Partnerships

Conservation groups and organizations are always in need of imagery to help get their message out, and for use in their mission to educate the public. One of the things we can do as photographers is to give the gift of our work to these groups. Much can be gained from these associations, even beyond the obvious “good karma” associated with donating to a good cause. These situations can become great photographic opportunity as well. Many times these donations of time and effort can be turned into working partnerships that are a win-win for everyone involved. The organization receives the imagery they need and the photographer receives access to subjects, land, and situations that would be impossible to obtain without the partnership.

The images accompanying this post is the result of just such a partnership. I have been working with the Organization for Bat Conservation here in Michigan for a few years. Because of this partnership, I have had the privilege of spending many hours working with these amazing animals. During the course of the project not only did I have total access to the bats, but I was also able to build an on-site photography studio complete with a flight tunnel where I spent many hours photographing. For their part the organization received complete use of all of the images I created. I was also able to shoot specific images they
requested for their needs.