When I Look In Your Eyes

Witness: Defining Conservation Photography Feature from iLCP on Vimeo.


"It's always said that a picture can say more than a thousand words but, of course, it depends on the picture...


... For some, they need to actually look into the living eyes of a chimpanzee or a gorilla or an elephant, but most people can't do that. And if the photographer is using the camera to express his feelings — the relationship with that being that he's capturing through his lens — then that picture, that image is going to reach out to the people looking and into their hearts.


That's what's going to make them want to help."

— Jane Goodall on Conservation Photography

"Witness: Defining Conservation Photography," directed and produced by Neil Ever Osborne, is a contemporary account of the emerging genre of conservation photography explored through the voices and imagery of some of the best environmental communicators working today. The mission of the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP) is to further environmental and cultural conservation through ethical photography. Osborne's film features images from over 40 ILCP photographers and interviews on the work of conservation photographers to use the power of photography to effect change.

"Witness" is also the first film to be reviewed by the panel at The Digital Naturalist, an online-forum for video, film, and multimedia with a cause. Filmmakers are encouraged to submit their films for review by a panel of experts. The site aims to "be positive, honest, and constructive," in order to encourage dialogue about what makes digital storytelling successful, establish helpful guidelines for advocacy groups, and shine a light on the most effective and inspiring work being produced today. The resulting review is a fantastic opportunity to see constructive criticism in action.

http://www.thedigitalnaturalist.com/home/2011/6/29/panel-review-witness.html

Osborne is a frequent collaborator with Dr. Wallace J. Nichols. Their project The Faces of Chelonia (FOC) aims to foster a growing network of concerned people who connect through storytelling and their common interest in sea turtle conservation. Across the globe, the seven species of sea turtles face a number of human-induced threats (including fisheries by-catch, direct harvesting, coastal development, pollution, pathogens, and climate change), that are adversely affecting their health and persistence. Using strategic visual communication and conservation photography practices, the Faces of Chelonia (FOC) project aims to educate the public about this plight while advocating for initiatives to reduce these threats.

http://www.neileverosborne.com/portfolios/anambas/anambas.html

When I look in your eyes
I see the wisdom of the world in your eyes
I see the sadness of a thousand goodbyes
When I look in your eyes.

And it is no surprise
To see the softness of the moon in your eyes
The gentle sparkle of the stars in the skies
When I look in your eyes.

In your eyes I see the deepness of the sea
I see the deepness of the love
The love I feel you feel for me.

Autumn comes, summer dies
I see the passing of the years in your eyes
And when we part they’ll be no tears, no goodbyes
I’ll just look into your eyes.

Those eyes …
So wise, so warm, so real
How I love the world your eyes reveal.*

"When I Look In Your Eyes" from Dr. Doolittle
Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse

*Original Lyric:
"Isn't it a pity you're a seal?" 
Dr. Doolittle sings goodbye to Sophie the seal.