held at Expo Centre Sharjah, Kathy Moran, the first senior editor for natural history projects at National Geographic, provided a behind-the-scenes look at the extremes that her photographers go to to make innovative, storytelling photographs, during an auditorium session entitled ‘Telling the Story, Making the Photo’.
Introducing herself to the packed auditorium, Moran said: “What I do isn’t that interesting. I sit at a desk and look at photos all day, lots of photos. While I love it, it’s the photographers that are out there doing the work.”
Shining the spotlight on how photographers go about their work and the great lengths they go to get that perfect picture, what becomes abundantly clear is that it takes a great deal of determination for photographers to be able to tell their stories through the use of images.
Showcasing some of the great work photographers have done for the magazine, Moran introduces the first subject matter: Sharks.
Photographer Brian Skerry shot his Summer of Sharks series in 2016, hoping to debunk shark’s reputation as vicious killers and instead focus on their critical roles in ocean's eco systems. By photographing these ‘torpedoes with teeth,” Skerry was able to showcase the immense power and beauty of these sea creatures.
Next, Moran showcased work by biologist-cum-photographer Christian Ziegler in the Tree of Life series, who wanted to combine his love of science with that of photography, documenting not just nature, but also the wildlife that calls the forest home.
Next up was Michael Nichols who photographed the first seamless photo of the Redwood Tree in The Big Trees series. Comprising 84 photos stitched together, it’s an impressive image that captures the immensity of nature perfectly.
Heading back underwater, Laurent Ballesta’s mission to photograph massive schools of marbled grouper that gather to spawn in the Fakarava Atoll provided for another sensational observation of marine life.
Realising his dream of photographing all 39 species of birds of paradise, Tim Laman took eight years to finish his Birds of Pardise collection. But it was certainly worth the wait, as Laman is the only person in the world to have viewed all 39 species.
Steve Winter, meanwhile, provided the viewer with something they had never seen before in his Big Cats photo essay. Showcasing that humans and leopards can live together, his iconic shot of a leopard walking the streets of Mumbai at night was as powerful as it was bold.
Shining a light on community based conservation projects was Thomas Peschak, while Joel Sartore took a studio approach to photographing wildlife. His belief is that by isolating different animals on the same background gives them equal stature, regardless of size.
A universal language, photography has the power to change the world and over the past four days at Expo Centre Sharjah, Xposure has shown visitors how some of the most celebrated photographers are doing exactly that.
