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Pictures Make A Difference

Images of Nature that Matter

By OWJ Staff Writers, reporting from Clinton, WA


In December, 1968, as Apollo 8 emerged from its fourth orbit around the dark side of the moon, Earth unexpectedly framed itself in the capsule's window. From the crew's vantage point, the earth appeared above the surface of the moon as a small, blue floating orb. A quick thinking astronaut pressed the shutter button of a Hasselblad camera and the image "Earth Rise" was immortalized on film.

Back on Earth, the photo of our small blue planet against the black void of space profoundly changed the way we saw ourselves within the vast universe. There are many whom regard the Earth Rise image as a galvanizing moment in the environmental movement. With this single image, we were shown that our planet is indeed finite, a unique drop of life in a vast ocean of space.

Since Apollo 8, photography has played a key role in influencing how communities and policy makers view our natural resources. Throughout the world, photographers - as well as painters and illustrators - have committed themselves to capturing the beauty of the natural world. However, more than just magazine or calendar art, these images have been used effectively to illustrate the beauty of what we stand to lose and advocate for the preservation of wild places and unique ecosystems.

Put simply, pictures make a difference.

Tens of millions of photographic images are processed every day. In the U.S., an estimated 4 million photographers classify themselves as "nature" photographers. Yet, except for the work of comparatively few photographers, painters and illustrators whose work gets published, many compelling and inspirational nature and wilderness stories remain untold.

That's why we've created the Journeys Corps of Storytellers -- to empower you to publish and share the stories that focus attention on your work and the places and issues that are important to you.

If you're a photographer, painter or illustrator, please join us as a member of the Journeys Corps, and share your stories in the Picturing Our World channel. This is your chance for your voice to be heard and to connect with a growing community of people passionate about the natural world around us.

Together, our stories can make a difference. To further inspire you to unleash the storyteller within, your work will be presented alongside our trademark photo-documentary Expeditions and monthly Feature Articles about the image creators who are leaders in the field of nature photography and illustration. Also, in the near future, we will offer special prizes or incentives for the best stories submitted to the Picturing Our World channel.

Some great upcoming Picturing Our World Feature Articles include:

PAT O'HARA, the master photographer on One World Journeys’ premier expedition, “Georgia Revealed: Searching for the Soul of the Caucasus” shares with us his commitment to increasing awareness of the country of Georgia and provides an understanding why this little known part of the world will play an increasingly important role in Europe and Central Asia.

JACK DYKINGA describes how the 4x5 photos he creates of the Sonoran Desert continue to play an instrumental role in the avocation of National Park status for this unique desert ecosystem. Dykinga explains why the park designation hasn’t happened yet and shares with us how the events of 9/11 had an unexpected impact on the route explored by One World Journeys during it’s “Sonoran Desert: 5000 Square Miles of Silence” expedition.

JEFF FOOTT shares his concerns about man’s impact on the world’s coral reefs and how a flood of ocean waters could soon displace more than one million inhabitants of Pacific Island nations. Without coral reefs, Jeff describes, there’s nothing to hold the waves at bay. Jeff also explains why he sold his entire stock nature photography archive, a must read for anyone considering a career in nature photography. Jeff was the master photographer on the One World Journeys “Palmyra: Rainforest of the Sea” expedition.

NATALIE FOBES, famed salmon photographer, helps us understand why there may be a day when real wild salmon become extinct. If you eat salmon, you’ll want to read why Natalie is concerned about British Columbia’s recent decision to lift its moratorium on salmon farming. Natalie also talks about the recent photographic missions supported by Blue Earth Alliance, the non-profit organization she founded with photographer Phil Borges. Natalie was the master photographer on the One World Journeys “Salmon: Spirit of the Land and Sea” expedition.


About the author
One World Journeys is an award-winning online presentation about our natural world. Featuring their trademark "live" expeditions, and the new Journeys Corps of Storytellers, One World Journeys is building connections between people and groups through inspirational storytelling.

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