Can Photography heal the Planet?

Can photography heal the planet? This question is especially engaging when you further the focus and ask: What about our planet needs to be saved? Do we need to save the lives of endangered species? Do we need to have our forests, our parks, and our oceans saved from humanities destructive habits? Do we need to save the relationships we have with other people?

All of those concerns are valid in conversations debating how we can save the planet. In line with these goals, I believe photography can, and already has, become a medium advocating, enlightening, and communicating struggles, while dreaming for a better world!

For example, Joe Sartore is an American photographer that uses the power of photography to inspire and inform people of at-risk species (National Geographic Society, 2024.) This explorer, conservationist, author, and teacher has embarked on an ongoing project titled “The Photo Ark” (currently running 25 years), to document every single species living in zoos, aquariums, and wildlife sanctuaries. His goal is to inspire action through education, and to prompt efforts to protect wildlife. He has accumulated photos of 16,000 species, and continues his quest to document our worlds remarkable biodiversity (National Geographic Society, 2024.) His mission has reached immense success, and he is in constant collaboration with National Geographic to educate and advocate for the protection of our planet!

Another artist invested in saving our planet through photography is Dorthea Lange. Her approach may not adhere to an environmental goal of “saving the planet,” but I believe her work illustrates the desire to save relationships and communication between people. Therefore, her impressive outreach to derive empathy for those struggling, I’d argue, is equally important to healing the planet. Lange is an American photographer and photojournalist best known for her Depression-era photographs. She concentrated on honesty and passion for the human condition and experiences during the Great Depression, and brought a human face to a crisis often overlooked by Americans blinded by their own struggles. Her work inspired people to look at their neighbors with understanding and sympathy, cultivating new motivations among American society to be mindful and aware of others struggling (The Independent Photographer, 2021.)

Photography in both of these executions is a beautiful example of how photography can save the planet. And I believe it to be an extremely powerful tool that will continue to enact social, environmental, and internal change!