In 2003 Cristina Mittermeier, the founder and Executive Director of the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP), began to realize thatin order to better address the increasing challenged in conservation photography could play a pivotal role. For conservation to be most effective people need to care. But unless people have a sensory relationship to what is being saved it is difficult for them to develop an emotional connection. Most people’s only firsthand experience with animals and habitats is in zoos. Beautiful images can be very persuasive and are accessible, but often times in conservation campaigns there is an absence of any images, let alone compelling ones.
In looking at the photographers whose names were most closely associated with conservation efforts, the idea of forming a coalition of photographers working for conservation began to germinate. Many of these individuals have worked tirelessly for years to further the cause of conservation. Yet she instinctively knew that conservation could only reach its potential if the individual force of their photography was combined with the power of applied science, business, and media.
Recognizing a need to advance working relationships between photographers and the conservation community, she decided that she needed some buy-in from the photographers and, with the help of the WILD Foundation, convened the 1st Conservation Photography Symposium in Anchorage Alaska, October 2005.
The three-day meeting was attended not only by photographers, but also scientists, media, indigenous and corporate leaders and others that care deeply about conservation. People came with amazing good-will and understanding and helped create a group that shares immense camaraderie and a sincere will to achieve conservation results.
The ILCP was officially launched at this meeting during the 8th World Wilderness Congress in Anchorage, Alaska. Recognizing the critical importance of photography for conservation, the 8th World Wilderness Congress passed nine resolutions presented by conservation photographers ranging from increasing support for the creation of meaningful images, to stopping the illegal wildlife trade, to reaching out to religious constituencies.
Cristina felt it was important to form a League, not a club or a corporation. The ILCP really is a group of individuals, each of whom has their own business and projects, yet who at the same time are committed to a common goal and to working collaboratively together with scientists, media, and other conservationists to further conservation throughout the world. The ILCP provides the compelling images that attract attention to the causes for which each of these outside agencies and organizations are fighting.
When trying to come up with an appropriate name, Cristina went back to her initial observation of a lack of images showcasing conservation. She researched the concept of “conservation photography” and found it was generally understood to imply preserving images in museum collections. Today the League of Conservation Photographers is dedicated to branding the term conservation photography as the furthering of environmental and cultural conservation through ethical photography
The ILCP was initially founded with 40 Fellows considered to be the most outstanding photographers of our generation (For a list of Fellows see Appendix A).
The ILCP is headquartered in Arlington, VA, USA. Its members, sponsors, and stakeholders are from around the world.
