PRISMA Issue 16

EditorialArticle

Sustainabilityinthe WorldofPhotography by:AlexandraGodfrey

INSIDE THIS ISSUE OF PRISMA

Editor-In-Chief: Louise Anderbjörk & Tristan Sharman

A Year on the Farm: Set on raising support for modern ecological farming, Isabel Rogers employs photography to portray the impressive and empowering story of her farmer friends

Aberdeenshire in Black and White: Coley Fifer demonstrates the underestimated accessibility of wildlife photography and the many unique and breathtaking opportunities that the genre holds.

Treading Waters: Johann Scott explores the influence photography has had on his life, and reflects on the ‘making of photos’ as an art and philosophy alike, capturing order from the chaos of waterfalls.

The Food Creative: Inspired by a love for food, Mariana Swedelson explains how she used photography to turn professional set-backs into unique opportunities for her career and her direction in life. Issue 16 - 31 May 2024

Australian Wildlife: Retelling his stories from travelling Australia, Daniel Olivares explores the wide range of learning opportunities that Australia’s accessible wildlife has to offer.

Colorado Wilderness: Recalling childhood memories of growing up with photography around her, Haley Kissell embarks to tell the story of how a passion for photography develops dynamically with time

Editor-in-Chief-LouiseAnderbjörk

Editor-in-Chief-TristanSharman

DeputyEditor-in-Chief-EleanorReid

EditorialEditor-AlexandraGodfrey

PhotographyEditor-KaileeParsons

PhotographyEditor-MaggieZhu

CopyEditor-RosieLeeson

LayoutEditor-EllaWong

WebEditor-IainCunningham

MediaManager-LucileBelorgey

editor@prismamagazine.co.uk

Photo:IsabelRogers

Photo:JohannScott

Photo:DanielOlivares

Photo:ColeyFifer

Photo: MarianaSwedelson

Photo: HaleyKissell

Photo: Daniel Olivares

EDITORIAL ARTICLE

16 - 31 May 2024

SUSTAINABILITY AND PHOTOS

EditorialEditor: Alexandra Godfrey

ALEXANDRA GODFREY

Dear readers,

After spending a semester studying Sustainable Development in Norway, I am excited to write this article on sustainability in the world of photography. Photography can help encourage climate change awareness through appealing to people’s emotional reactions We read about the horrible effects of climate change online and hear reports on the news, but it is the photography that affects people and encourages them to learn more. People listen to the words of climate activists and see the demonstrations, but photography allows them a more emotional and personal connection to the issues at hand Photography tugs at our emotions in a way words may not Words can be more easily manipulated and are subjective to interpretation in a way photography is not Yes, photography can be interpreted differently based on a person’s opinions and values, but it also illustrates more plainly what is occurring in a situation. One of the more heartbreaking statements I have heard recently is “our children and grandchildren won’t get to see the landscapes we do today” We are already seeing the horrifying degradation of land and loss of biodiversity through our own eyes today, imagine what future generations will see. Have you ever been skiing? Snowboarding maybe? Hiking with spikes up icy mountains? Snowshoeing in the thick fresh snow? For many of the kids of the future, that will seem like a fantasy For many children, a dusting of snow might be ‘prime sledding conditions’ We see this throughout the Northern Hemisphere I grew up in Massachusetts, where snowdays and Nor’easters in January took our power out for days. Where we always had a white Christmas, even if it was just a dusting. Now winter precipitation is more often than not rain Since only 1930, US locations have seen a 60% decrease in snowfall How can we help people see the very real effects of climate change globally, as photographers? We can continue to document our environment around us, to compare and contrast footage from decades ago. We can use our lenses to show undeniable evidence of climate change and our ever-changing landscapes I can remember in middle school our science textbooks illustrated the retreat of glaciers due to global warming, and I can remember the reaction of my fellow students who would gasp in response. Photography is what causes this reaction, not statistics listed on a page. It is also important to note that, as photographers, we ourselves can aim to be more sustainable in the practice of photography. Instead of purchasing the newest equipment and various

accessories, we can use what we have around us to create artistic content. Not only can this be much more affordable, but it allows us to participate in reusing materials and reducing consumption When making prints, keep them to a minimum, only what you need Make sure to respect the nature around you when photographing, avoiding damaging the environment or altering habitats for a “good shot”. Focusing on more local suppliers of materials is also important in reducing transport of goods, while likely limiting packaging (for shipping purposes) and other resource usage Though photography can help us to see the changes in our landscapes, it can also be a cause of pollution from overconsumption. Our focus as sustainable photographers should, therefore, be to: 1) Leave no trace 2) Minimize power consumption - use high quality batteries and avoid wasting electricity 3) Reduce & reuse 4) Choose high quality over quantity 5) Educate yourself and others. I have only been on this Earth for a couple of decades, but hopefully in the next handful I will be able to contribute to this movement of environmental photography Here are some photos Bergen, Norway in 2024 We shall see what it looks like in 30 years time. In the meantime, let us advocate for change and make a difference in the world of climate activism as photographers!

