Conservation photography: evaluating the impact of photographic images in conveying conservation related messages

Abstract

Species extinction and environmental threats continue to be a concern for conservation scientists. A limitation to reaching conservation targets is the challenge in communicating scientific findings to the general public. Conservation photography is increasingly acknowledged by both scientists and conservationists as an effective tool in communicating biodiversity losses and environmental concerns. This study explored the impact of photographic images in delivering conservation messaging on a purposely selected sample group and tested if demographics played a role in image interpretation. The study found that photos of charismatic animals did not rank high in delivering effective conservation messages. Respondents chose images that contained graphic content, with “shock value” as having the strongest conservation messages. This contradicted general expectations. The study also found that 50 % of the images used in the study showed statistical significance in the manner in which they were interpreted by Black and White respondents, suggesting that demographics played a role in image interpretation. Both these findings have important implications for conservation communication.