Starting this weekend, the photographs in Whatcom Museum’s Lightcatcher gallery will bring visitors face to face with a menagerie of awe-inspiring wildlife. Species range from snow leopards to gray whales, giant pandas and gelada monkeys, each documented with care by iconic National Geographic photographers.
But this exhibition does more than just showcase animals. It also underlines the importance of conservation efforts, environmentalism and respect for the natural world.
National Geographic’s “Greatest Wildlife Photographs” opens Saturday, March 9 and runs through Sept. 8. Curated by esteemed picture editor Kathy Moran, this “celebratory look at wildlife” consists of more than 70 3.5-foot-wide prints by National Geographic photographers including Michael “Nick” Nichols, Steve Winter, Beverly Joubert and more.
Prior to Bellingham, the exhibit traveled to Washington D.C., San Diego, Wyoming and even Australia. Whatcom Museum is the only location in the Pacific Northwest to feature the show.
“It’s one of those exhibitions that I think the youngest will understand and enjoy, [as well as] people who want to really dig deep and dive into it,” Chaloupka said. “There’s QR codes that can lead you to other infographics and information. There’s so much in the way of different levels of engagement and depth for the show.”
In addition to showcasing the natural world, “Greatest Wildlife Photographs” is a testament to the evolution of wildlife photography as an art and science. Most photographs date from the past 30 years, but images from National Geographic’s earliest days are also included. In the 115 years since the magazine’s inception, techniques such as remote imaging, underwater photography and camera traps have allowed photographers to observe and document new behaviors from animals in their natural habitat.
The exhibition also positions nature photographers as active and transparent storytellers, not just observers. Many prints feature embedded texts from these photographers, providing further context for how the image was made. There are even six behind-the-scenes videos interspersed throughout the gallery.
These added interactive elements invite audiences to engage more deeply with environmentalism activism — and not just within the walls of the museum. As visitors walk through the gallery, Chaloupka said there are calls to action to “not just be silent witnesses to what we’re seeing.”
“These photographs really do change minds, and they really do bring people to a closer understanding of the intelligence of animals, the need to protect these wild spaces,” she continued.
One of the exhibition’s photographers, Ronan Donovan, described his work as “[putting] heartbeats to data points.” Donovan has a background in biology but chose to pursue photography and videography full-time out of a desire to amplify scientific work to make a greater impact. He approaches his work through a scientific lens, applying photography to issues that might otherwise seem abstract, cerebral or distant.
“The core of the work that I do is not just to create pretty pictures; that’s kind of just half of it to draw people in,” Donovan said. “The real effort and change for me is when people feel moved to action when they see the images of the stories that I work on.”
Donovan’s projects shed light on issues ranging from the persecution of wolves in Yellowstone to the effects of deforestation on chimpanzees in Uganda. He’ll be speaking about this work, among other projects, as part of the National Geographic live speaker series at Mount Baker Theatre on Friday, May 24.
The Mount Baker Theatre event is among several ways to engage with the exhibition. Whatcom Museum is also hosting a community exhibition called “Get the Shot,” which showcases Pacific Northwestern nature photography. All entries will be shown on digital displays in the Lightcatcher building, just outside the “Greatest Wildlife Photographs” gallery.
Fun fact: This is actually the second National Geographic exhibition to be hosted by the museum. The 2016 show, “50 Greatest Photographs,” saw the highest attendance Whatcom Museum has ever seen — and Chaloupka anticipates similar buzz.
“We wanted it to be up through the summer so people can come bring their friends the next time,” she said. “I think it’s a perfect opportunity for people to kickstart a membership, so that they can really take advantage of repeat visits for a show like this.”
“Greatest Wildlife Photographs” runs March 9 to Sept. 8 at Whatcom Museum’s Lightcatcher building (250 Flora St.), with a member preview from 5–7 p.m. on Friday, March 8. Info: whatcommuseum.org.
Cocoa Laney is CDN’s lifestyle editor; reach her at cocoalaney@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 128.