Photo:AlexandraGodfrey

Capturingand influencingchange

Photo: Alexandra Godfrey

A YEAR ON THE FARM

PhotographyEditor:Kailee Parsons

ISABEL ROGERS

The rolling hills of Somerset have not escaped the global trend towards intensive farming practices There is, however, a small but growing movement of regenerative farming; people who are taking on the task of not only growing good healthy food but in a way that restores nature and a balanced ecosystem. My friend Hannah is one such, a tenant farmer with a small beef herd. Along with native wildflower reseeding, Hannah employs a ‘mob grazing’ strategy, reproducing natural grazing movements that wild ungulate herds would have performed The cows are slowly transforming the previous monocrop rye grass into diverse grassland popping with knapweed and timothy grass, hiding sky larks and hares. I moved onto the farm in winter ’22 when Hannah’s early mornings were spent defrosting water pipes for the herd. Not an abnormal task for her, but this year she had a 6-month pregnant belly I wanted to document the journey of my friend, not only in the realities of being a solo female farmer, but also in the growing of her new family – for a farmer never gets a real maternity leave. My short stay turned into a year, with Hannah’s daughter arriving in early spring. Along with farmhand help, Hannah continued to look after her cows and I continued to capture moments as life cycled its way along on the farm More government support for those who grow food in ecologically sound ways is urgently needed, and with my photos I wanted to tell the story of people like Hannah, for whom farming is not just a business but a movement towards leaving the land in a better state for generations to come.

Photo:IsabelRogers

Photo:IsabelRogers

Photo:IsabelRogers

Photo: Isabel Rogers

TREADING WATERS

PhotographyEditor:Maggie Zhu

JOHANN SCOTT

I was introduced to photography at the age of twelve when a friend of my father’s came to visit He was a photographer and took incredible long-exposure photos of waterfalls; I knew I wanted to try my hand as soon as I saw them. A few days later, I went out to a nearby river with a camera and a filter and came back with the first photos I was proud of. That was where it all started: I was given a camera of my own on my thirteenth birthday, I travelled the world with it and, as a result, I have now developed an outlet for my own creativity - something I think everyone should have the chance to do Flowing water remains one of my favourite subjects to photograph, not just for being the start of my journey but also because it embodies a philosophy. It forces you to be patient, slow down, and see order emerge from chaos. These skills have assisted me in other styles of photography too, and have influenced my larger outlook on life Sometimes, you have to linger a while to make a moment mean something more tangible - see things holistically, not just in isolation. Looking back on these photos, I distinctly remember all these places and the feelings from those times; the excitement to try something new, connecting to the history of my origins, and independently travelling with friends To me, photography is more about the meaning behind the image than the image itself What do you remember? How did you find this place? What we make are but markers of our own story, so here is my origin and part of my story so far.

Photo:JohannScott

Photo:JohannScott

Photo:JohannScott

Orderemerging fromchaos

Photo: Johann Scott

AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE

PhotographyEditor:Maggie Zhu

DANIEL OLIVARES

As a wildlife enthusiast, travelling through the diverse landscapes of Australia never stopped amazing me From lush rainforests to remote deserts, each region of this country is unique, filled with species you cannot see anywhere else on Earth. Yet, I did not have to travel for days into the jungle or the outback to capture the beauty of Australian wildlife Quite the opposite Natural spaces are so well-managed and protected here that you can find the country’s most iconic species right at your back yard. During a study exchange as part of my biology degree, I stayed in Australia’s largest city, Melbourne. Even there, amidst the metropolitan buzz, I was only a half-hour bus ride away from nature reserves teeming with all sorts, from cute marsupials like wombats or wallabies, to intimidating reptiles and spiders Not only did some of these species look unlike any other animal I had ever seen, but they also showed some fascinating behaviours. During these simple day trips, I managed to photograph duels between male kangaroos, fruit bat groups leaving their colonies to hunt, and even some of the largest spiders in the world building their webs There truly are infinite possibilities when documenting Australian wildlife I used to rely on my telephoto lens for anything wildlife-related, but this experience made me venture into the world of macro photography, as I realised even the smallest creatures have a story to tell. I cannot recommend enough that wildlife photographers should visit Australia at least once. This country enchants you with its natural beauty wherever you go, even in those places where humans have seemingly taken over

