Nature Through Her Eyes Photography Exhibition

Aishwarya Sridhar is a National Geographic Explorer, Girls Who Click Ambassador and Canon EOS influencer. Her work largely revolves around using the visual medium media to create positive conservation impact. An Emerging Fellow at the International League of Conservation Photographers, she has been working towards policy protection for wetlands using the visual medium. Her debut feature film ”Tiger Queen of Taru” premiered during 2021 Big Cat Week and is now airing worldwide on National Geographic WILD and Disney+ Hotstar. Both her films and photos have come on leading networks such as the BBC, Arte and The Guardian to name a few. In 2020, she became the first Indian woman to win at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards, London, for her image of fireflies titled ”Lights of Passion”. This year, she was also named as one of the ’50 Explorers Changing the World- The world needs to know about’ by the prestigious Explorer’s Club in NYC.

Aletta Harrison is an award-winning journalist, filmmaker and part-time educator with a passion for the environment and conservation storytelling. With a background in news, she spent 10 years living and working in Cape Town before moving to the UK in 2020. She teaches television and digital journalism at the University of Kent and is exploring environmental issues in Britain, such as rewilding, pollution and climate change solutions.

Alice Whitehouse is a filmmaker, photographer and National Geographic Explorer from the UK. With an interest in conservation stories, Alice is currently working on a personal project – a documentary series about the European Green Belt entitled “Rewilding the Iron Curtain.”

What is art without a message? As long as Aljohara can remember she has been a woman and artist. Enraptured by techniques, she graduated in Product Design and later in Art-Photography in Europe. Aljohara also learnt about medieval artistry techniques (in China and in Portugal). Enjoying Saudi Arabia’s vibrant society and convinced that its culture has all the elements to become the next artist’s hub on par with Berlin and the like, she turned her back to Europe indefinitely and chose to live and work in Jeddah.

Elise is a topside and underwater filmmaker and photographer, specialising in content driven campaigns, both for natural history and commercial projects. A passion for highlighting endangered ecosystems, Elise connects audiences to nature’s significance and humanity’s relationship with it. She harnesses cinematography to drive awareness and has worked with NGO’s and commercial enterprises who are motivated to drive positive environmental change.

Erica Francis Rugabandana has a background in wildlife management and community development. She has a wide range of knowledge and experience working with NGOs in Tanzania as a film producer. She is a graduate of Mount Meru University with Hon. Master of Arts in Community Development and has an Advanced Diploma in Wildlife Management from Mweka Wildlife College. Erica founded and runs her own film business and production company SIIMA MEDIA. She believes film and television is the best channel for communicating wildlife issues to communities and to the general public. Through her films she wants to to raise awareness on sustainable wildlife conservation. Erica believes that education is key for a harmonious relationship with wildlife.

Based in Bristol, in the UK, Katie’s passion for wildlife from a young age led her to study Zoology at University. Since then she has gained an intimate understanding of animal behaviour whilst working in wildlife rehabilitation; earning animals’ trust when they are at their most vulnerable. She uses photography as a tool to help nurture passion and empathy for wildlife in others by showcasing animals up close and personal in their own habitats.

Currently finishing studying an MA in Wildlife Filmmaking at UWE in Bristol, Katya hopes get stuck in the wildlife film and photography industry. She aspires to be a wildlife camerawoman, specialising in long lens camerawork and drone. She previously lived and worked in India as a wildlife ranger and safari guide, for a company called SUJÁN Sher Bagh heading the field team, managing the guides and hosting at camp. She then moved to SUJÁNs other camp in Jawai and was the first female ranger there. She headed the camp’s camera trap programme. Her day to day would be to take clients out on game drives and show them leopards in the surrounding area which also extended to the cultural and religious aspects of the community. She is also holds the rank of lieutenant of the all female volunteer corps First Aid Nursing Yeomanry which supports the British Army and Civil Service in times of crisis.

Kimerudi is a filmmaker, photographer, freediver and scuba divemaster from Cape Town, South Africa. Her filmmaking skills include cinematography, directing, colour grading, data wrangling, animation and writing to name a few. Her first love however, has always been the camera. Her ultimate goal is to become an extraordinary wildlife and ocean storyteller, who inspires black women – young and old – to take a chance.

