On Sept. 9, Sean Gallagher, an environmental photographer, gave students the opportunity to see the world through his lense as he talked about the environmental and social issues affecting different parts of the planet.
Climate change and its effects are very real in the world today, which is why Gallagher works to bring these effects to the eyes of the public and communicate what we can do to help find a solution.
With recent social media projects, such as everydayextinction and everydayclimatechange on Instagram, Gallagher and other environmental journalists from around the world work to bring these issues to the forefront of society's awareness.
“My main motivation is to get people to understand that these environmental issues affect us and the choices we make affect the outcome of what happens to our environment,” said Gallagher.
While Gallagher enjoys photographing a wide variety of environmental issues, to him, the most rewarding aspect of his work is coming to different schools and universities to talk about these issues. The opportunity to speak to people and communicate with audiences reassures him that these issues are reaching people’s minds.
“When you’re out working on a story and publishing it to media outlets you’re not sure how much of a reach your story is getting, but when you get the opportunity to communicate directly with people you can see them thinking about these issues,” continued Gallagher.
Gallagher hopes that through his presentations people understand that we are connected through what we do in the world and how it affects other people and Earth’s ecosystems. He feels that stories that he has done in the past, such as leather pollution and electronic waste, show how connected we are to what happens in the world around us.
When Gallagher approaches a story, he thinks of ways to tell as accurate a story as possible and in ways that would help the audience understand the importance of the issue being presented.
“I think of whether or not I’m interviewing the right characters that will accurately depict what is happening in these affected areas. Your primary concern as a journalist and a photojournalist is to find interesting and engaging characters that will connect to someone completely different from themselves on the other side of the world.”
Gallagher’s preparation before pursuing a story has him spending sometimes months at a time researching his topic.
When coming into contact with more emotional stories and subjects, Gallagher finds it important to remain composed and professional in order to raise awareness of the issue at hand. However, at times it can be difficult.
“When pursuing a leather pollution story, we went to a particular area where toxic waste was being dumped from a leather factory and we saw one child standing in this hazardous waste wearing nothing but a pair of shorts. While I was photographing the child, there were grown workers laughing at him, which made me want to say something. However, I knew that if I made a scene I could end up being kicked out of the area, so I had to remain professional in order to report on the issue at hand,” said Gallagher. “You definitely wrestle with it at times.”
Even though he knows that his work is talked about and shared, Gallagher feels that journalists and photographers are just one pillar of influencing social change and awareness when it comes to the environment.
“You can look at people like Elon Musk and Al Gore that are raising awareness and pushing for progress in the private and political sectors. You can also look at people in the science and business fields that are pushing these issues as well. The solutions for the problems that we face come from all different sectors of society,” said Gallagher.
When it comes to how an individual person can have an impact, Gallagher believes the key is to be informed. When viewing his work, he wants people to embrace the idea that we are all connected and everything we do has an effect on the world. Lastly, he wants people to take away that we are not just a part of our local community, but a global community as well.
When it comes to environmental issues, realizing the impact that one person has on the rest of the world becomes a central theme, one that Sean Gallagher highlights again and again.