Photo:DanielOlivares

Photo:DanielOlivares

Photo:DanielOlivares

Photo: Daniel Olivares

ABERDEENSHIRE SEABIRDS

PhotographyEditor:Kailee Parsons

COLEY FIFER

I was climbing across the steep Aberdeenshire coastal rockface, powerful gusts of wind and blasts of North Sea spray threatening to knock me into the waves below Even through the wind I could hear the ruckus of the cormorant colony around the edge of the cliff-face. Laying down on the rock, I slowly perched my lens at the edge of the cliff. In 1/600th of a second, I captured some of Scotland’s most enigmatic wildlife This is “Wildlife Photography'' The genre might evoke images of travel and adventure, but this does not mean it is unattainable for the amateur, unsponsored photographer. In fact, Scotland’s unique “Right to Roam'' laws makes it accessible for anyone to pursue wildlife photography on their own. In 2022, I took a road trip across Aberdeenshire and Moray to do just that When I happened upon Bow Fiddle Rock, I saw a truly unique opportunity On an adjacent rock outcropping, an entire colony of European Shag Cormorants – yes, their name is silly – escaped the high winds gusting off the North Sea from a distant arctic shore. The sight reminded me of Ansel Adams’s historic work of the Californian mountains, and I wanted to emulate a modern version of his high-key lit black and white photography with a twist of colour The spark of yellow on the shag’s bill is its most recognizable feature, so I let the bills remain in colour in post production to make these seabirds come alive in my images. Whilst Adams may have taken his iconic images with large format film cameras, a little Sony α6300 and some lightroom tricks are able to capture the spirit of these wild animals like no other

Photo:ColeyFifer

Photo:ColeyFifer

Photo: ColeyFifer

Thespiritof seabirds

Photo: Coley Fifer

THE FOOD CREATIVE

PhotographyEditor:Kailee Parsons

MARIANA SWEDELSON

It all started in the nineties in my grandmother’s kitchen in Bogota, Colombia She taught me how to cook at an early age and, without realizing it, I was developing my senses and love for food. At fourteen, my family and I moved to the United States, where I attended The Culinary Institute of America in New York after graduating high school in California. By twenty-three, I had become the Sous Chef at a restaurant in Napa Valley Later, when the path toward a successful and fulfilling career in the restaurant industry became unsustainable, I decided to leave that world and dedicate myself to corporate product development. During this time, I discovered food styling and found a new passion. In 2022, the company I was working for had to downsize and I was laid off, forcing me to take a step back and think about what I wanted to do next Photography was always in the back of my mind, so I decided to take the leap and start my own food photography business Now I get to do what I love every day, working as a food photographer and stylist in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. It has not been easy, but I believe nothing worth living for is. I get to express myself through bold colors and delicious food, meeting people who are just as passionate as I am Food photography is an art, so there is no right or wrong way of doing it We all view the world through a unique lens, and each perspective is needed. If photography is what you want to do, I recommend going for it. Life is short, and the best way to spend it is by following your passions.

Photo:MarianaSwedelson

Photo:MarianaSwedelson

Photo: Mariana Swedelson

THE COLORADO WILDERNESS

PhotographyEditor:Kailee Parsons

HALEY KISSELL

When asked when my photography journey began, I often think back to a moment about eight years ago, when I found an old Nikon camera at a garage sale However, in reality, my relationship to photography goes further back than that. It all started with a digital Sony camera that my mum bought when I was nine years old. It was a cheap, easy to use, point and shoot camera that she took with her everywhere when I was a child I have fond memories of her taking photos of Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, and Black Canyon of the Gunnison When I grew older, she would let me play with it until I decided to buy my own camera at sixteen, after stumbling across a bag full of Nikons lenses and camera parts at a garage sale. Years later, that old Sony camera is broken and gone, and so is my first Nikon camera but, instead, I own a very special Nikon D500 camera that I pack with me any time I feel an adventure brewing With this new camera and now at the age of twenty-four, I am proud to call myself a wilderness photographer. I like to chase images that induce deep movements within our souls; images that inspire myself and those around me, and images that have the ability to relax. I seek to chase photos that encapsulates the same movement and magic that landscape photographer Ansel Adams produced decades ago in his renowned work, or photos that have the graceful composition of those taken by wilderness photographer Galen Rowell. I am grateful for the art of nature, and most grateful to be an artist that can capture one second of it at a time.

Photo:HaleyKissell

Photo:HaleyKissell

Photo:HaleyKissell

Capturedin Colorado

Photo: Haley Kissell

PRISMA PHOTO COMPETITION

It is our pleasure to congratulate the winner of PRISMA's May Photo Competition: MatthewColquhoun

"This photo was taken at a beach in the Maldives. Birds seem to have an odd ability to run away right before you get a photo of them, whichmakescatchingtheminflightallthemorerewarding!”

Photo: Daniel Olivares

Cover art: Johann Scott editor@prismamagazine.co.uk