THE WEST THROUGH MULTIPLE LENSES

Photography has always been a powerful tool for shifting public perception.
A single image can have enormous impact, transporting the viewer and upending their worldview. We’ll hone our skills as nature photographers and discover how our work can inspire environmental conservation.

Learning Objectives

Develop their photography skills with a special emphasis on nature photography in various conditions and settings through workshops with professionals.

Come to understand the importance of photography in environmental conservation work and develop a deeper appreciation for the natural world as they realize the impossibility of truly capturing it on film.

Better appreciate the threats posed to these landscapes by climate change and human industry and reevaluate the potential magnitude of their individual impact as an environmental conservation activist.

Lenses of Inquiry

Photography as Activism

How can we address social justice issues through media?

Environmental Conservation

How are ecosystems being impacted by urbanization and how can we start to preserve them?

Environmental Justice

What role does photography play in raising awareness for environmental issues?

Places and Activities

This program is flexible, and can be offered in 5 or 7 day itineraries.

DAYS 1-2: ADJUSTING FOCUS

We arrive in Jackson, Wyoming and bond as a group with a photo scavenger hunt. A visit to the National Museum of Wildlife Art gives us a sense of the existing canon, and our first photography class prepares us to join it as artists.

DAYS 2-4: WHEN WORDS BECOME UNCLEAR

We spend a few days hiking and camping in the Tetons, attempting to capture the indescribable beauty of nature in a landscape photography practicum.

DAYS 5-6: TO CAPTURE MOVING WATER

We journey along the Snake River on a whitewater rafting trip, developing skills in photographing moving water, astronomy and wildlife.

DAY 7: EXPOSING AND EXPRESSING

Students develop a final portfolio and an artist’s statement, reflecting on what they will bring forth into their lives and how they hope to use their new skills to inspire awareness and action.

Let’s work together

“The Envoys staff has been amazing. I have bonded with each of them in different ways and they made the trip to Colombia nicer that I expected. Envoys helped me open myself up to interacting with the locals wherever we traveled!”

— Illeana G. , Student, Deerfield Colombia 2014

“It was not only the good times with our friends or the relationships we built but how we were after we came back, returning to this agitated society with a new view of ourselves and not just our impact on the world, but the world’s impact on us.”

— Gabriela , Student, Deerfield Colombia 2014

“Many student groups participate in ‘Voluntourism’. This trip did not attempt that, but rather funneled the collective energy of each member into meaningful, mutually beneficial cultural interactions. Thank you so much for this unforgettable and transformational experience.”

— Altana , Student, Friends Seminary South Africa 2016