Pixiq

Photographs of wildlife with a white background are nothing new, but when you start to see a lot of them with the same letters under - MYN -  you start to think. MYN stands for Meet your Neighbours and is the brainchild of photographers Niall Benvie and Clay Bolt. It is, as the website states, "a photographic initiative that reveals the wildlife living amongst us in an extraordinary way. These creatures and plants are vital to people: they represent the first, and for some, the only contact with wild nature we have. Yet often they are overlooked, undervalued."

I had to feel at home with the concept, as I've been preaching the same mantra to people in my country: wildlife in so called exotic places is great, but start by looking at your own garden and don't step on the wildlife there... So I wanted to know more. The articles from Paul Harcourt Davies here at Pixiq, with subjects photographed against white backgrounds, pointed already the direction and it was through them and the contact with Paul that I got to get in touch with Clay Bolt one of the founders of the project.

I've always used white backgrounds for some subjects, although I am a kind of lazy photographer when it comes to get them done. But I wanted to learn more about this specific technique, and I wanted to be part of the project. It just made sense for me, and it was/is a way to participate into something that I truly believe. But to know more about Meet Your Neighbours I had to ask. So I did, and my questions became an interview that can help others to discover the importance of Meet Your Neigbours. Or meeting their own neighbours.

How did you and Niall decide to get the MYN project on?

 When I first saw Niall's field studio work I was really impressed. I was in a bit of rut with my own photography and wanted to to try something different. This technique struck a chord with me not only because of its artistry but also because the photographs were made out in the wild. I loved the idea that something so polished could be be made in a portable studio without harming the subject. Niall and I were having a conversation about the work and he made the comment that he "wished it could become a movement." I went away with that thought in my mind and soon followed up with him with a proposal detailing how we could start a project to enlist photographers around the world to shoot in this same way in hopes that they might appreciate the wildlife in their communities better. He had recently put together a proposal for a children's book project called Meet Your Neighbours in the Pond. The name stuck and nearly two years later, here we are! Currently we have close to 40 photographers representing 16 countries on the team and a spectrum of really wonderful partners involved with the project.

Is there any specific reason for this search for nature in the “neighbourhood”? Do you feel MYN fills a void?

One of the unfortunate necessities of many conservation based projects is that they tend to focus on critically imperilled ecosystems and species that most of us will never have a chance to witness first hand. So much of the great work that is being done happens to take place in locations that are almost like a fairy-tale land to the average person on the street. Again, this is very important but it makes it very difficult for most people to relate to the loss of these species and places. In addition, it has become apparent to me that many people have become numb to the whole "doom and gloom" message that has been a critical component of many of the conservation campaigns we've witnessed over the past few years. With Meet Your Neighbours we wanted to take a different approach.

In the tradition of Wild Wonders of Europe (of which Niall was a founding member), we want to show people that there is still so much beauty and diversity out there that we CAN save. That we CAN provide a place for. One of our mantras is that this is a proactive conservation project where we have a chance to save today's common species so that they don't become the threatened species of tomorrow. One of my personal goals of MYN is to dispel the myths that rarity equates to more important, more amazing or more beautiful. There are so many species that are rare today that were once very plentiful. We don't have the luxury of being able to take these creatures for granted any longer.

Finally, we want to create a sense of wonder and nourish a sense of adventure in our viewers. We want to challenge people to go out and see what actually lives all around them. I can guarantee you that anyone who makes an effort to go out and really seek out the wildlife that lives around their neighbourhood will come home having seen something amazing. To paraphrase one of my heroes, entomologist (and MYN contributor) Piotr Naskrecki, "Over 90% of life on Earth is smaller than our little finger." Life is all around us. We just need to slow down and change our point of view!

What are the short term and long term aims of the MYN project?

Short term, we are working with our participating photographers to help them in any way that we can to be successful in sharing their images with their own community and ultimately the rest of the world. I can tell you that people are amazed at what the team is recording and we're just getting started. If we can convince viewers that we life in all forms is worth a second glance, then we have done something worthwhile. There is something striking and unique about this work that seems to intrigue people. Bit by bit, it seems to be doing its job!

Long term, we would like to see every country in the world represented in the project. Niall and I know that this is an ambitious goal but dreaming and believing that you can change people's mindset and view of wildlife is incredibly ambitious to begin with. This project is so much more than just producing materials or selling pretty photographs. Going back to Niall's original comment we want to start a movement. Let's hope that we're on our way!

How do you “recruit” photographers for the cause?

Initially we sent out letters to every conservation organization and photographer whom we felt might be a good fit for the project. At first, the responses were very slow to trickle in. It was a bit disheartening to be honest. However, after we began to gain endorsements and build a good team, other photographers seemed to recognize our dedication and began coming forward. For the most part, these days we have been in the fortunate position of not having to actively recruit with a few exceptions. We are still hopeful that more contributors will come forward from South and Central America, Asia and Africa. We do have representatives in these places but we could use a lot more coverage. They are all big places with a tremendous amount of diversity that needs to be shared with their local community. After all, what is exotic to you and I is just a boring old backyard to someone else. It's all about perspective in the end.

Does MYN just accept professional photographers?

MYN is unique in that it welcomes both professional photographers as well as passionate amateurs. We didn't want this to be another project only open to celebrity photographers. Our goal is to create an awareness of our amazing natural world and there is an entire army of people out there who want to help. I see this as being the other crucial segment of the conservation photography movement. Although all of our contributors are held to professional standards –from ethics to labeling files correctly– I find it hard to downgrade someone's willingness to do something good simply because they don't make their entire income from the camera. Some of the greatest findings in natural history have come from "non-professional" naturalists. We need to stop the class-warfare and get on with the task at hand.

NOTE: all photographs in the article are from Clay Bolt. To find more about MYN visit the project page Meet Your Neighbours