Lauren Owens Lambert is a conservation photographer, with a focus on documenting the human aspect of conservation and climate change. She has also presented work at the UN on the importance of visual storytelling with ocean science and data communication.
How did you get into photography?
I learned about environmental reporting on a student-run publication, The Planet, at Western Washington University. Then I worked as a photojournalist for the city’s Bellingham Herald. My mother passed on her love of photography and taught me a lot. But my career really launched when I was accepted by the International League of Conservation Photographers.
Which of your images is most important to you?
My image of saltmarsh sparrow researchers is colourful and bright. The bird is in the hand of a scientist in the foreground and in the background another scientist is recording information in the saltmarsh environment. Approaching stories with a human focus is my style, hopefully sparking curiosity in the viewer.
Do you have one unforgettable shoot?
The range rider story I did was a perfect combination of wildlife, agriculture and solutions-based journalism. It was my first professional story and we spent several days in the Cascades with cowboys and wolf biologists. We flew over the mountains, looked for wild wolves, went on a cattle drive and sat around the campfire listening to stories. I was doing what I always wanted.
What’s been your most memorable experience with wildlife?
I had two amazing moments at Padre Island in Texas with Kemp’s ridleys, the world’s smallest and most endangered sea turtle. First I photographed a female laying her eggs – such primal behaviour, feeling the earth thump as she patted down the sand over her eggs – and I was there when the eggs hatched at night. Seeing them push up through the sand and take their first swim was a full circle moment. I continue to document their life stories to this day.
Have you had any close calls?
I was documenting research on lobster populations in a future offshore wind turbine site. We had a 2am departure on a small lobster boat to get to the site by sunrise. The waves were several metres high and I was so sick. I got to know the boat’s ‘puke hole’ very well – but I still got the footage I needed!
Any epic fails to share?
On the saltmarsh sparrow project, I wanted to get a time-lapse of a nest with eggs flooding and the high tides only happen once a month at night. We worked for weeks planning it out. We set up the equipment and let it run but the tide just didn’t come up high enough. We ended up with nothing.
Which species is top of your bucket list?
I’d love to photograph sea otters and the kelp forest habitat in the Pacific Northwest. They’re one of my favourite animals and diving in the kelp would be beautiful. Another image I’ve been trying to make for years is an underwater split involving people and the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. It needs everything to line up – equipment, weather, people and lighting. I’ll get it some day.
What’s the greatest discomfort you’ve had to endure?
One time, making a film on Alpine lake environments, we had to climb vertical of 2,133m over a distance of 22km to get to the lake. I was young and in shape, but that hike with a backpack full of equipment was the hardest physical thing I’ve ever done.
Which kit would you not be without?
I would not go into the field without my small external flash and diffuser. Since my work typically focuses on people as well as wildlife, I work with a lot of subjects in close-up and it’s nice to have an off-camera flash to add pop and focus to images.
Any tips for budding photographers?
Time is a photographer’s best friend. These two quotes I made have inspired me: “If I do nothing, nothing will happen” and “If I do something, something will happen”. Even one thing that moves a project forward makes for a successful day. So, take your time and try to do one thing every day.
Discover more incredible wildlife stories
- “His eyes were fixed on mine. I tried to back away, but I was easy prey.” How one conservationist found himself surrounded in a Columbian cloudforest
- “The huge shadow of an irate black rhino emerged. My only option was to pretend to be a tree.”
- “I almost didn’t dare to breathe. Then, a pointy nose peered from around the trunk.”
- “A colossal crab the size of a car tyre was pushing against my door”