Photography is an art form, but it can also be a powerful vehicle for social change. With the stability of our global food supply threatened by the startling collapse of bee colonies, one photographer is using his work to raise awareness of their plight and the consequences of neglecting it.
Tuesday May 20th, has been designated by the United Nations (UN) as World Bee Day, as part of an initiative to raise awareness of the essential role that these little pollinators play in sustaining our global food supply.
As the UN report notes:
Pollinators are increasingly threatened by habitat loss, unsustainable agricultural practices, climate change and pollution. Their decline jeopardizes food production, increases costs and exacerbates food insecurity, particularly for rural communities. Pollination is essential for agrifood systems, supporting the production of more than 75 percent of the world's crops, including fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
In support of World Bee Day, renowned UK travel and adventure photographer Andrew Newey, in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), will be donating to this cause the proceeds from the sale of prints of some of his remarkable images. These limited-edition fine art prints will be drawn from his world-renowned “Honey Hunters of Nepal” photo collection, some of which are featured in this article. Andrew will be generously donating 100% of the proceeds from this print sale to the WWF “to support the increasingly vital work that they do to raise awareness about how people depend on bees for survival.”
“Honey Hunters of Nepal” is one of Newey’s most acclaimed projects. It features the ancient tradition of honey hunting among the Gurung people in the Himalayan foothills. Newey’s stunning and award-winning photographs vividly capture the element of danger that is ever present as these brave mountain people risk their lives to harvest honey from the world’s largest honeybee.
Newey has won major international awards, including Travel Photographer of the Year, Food Photographer of the Year, International Photography Awards (IPA), and Siena International Photography Awards (SIPA). As an adventure photographer who has traveled to some of the most incredible locations around the world, ecology and conservation causes have a particular importance for him.
I am delighted to be supporting the WWF to aid them in their fight to protect a species that we all depend on so immensely. Bees are crucial to the survival of our ecosystems, and the work that is being done to protect them is incredible. My hope is that through my visual storytelling, people can understand the history behind this collection, as well as the beauty of biodiversity and the need for conservation.
The sale of Newey’s fine art prints will start on World Bee Day — May 20 — and run for three weeks. May also happens to be National Photo Month—an annual event celebrating art, history, and the love for photography—so the timing of this print sale is doubly propitious.
As a beekeeper myself who runs a small apiary in Vermont and has witnessed firsthand the alarming collapse of bee colonies across rural America, this is a story that really resonates with me, and I can personally attest to the urgency of this cause.
All images © Andrew Newey | andrewnewey.com, used with permission.
