FIELD JOURNAL

A WORLD IN A SHORELINE

I had an idea for an assignment I wanted to submit to National Geographic nearly a decade ago. It was a piece about this very shoreline. I felt challenged, paralyzed, as i found it incredibly difficult to make this proposal appealing when such articles are up against rarities such as pandas and snow leopards.

Moreso I kept thinking about what these shorebirds meant to me personally. Yes most people would argue that protecting them is important, but to what end? What’s the beneift for beachgoers to care? At what cost?

In short time a decade had past and I’ve grown from a staff wildlife photographer at the National Aquairum into a world travelling photography educator. Through this decade the shift from learning the technicalities of capturing the photo had evolved into learning how to convey the story of such photos. Back to the question, why should people care.

But this time i was answering that very question with a decade of experince working in the field and the vision has become more clear than ever. The key word is people.

The beach is a common ground where we practice sesasonal rituals just like these birds.

We come for the peace, quiet, relief. The birds do as well.