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Sophie Darlington on her wildlife filming career
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Introducing: Shutter Stories
Introducing: Shutter Stories by Stefan Lundin
It’s a question we’ve all asked ourselves at one point or another – what can I do to make a positive difference in the world?
It is also a question that was asked many times at the recent United Nations SDG Global Festival of Action. Critical issues that affect all our futures including gender inequality and the climate crisis appear unassailable, almost impossible to tackle on an individual basis, with many feeling that it is the role of large organisations and government bodies to create the change we all need. There’s some truth in this. Governments, NGOs and businesses all have the responsibility to enact and encourage change and to create a sustainable future. But it’s important to remember that any type of major positive action is often an accumulation of small, positive acts combining into something greater and driving through that change.
Guided by our corporate philosophy of Kyosei (living and working together for the common good), Canon is passionate about inspiring others with the courage to take action regarding the issues that affect their world. But we know that acting alone isn’t enough. That’s why at Canon we create partnerships with global organisations like the UN and local NGOs across the world to help strengthen the impact we make, enabling young people to see that there are organisations out there who support them in helping create that difference and drive real change.
The Canon Young People Programme (YPP) recently partnered with the UN’s SDG Global Festival of Action, going some way to answer the question of ‘what can I do to make a difference?’ With a diverse range of attendees, from individual young activists right up to multinational corporations, the event provided incredible insights into how different actions support each other in driving large-scale change. With this year’s event taking place online, the event, and the message behind it, was able to reach new audiences, people who otherwise might not have had the opportunity to be involved – something which we’re incredibly excited by.
The first step: make it personal
Before any real progress can be made, the first step to combating these global issues is to encourage an understanding of the environmental and social challenges in a local context, and their relevance on a personal level. The immense scale of these issues can often seem overwhelming – and this is why it’s so important to remember that each of our own unique lived experiences brings a diverse and nuanced view of the world around us, and with it, diverse and unique solutions. Our individual power and insight should not be underestimated in tackling the biggest problems people and the planet are facing right now.
It’s for this reason that we think it’s essential to empower young people with creative education, critical thinking and the tools for communication, helping them to tell their part of the story and ultimately become those agents of change. By giving young people creative skills, a seat at the table and an understanding of the power of their voice, we enable them to play an active and, importantly, continued role in the dialogue needed to enact real change.
For the pilot episode, we talked to wildlife camerawoman Sophie Darlington. With a career that has included high-profile work for the BBC and Disneynature, she is at the forefront of modern natural history photography. In the episode, she tells us about how she made the unlikely leap from working on 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' to getting her first break in wildlife photography, the importance of choosing the right lens and some of the ethical issues that occur in her work.
Next, we have an episode about the rarified world of stop motion animation, with an interview with Director of Photography Tristan Oliver. In the course of a 20-year career, he has become one of only a handful of DoPs to specialise in the form. He has worked for Aardman Animations on 'Wallace and Gromit' and on high profile feature films including 'ParaNorman' and 'Fantastic Mr Fox'. In the episode, we talk about his second collaboration with iconoclastic director Wes Anderson - the superb 'Isle of Dogs'.
Coming up, we have an episode dedicated to television broadcaster and national treasure, Chris Packham. As well as being a presenter and an outspoken activist, he is a passionate wildlife photographer and a judge for numerous competitions. In the podcast, he talks about how autism has impacted on his work, the lengths he goes to to get the perfect shot and his ruthlessly self-critical streak. It offers a fascinating insight into the work of one of the most prominent naturalists.
Photojournalist James Nachtwey has spent his life documenting some of the most dramatic – and often very dangerous – areas of disaster and conflict in the world. He was at Ground Zero on 9/11, has covered the European refugee crisis and been on the frontline in numerous warzones. In this fascinating interview, conducted live by the London Imperial War Museum’s curator of photography, Hilary Roberts, he discusses his 40+ year career and what the future may hold for this most-vital of genres.
Lifting the next generation up
“People respond to visuals”, Laura says, “which enable us to communicate in a digestible but also very powerful and influential way.” It is our human stories and images of real situations, which inspire people to get involved with advocacy campaigns and drive their own change.
That’s why we created the Canon YPP. Through our network of local NGOs, working with our Canon Ambassadors and our global partners such as the UN, we want to reach and inspire young people across the world. In a session inspired by our YPP workshop, Laura, Tasneem and I discussed how encouraging, educating and supporting young people across EMEA in telling the story of their community has inspired positive changes on issues such as wildlife conservation, gender equality and youth development.
Tasneem said: “I’ve realised that often in the countries I work in we don’t have the means to tell our stories. But by giving workshops I can show young people that the camera can be a tool that will give them much more than just imagination and playfulness. It can be a way to tell your story instead of having someone else say it for you.”
From their own neighbourhoods, we want to empower these young people to harness their creativity and as stated by Laura, “bring their own history into the photographs they take”. This unique view and power which each young person holds, plays an essential role in enabling them to become agents of change and active participants in making a difference to their futures. As Tasneem says: “We’re all in this together, and it’s time we start sharing our stories. The platform is yours.”
