Into the Unknown with Lauren Todd
With a PhD in molecular biology, Lauren Todd hails from Muskoka, Ontario and has a passion for wildlife that runs through all aspects of her life. As an artist, Lauren photographs everything from the stunning beauty of sun-kissed foxes to the quaint cuteness of common squirrels. As a professional, she has studied how frog immune systems fight environmental pathogens and explored the many facets of scientific communication. As a volunteer, Lauren works with wildlife sanctuaries to rehabilitate animals and donates both prints, and the proceeds from her photography sales, to support conservation. Join Lauren as she hikes Into the Unknown and shares how art and conservation bring awareness to creatures great and small.
Photo Credit: Lauren Todd
From biology to wildlife photography, your career has been a declaration of your love for wildlife. How does photography allow you to express your passion for wildlife in a way that science cannot? How do art and science build upon one another to better support wildlife?
I view both art and science as being about storytelling. While I was a research scientist, I spent my time attempting to piece together and tell the story of how frog immune systems defend against pathogens and how pathogens have evolved to overcome these defense systems. While my research helps further our understanding of the host-pathogen interaction in amphibian species, and may someday play a small role in informing amphibian conservation efforts, what reach or impact have my research papers had outside of the scientific community? I think that’s where art comes in. Through my photography, I’ve been able to capture the attention of widespread audiences and share stories of science and conservation in a manner that is more broadly accessible and captivating. I think people are generally more receptive to learning about nitty-gritty biology when they already feel a connection with the species in question, and art tends to spark that connection.
Photo Credit: Lauren Todd
You use both your photography and time to contribute to the well-being of wildlife through donations and volunteerism. How do your experiences with conservation and rehabilitation influence you as an ethical wildlife photographer?
Through my experience with various conservation efforts and volunteering at several wildlife rehabilitation centers, I have become acutely aware of the impacts that humans have on the wild species that we share our planet with – many of which are unfortunately negative. From waterfowl getting tangled in fishing line or snagged by fishing hooks and songbirds striking windows of high-rises to foxes being hit by cars and owls experiencing secondary rodenticide poisoning, I have seen the damage we, as humans, inflict daily on animals that deserve to live and thrive just as much as we do.
Witnessing so much of this damage first-hand has had a strong influence on my practices as an ethical wildlife photographer. I always keep the animal’s best interest in mind when I’m out shooting – no shot is ever worth compromising an animal’s well-being. I could never live with myself if an action I took while taking a photo landed an animal in rehab (or worse). Some key ethical principles I follow while out shooting include:
Photo Credit: Lauren Todd
Never feeding/baiting. Feeding animals often does more harm than good. For example, feeding foxes from your car teaches them that cars equal food. This means they will come to cars in search of food, putting their lives at risk on our roadways.
Respecting their space. I shoot with a very long lens and often crop my shots even further to help me achieve the shots I want while keeping an appropriate distance between me and my subject. Getting too close to wildlife can stress them out even to the point of stress-induced death. Staying at a safe distance also ensures that I remain safe!
Avoiding environmental manipulation. All wildlife photographers have been in a situation where a branch is blocking part of the animal they are trying to photograph. That’s just the reality of photographing wild animals – they live in the unmanicured wild after all. But that branch that’s in front of the owl’s nest cavity is there for a reason – the owl likely chose this nest site because the branch provides the privacy needed to safely raise its chicks. Removing that branch puts the next generation of owls at risk of predation. I’d much rather get creative with my composition or remove a twig while editing my shot if needed.
While you do have some repeat stars, like the ravens you photograph, your photography encompasses a wide range of animal species. Why is it important for you to photograph a variety of species as both an artist and a scientist?
I will photograph any and all wild species that I cross paths with. While some days that may be a majestic fox up in Algonquin Provincial Park, other days it may be a red squirrel in my own backyard. It’s important to me to capture the diversity of our wild species – from large and impressive predatory species to smaller ones that are often overlooked or taken for granted. As an artist, I strive to capture the beauty and uniqueness of all species and have my audience captivated by species they never would have expected to be (yes, I’m talking to all the snake haters!). As a scientist, I feel it’s important to raise awareness of conservation issues faced by any species, no matter how small or unpopular. Sure, we are all aware of the devastating effects of climate change on polar bears. And don’t get me wrong, it’s an immensely important conservation topic. But how aware is the general public about the catastrophic global declines in frog populations? I leverage my photography to raise awareness of the threats faced by any species I possibly can – whether that be through conservation photography campaigns with the Canadian Conservation Photographers Collective or something as simple as including fun facts in the captions of my Instagram posts.
Photo Credits: Lauren Todd
Looking at this specific photograph, how did you translate your own awe and curiosity into an image that captures the hearts and minds of your viewers?
A couple years ago, I came across this mama hooded merganser and her three young ones in a small pond. They were floating about, and every so often would take a break and rest on this log. While on the log, they would shake the water off their feathers, preen themselves, play with each other, take a quick nap, and sometimes even slide off the log while fast asleep. Then back into the water they went, before heading back to the log. After watching a few cycles of this behaviour, I decided I wanted to capture them all lined up on the log, as the scene was just so picturesque. I spent a few hours watching and photographing their routine. I tried my hardest to capture a split second in time where all members of the family were “presentable” – I felt the perpetual struggle family portrait photographers must feel daily! In every shot, one family member was not cooperating. Either mama was preening herself, siblings were play-biting one another, one of the young ones was camera shy, or somebody was falling off the log. After a few hours, I wasn’t sure I captured my intended shot. But when going through my photos at home, I found a SINGLE photo out of over 300 shots where every single family member cooperated and gave me the most perfect family photo. This photo is one of my bestselling prints and always elicits such a warm response. People seem to really connect with this one, and I think it’s because they can see their own family in this shot and the story behind it. In any family, there’s always pockets of chaos here and there, but family is all about sticking together through it all!
Photo Credit: Lauren Todd
As a science communicator and wildlife photographer, how does selling your work at markets help spread the message of wildlife conservation?
As a wildlife photographer, being a vendor at local art markets is a great way to interact with your community. Everyone has a story to share about a wildlife encounter that they’ve had – I love listening to everyone’s stories and also sharing my own! Whenever someone is eyeing one of my prints, I always try to strike up a conversation about the species in the photograph. For example, at my last market, someone was checking out my print of a Blanding’s turtle. I started telling them about how Blanding’s turtles are an endangered species with only ~25,000 adults in their Great Lakes population (Ontario-Quebec), and how excited I was to find the one in the photograph on my own property! Sometimes these types of conservation-focused conversations turn into sales, but what’s more important is that the shopper almost always leaves my booth with a new piece of scientific/conservation information or newfound excitement about a certain species.
Photo Credits: Lauren Todd
A huge thank you to Lauren for taking the time to share her thoughts and photography with The Dusty Unknown. If you want to see more of Lauren’s incredible work, or learn more about the causes she supports, head over to her Instagram, website, or Facebook page.
