Do not collect pictures as trophies

World renowned photographer Frans Lanting was in Hyderabad at the Indian Photo festival 2024 being held at State Gallery of Art, Madhapur Frans Lanting is one of the great nature photographers whose work appears in books, magazines and exhibitions around the world. Over a period of 40 years, he has documented wildlife from the Amazon to Antarctica. His effort has always been to convey the message of Earth’s natural history through images and create that sense of wonder about our living planet. Hiswork has been commissioned frequently by National Geographic where he served as a Photographer-in-Residence. He has been honored as a fellow of the Royal Geographic Society in London.In 2001, H.R.H. Prince Bernhard inducted him as a Knight in the Royal Order of the Golden Ark, the Netherlands’ highest conservation honor.In 2012, he was appointed as an Ambassador for World Wildlife Fund Netherlands. Frans Lanting has also received top honors from World Press Photo, the title of BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year, and the Sierra Club’s Ansel Adams Award.

Can you tell us how photography came into your life?

Photography started as a hobby, then it became a passion and finally here I am; a professional photographer. I was around twenty years when I picked up the camera to express my feelings about ‘nature’. I used to take pictures and write about them. It used to be a continuous process of creating ‘photo essays’. I believe in the power of words and images as a combination.

What has been your experience of photography with animals?

I document the living planet as it keeps changing. Being a self-taughtphotographer, initially my job was to make animals look good. I believe that there is a personality in every animal and I need to reveal that personality. I believe in the power of animals to tell a story which they can only tell when they become the subject of my project or book. I like to become close to the animals. Of course animals have fear for people, so at times we set up remote cameras.

What is the reason behind your strong advocacy of environmental concerns about ‘Mother Earth’?

I am a trained environmental economist. I understand social and economic pressures that impact the natural world. I have combined the academic aspects with the practical insights that my camera gives me.The planet Earth is suffering from too many people producing too many things in a wrong way andconsuming too much stuff that is then thrown away. Our planet has a limited capacity to support the new age lifestyle. The resources are not evenly distributed. The global population on one side can have so much while the other part is suffering. There is so much disparity in terms of the demand and supply of various consumables if we just take the example of Global North and Global South. Many years back I was working in the Western Ghats. There are many questions that remain to be answered. What if the monsoons don’t come in time? What if the rivers don’t flow towards Kerala coast? What if there excess water flowing around? Take care of ‘Mother Earth’ and it will take care of you.

How did you feel working with Scientists?

It’s always good to work with Scientists. They know more about an animal, the habitats, the behavior and echoes of the past. One can sometimes discover amazing information about nature when we work with Scientists.

How do you see the photography scenario emerging in India?

There is a long history of photographers capturing and documenting the natural world in India. Equipment has become much more available. Photography is a beautiful way to understand and appreciate nature.Young photographers must put their photography in service of creating a better future for people and nature.

There are all kinds of opportunities for young photographers and older photographers to identify the causes and organizations that can benefit from their work. Thiswill give the much needed impulse to go out and make the right photos.