Critical Review Proposal (January 2014)

For the critical review I will discuss the reasons why the genre of natural history photography has become separated from other photographic genres and totally divorced from the world of photographic fine art. Referencing the work of the photographer Daniel Beltrá I will then consider what value natural history photography brings to the photographic world, whether it can be integrated with work in other genres and, if so, how.

I will confront the following questions:

·         Why is the genre of natural history/wildlife photography largely excluded from serious discussion within the world of photographic art when other genres, such as landscape photography (with which it has much in common) and social documentary are greeted with far greater critical appreciation?

·         Why do practitioners of natural history photography currently have no role to play within the world of photographic fine art? Is this situation likely to change in the future?

·         What values can be placed on the genre? Does it have more to offer art and society than pretty “trophy” pictures that demonstrate the photographers’ technical skills, expertise and dedication in tracking down their subjects?

To answer the first question I will look to past and current practice and delineate some of the reasons why natural history photography has become separated from other major genres which are all represented, to a greater or lesser extent, within the world of photographic fine art.

To answer the second question I will look at differences in style and philosophy between natural history photographers and photographic fine art practitioners and investigate whether there is any overlap between the two.

To consider the final question I will refer to the role of natural history photography within the fields of documentary photography and photojournalism. In particular I will discuss the work of Daniel Beltrá, a Spanish-born photographer who is now based in the USA. Beltrá started out as a photo-journalist before becoming an assignment photographer for Greenpeace and doing freelance work in conservation photography. Often working from the air, his photographs juxtapose the natural world with the destruction wrought, accidentally or deliberately, by man. In 2011 his photograph “Still Life in Oil”, showing Brown Pelicans covered in oil from the Deepwater Horizon spillage, was the overall winner of the prestigious international “Wildlife Photographer of the Year” competition whilst his strikingly beautiful, almost abstract, series of images of the spillage taken from the air won the corresponding “Wildlife Photojournalist of the Year” award. Beltrá himself says of these images: “It’s a route to understanding that doesn’t depend on shock………if the image is aesthetically appealing, people are likely to stop and look at the caption.” Beltrá has won several other major international awards. I will use his work, both to emphasize the important documentary role played by natural history photographs and to make the case that natural history images can, in the right hands, bridge the gaps between photo-journalism, wildlife/natural history photography and photographic art.

I am a natural history photographer with a scientific background and an interest in environmental issues. I also have an interest in fine art and a partner who is currently studying for a fine art degree, so I believe that I am in a strong position to consider the issues that are raised in the opening paragraph of this proposal, and in the bullet points, from both sides of the “divide”. The research into the work of Beltrá and other like-minded photo-journalists and natural history photographers will inform my own practice by giving me a better understanding of how to conceive and produce photographs that, whilst still relevant to specific natural history topics, are both informative and attractive for a wide audience of viewers. The concept of producing images of the natural world that are both aesthetically appealing and tell an important story should, whilst difficult to put into practice, set standards for me to approach in my own work. The research will also assist me in developing my major project work, where I will be telling a story with a heavy emphasis on natural history through the use of photographs in different genres. The resultant photographic portfolio will be expected to comprise strong images with some aesthetic appeal and to be of interest to a wide audience of viewers.

Whilst striving for objectivity in answering the questions posed above I intend to write the review from the point of view of a passionate and committed wildlife photographer, to take a stance that challenges the reader and to set out my title as either a statement (to defend) or a question (to be answered), as was recommended (and followed) for the critical essay project in my previous course: “Photography 2: Progressing with Digital Photography”.