INTERVIEW

Ami

Vitale

ope is a difficult thing to hang

onto, especially in the life of a

photojournalist. Two decades

into her career, Ami Vitale has

witnessed many forms of human and animal

suffering, but she still believes photography

has the power to help change the world.

Since being present at the death of

Sudan, the world’s last Northern white

rhino, her work has focused on wildlife,

conservation and human-wildlife conflict.

A contract photographer for National

Geographic, Vitale’s commitment, often

working on stories over long periods, has led

to her winning five World Press Photo awards,

including First Prize for her 2018 story on the

community-run Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in

Kenya. After dodging explosions, sleeping in

mud huts, contracting malaria and wading

through floods, her recent series Panda Love

had her wearing a panda suit, scented with

panda urine and faeces. No pain, no gain...

Does photography for you always

need to have a purpose?

Absolutely. In the beginning, I was attracted

to the idea of exploration, a passport to see

the world, making beautiful images. After a

while, I realised that’s not what motivates me.

I believe the power of great photography is

to amplify other people’s voices; to inspire

people, to wake people up, to make us care

about one another and all living creatures.

It has this ability to transcend language

and make people feel something. The power

of the camera is like a superhero power.

Also, it feels a little exploitative if I’m just

doing this to make pretty pictures. I want it

to have impact and, ultimately, to give back

to the people who open up their lives to me.

You spend long periods with people

for your stories. How important is that

time for understanding a subject?

We often go out with a story already

written in our head, before we set foot

in a place. I think that’s dangerous. It’s

important to research and learn as much

as you can, but also to leave yourself open,

and let the people whose story you’re telling

dictate what the story should be from their

perspective, not what you think the story is.

You’ve spent a lot of time at the community-

run Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in Kenya.

Why were you so interested in that story?

When I first got engaged in northern

Kenya, it was really to tell the story

H

Great storytelling takes time and patience, yet

every moment matters for this photographer –

and our natural world. Interview by Graeme Green

132 DIGITAL CAMERA^ OCTOBER 2019 http://www.digitalcameraworld.com

Ami Vitale

Animal

photographer

Ami Vitale is an American

photojournalist and

documentary-maker.

She’s a contract

photographer for

National Geographic

and a Nikon Ambassador.

Ami has travelled to

more than 100 countries,

covering conflicts in

Kosovo, Kashmir,

Palestine and elsewhere,

as well as wildlife and

conservation stories.

She’s won five World

Press Photo awards,

including First Prize

for her 2018 National

Geographic story on the

community-run Reteti

Elephant Sanctuary.

Ami is a founding

member of Ripple Effect

Images, an organisation

of female photographers,

writers, filmmakers and

scientists working to

create stories about

the hardships women

in developing countries

face and the projects

that can help them.

Ami regularly gives talks

and lectures, and leads

workshops, including

upcoming 2020

workshops in the

Ecuadorian Amazon

Rainforest and Kenya.

Opposite page:

Panda at Wolong China

Conservation & Research

Center for the Giant

Panda, China.

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