Photography News 91

Interview “I wrote a letter to SirDavid Attenborough, promisingmy target would be to raise one millionpounds”

for a common cause so close to their hearts has been brilliant. The calibre of photographers who supported us – from Art Wolfe to Frans Lanting, Greg du Toit to Jonathan and Angela Scott – was beyond my wildest expectations. Photographers now come to me to offer their images, which brings its own set of challenges. We have so many incredible options to choose from, but only so many slots in the books. This kind of collaboration between wildlife photographers is something we’re seeing more and more, which is wonderful. I like to

think it has been inspired in some small part by our series. You’ve managed to get backing from some of the world’s biggest celebrities – how has that helped? MR: The support we’ve seen from the likes of Michelle Pfeiffer, Pierce Brosnan, Chris Martin, Ricky Gervais and Russell Crowe, to name a few, has been amazing. Their endorsement helps take our message to a much wider audience than we ever thought possible. What’s wonderful is that, when people discover one of our

books, they often retro-buy the whole set, helping us raise even more. I am forever grateful to everyone who has supported us – in particular, the very special friends who make our celebrity work the success that it is. Why pick African wild dogs? MR: It’s a fascinating species, not as well-known as other animals, but still deserving of help. It’s our duty at Remembering Wildlife to tell their story. They are the second-most endangered carnivore in Africa, and populations have declined due to loss of – or ever-decreasing – habitat, conflict with humans protecting their livestock, susceptibility to disease, bushmeat snares, and predators such as lions. In addition, with the pandemic still reducing travel to many places in Africa that rely on tourist dollars to fund conservation, it’s more important than ever for organisations such as ours to step up and plug the gaps. What did you do for the book launch last year? MR: Normally our launch events are in-person, with many photographers flying in to attend. Last year, Covid-19 forced us to move it online, but we put a lot of thought into how to make it special. We had presentations from photographers Frans Lanting and Chris Eckstrom in California; Jonathan and Angela Scott in Kenya; Dr Laurie Marker, founder of the Cheetah Conservation Fund, in Namibia; and myself in London. Despite our disappointment at not holding a physical event, the online launch meant fans from all over the

world were able to tune in. In normal circumstances, they would not all have been able to attend. Is an exhibition and launch planned for this year? MR: For the first four books, coinciding with each launch event, we ran an exhibition of the prints at a gallery in London. Last year, we held our first virtual, 3D online exhibition. Again, it meant people were able to view the images from the book anywhere in the world, order prints or bid in the online auction. It was a great opportunity to showcase the stunning images on a global platform. This year, we hope to meet face-to- face for a book launch and exhibition at the Royal Geographical Society (our provisional date is 11 November), but a decision will be made nearer the time. We will take lessons from the previous book and ensure there is a virtual exhibition and launch regardless, as so many overseas supporters reported their delight at taking part for the first time last year. What’s next? MR: At this point in the cycle, with this year’s book still to launch, I honestly don’t know. When I decided to make a series after the success of Remembering Elephants in 2016, I wrote a letter to Sir David Attenborough, saying how he’d inspired our name, and promising my target would be to raise one million UK pounds for conservation. Five years later, with the number now in our sights, I have to keep going until we’ve at least hit that milestone. Can’t break a promise to my idol!

NATURE LOVING From cheetahs (above left) to gorillas (left), the Remembering Wildlife series is making a huge difference to many animal species

Contact To read more about

Remembering Wildlife and its work, check out the website. There is also the chance to buy previous books, including some limited editions, and pre- order Remembering African Wild Dogs (£45 plus delivery), which will be shipped from 6 November 2021 onwards, when it’s officially released. rememberingwildlife.com

Photography News | Issue 91

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