A Kenyan nature and wildlife emerging filmmaker who brings conservation stories closer to the public through her work. Martha is also a tour guide with a passion for macro photography. Through tour guiding and environmental education, Martha shows local and international travelers the beauty of our planet and highlights why it’s important to protect it.

Michaela Skovranova is an Australia-based artist working in the field of photography and film. Her work has focused on capturing intimate environmental and human stories – from documenting coral reefs and Great Barrier Reef restoration for National Geographic, The Great Australian Bight for Greenpeace and the aftermath of Australian Bushfires for TIME Magazine. She completed the first-ever Facebook underwater live video in Australia on World Ocean’s Day 2018, as part of National Geographic Australia’ Planet or Plastic’ campaign focusing on the impact plastic has on the marine ecosystem. Her short films pick up the natural, ambient-lit storytelling where the images leave off with her latest short film “End of the World” which speaks to the devastating impacts of climate change in Antarctica premiering at TEDx Sydney 2020. She has been featured in a National Geographic documentary Protecting Paradise (2019), a global National Geographic campaign “Uncover Antarctica” (2020) and featured in CuriosityStream’s new original series “Nature Through Her Eyes” (2021). Michaela is a National Geographic expert and an OM System Ambassador. She runs regular photography and video workshops across Australia and overseas. Her projects involve working as a freelance photographer, filmmaker, speaker and talent.

Michelle is a photographer and filmmaker from Nairobi, Kenya. Her passion has always stemmed from her drive to tell stories. From a young age, she took up writing creative pieces. This developed into a love for photography; telling stories through a lens, which led her to her career in filmmaking. Her primary skills lie in scriptwriting, directing, cinematography and editing with a focus in narrative filmmaking – usually short films, one of which won three Kalasha Africa Awards in 2021. Other productions that she brings to life are commercials, documentaries and music videos. She strives to portray topics that will have a jarring, but powerful, impact on her audience; one that could possibly change their perspective on life. Pushing black, African, female stories to a wider audience has always been her main goal – to make our stories heard. She is working towards being an artist that changes the narrative.

Millie is an Assistant Producer working in wildlife filmmaking. Most recently she has been working on a series for National Geographic called ‘Queens’. This series celebrates femininity not only within the animal world, but also in the craft of creating beautiful films that capture animals in a whole new light.

Born in 1958 in Provence, in a family of mountaineering adventurers, nature, and the mountains in particular have always been a big part of Mireille’s life. As her father was an amateur filmmaker and photographer, she naturally started photography as a teenager with a particular liking for graphics and materials in nature. Landscapes, flora and fauna also fascinate her. For the past 23 years she has been a guard instructor within the Ecrins National Park where her inspiration is endless. Her photographic work is valued within the park.

Nancy is a wildlife conservationist who loves nature and the nurturing from wildlife. She is currently studying a bachelor of science, wildlife management and conservation at the university of Nairobi.

Based in Kasane, Botswana, Pusetso is a wildlife photographer and photographic host/instructor at Pangolin Photo Safaris. Nature is her love and having the opportunity to have the bush as her office is truly a dream come true.

Rajaâ is a member of the African Photojournalism Database, currently living in Tangier Morocco . It all started some years ago, 2013 specifically, when she began observing and capturing light on daily objects and subjects around her. Since then photography became her passion and slowly she discovered it was her most comfortable medium of communication and expression. In time she developed her focus on street and documentary photography, but her work mostly develops as mundane tableaux depicting the human aspects of everyday life.

I am very simple girl who loves her family and photography very much. My friends and my family are my life…In my life there are so many important people and a few who are so important that a single day without them is very difficult, people like my two sisters and my best friend… my mom, is not only my mom but also my friend who supports me each and every step. I am thankful to God, who has given me a good family… I like to learn new things… My life is full of positive thoughts, sometimes negative ones too, due to situations, but then I try to think about positive things. I like to motivate people and I like to get inspiration from great people… I like peace.

Simangele is an ecologist, conservationist, wildlife photographer, aspiring filmmaker and a divemaster. She makes use of her privilege; to be situated in the vicinity of earth’s greatest natural treasures to share her view of the natural environment with those who either have limited access or have a different perspective to hers through research and her camera lens. She hopes to bring people closer to nature and have a deeper appreciation and understanding of our natural environment.

