By Frank Gallagher, NANPA Blog Coordinator
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably heard of Nature Photography Day, June 15, a day to “promote the enjoyment of nature photography, and to explain how images are used to advance the cause of conservation and protect plants, wildlife, and landscapes both locally and globally.” We wanted to know how the day was being marked, by whom and where. We’ve already learned about a number of high-profile instances where a company or organization celebrated the day, along with a bevy of local news stories. We include just a few examples.
Flickr page of Library of Congress on Nature Photography Day
Started by NANPA in 2006, Nature Photography Day (NPD) has grown by leaps and bounds. There are now over 164,000 Instagram posts with the hashtag #NaturePhotographyDay! All of this would never have happened without the tireless work of Shirley Nuhn, often called the Godmother of Nature Photography Day. It was her idea and she has been the driving force behind it since 2005.
Celebrations
The Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress posted on their Flickr and Instagram accounts. They chose a photo, Electrical storms at night: silhouettes of houses, a 1923 photo by a photographer named McGowan. “An En-lightning Salute to Nature Photography Day” they called it.
Microsoft’s Edge web browser featured Nature Photography Day on its home page. And MSN had a web page devoted to Nature Photography Day stories.
The New York Post published a gallery of “stunning” nature photos. From the temporal to the spiritual, the Maryknoll Mission Archives posted a gallery of nature photos from their collection in hopes that nature has to offer you this season and in the many seasons to come! For it is always changing and has something new to show us that we have never seen before.
The University of Minnesota Libraries went all in on NPD, creating an exhibit of wildlife photography at their Natural Resources Library and encouraging students (and faculty) to get outside and “capture what they see on campus and during summer break.” The library system even recommended locations on or near campus where nature and wildlife can be found and provided seven tips for safe, ethical and creative nature photography. Go Gophers!
Eden Gallery, with locations in the U.S. and overseas, celebrated Nature Photography Day by featuring the work of one artist, going by the name SN, who places his own unique spin on appreciating the world around them through integrating nature in his artwork.
Across the globe, the Nature Photography Society of New Zealand posted about NPD on their website, reminding photographers of “the power of photography to tell stories–and to make a positive difference.” And News9 in India carried a story about observing Nature Photography Day that included nature quotes from Emerson, Van Gogh, Einstein, John Muir and Ansel Adams.
Channel Five, the ABC affiliate in St. Paul, Minnesota, hosted a gallery of nature photos submitted by viewers, as did KOAM in Joplin, Missouri. The NBC affiliate in Savannah, Georgia, posted a list of nearby nature sites where viewers could “pull out their cameras and head into the great outdoors” for Nature Photography Day.
Then there were the countless individuals who posted photographs, wrote blog articles, hosted photo walks and workshops in wildlife refuges or local parks to celebrate the day. Many NANPA members participated in the Nature Photography Day Bioblitz with iNaturalist (make sure your photos are in by June 22!) and there are dozens more ways to celebrate.
Did you do something to celebrate Nature Photography Day 2022? Tell us about it! And, if you didn’t, it’s never too early to start planning something for June 15, 2023!
Microsoft’s Windows screen on Nature Photography Day
Frank Gallagher is a landscape and nature photographer based in the Washington, DC, area who specializes in providing a wide range of photograph services to nonprofit organizations. He serves as NANPA’s Interim Marketing and Communications Coordinator and manages NANPA’s blog. He can be found online at frankgallagherphotography.com or on Instagram @frankgallagherfoto.