Surabhi is an Indian writer and visual artist based in Helsinki. She moved to Finland for an MA in Creative Sustainability (design) from Aalto University, produced a dissertation which drew from 9 concepts of ecofeminism and degrowth. To her the medium of photography functions as a tool for research-based storytelling, self-reflection, and connecting to surrounding landscape. It forms the link between surrealism, quantum and the environment. Surabhi’s interests lie in the interconnectedness of environment, economics, and politics of sustainability. She is currently working on an independent photo project exploring the Arctic coastline in Finland in relation to the changing landscape through medium format photography.

Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Tendai Marima has degrees from the University of Cape Town, South Africa and Goldsmiths College, (University of London), UK. With experience covering East and Southern Africa, Tendai has over 5 years of professional journalistic experience. From South Sudan to South Africa, she has travelled the region covering a diversity of multimedia stories for a range of international publications including Al Jazeera, Foreign Policy, NPR, the New Humanitarian, the New York Times, the Guardian and the Mail and Guardian (South Africa). She also works as a photographer and video producer and has been commissioned by television and various humanitarian agencies, including Redfish Media and All We Can (UK). Her images have made it to the Agenda 2063 African Women’s Photography Contest 2021 and she also exhibited under Native Agency at Vogue Photo Festival, Milan, Italy 2021. She is a reporting fellow for the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) and covered Uganda and South Sudan. Tendai is a member of Native Agency, Fairpicture, African Women Photograph, Women Photograph, the Everyday Projects and a founding member of Everyday Zimbabwe.

Tessa Barlin is an environmental documentary filmmaker, photographer, divemaster and National Geographic Explorer with a passion for preserving the natural world and inspiring a diverse range of audiences to care for the environment. She has a postgraduate degree in documentary filmmaking and has to date, shot three multi-award-winning short films. In 2021, Tessa was awarded a grant from the National Geographic Society to produce her next film, which focuses on the KhoiSan people of the Kalahari. Tessa also has a deep love for the ocean and aims to bring audiences closer to the hidden treasures of our underwater world.

Traci Kwaai is a 6th generation fisher child from Kalk Bay and an activist. She leads the impactful and powerful “walk of remembrance “ which cover a the rich history of her community of Kalk bay and the marginalisation of the the fishers combined with story telling. Traci fell in love with the ocean at the age of 45 when she started free diving. Under laws of apartheid she was not allowed access ocean spaces even though she lived across the road from the blue dam. She has recently started The Fisher Child Project. Giving children in her community access to the ocean and ocean education through snorkelling and diving. How do we teach custodianship to our children when then don’t have access to oceans spaces. Story telling is justice work.

Tshepo Phokoje is a female Nature & Wildlife Photographer currently based in Selibe Phikwe, Botswana. She is the Director of Vixen Excursions (Pty) Ltd and the photographer under the Vixen Photography brand, whose works includes and are not limited to nature and wildlife, minimalist photography, landscape. She also likes to capture moments shared by people she meets on her excursions. The main aim of her work is to tell Botswana and Africa’s beautiful stories and hopefully use her work to attract more local and international tourists to visit this rich continent. She is a solo-exhibitionist and is currently the Botswana Travel & Tourism Awards Best Photographer promoting Tourism in Botswana. Her work has recently been nominated for the Africa Tourism Leadership Forum Awards: Outstanding Africa Tourism Media & Marketing Award.

Wanda von Bremen is a visual artist, photographer and ecologist investigating new visual communication strategies on how to transformatively address the most pressing ecological questions of our time. Her art work wishes to form a new and profound appreciation for nature that will raise interest in its conservation, create awareness and unveiling that every organism is part of an interconnected system. Both of her degrees in Photography and Conservation combined allow her to work in the intersection between conservation and communication. Wanda won competitions supporting alternative storytelling and got exhibited in the ICP Museum and the Local Gallery in New York. She took part in the Residency from EV_Largo “Possible Futures” as well as an artist residency from Estudio Abierto in Oaxaca, Mexico and La Wayka Current, Panama. She participated in the mentorship program” Environmental Photography“ from NATIVE Agency. Currently she is doing her MA in Ecology Futures at the St. Joost university in the Netherlands.