Chasing Dreams: From Journalism to Conservation Filmmaking
I’ve been asked countless times how I became a full-time conservation filmmaker. So I thought I’d share the story of my path. Warning: It has a few twists and turns. But hey, I think most stories of achieving dreams do.
As a child, I was captivated by the natural world. It started in public school with insects, birds, salamanders, and DeKay snakes. I spent countless hours exploring local woods, fascinated by the trees and animals around me. I would take photographs too with an old Kodak film camera that my Dad gave me. When I graduated from high school my dream was clear: I wanted to become a wildlife technician, to immerse myself in nature and contribute to its conservation. There was an immediate obstacle though: The college that I applied to had so many applicants that I ended up on a wait list.
Life often takes unexpected turns. Frustrated by a wait list, I swerved to journalism school. Looking back it may have seemed odd but now it doesn’t. As a teen I literally devoured nature documentaries, National Geographic, Canadian Geographic, and loved doing my own nature storytelling every time I returned from a visit to the woods. In hindsight, it made sense that journalism would be of interest. The thrill of uncovering stories and the fast-paced environment of a newsroom pulled me in, and before I knew it, years had passed. Despite my success, a part of me always yearned for the wild, untouched places I had once dreamed of working in.
Then, one day, it hit me: I had strayed too far from my true passion. As a journalist, the stories I most enjoyed were those about environmental issues, wildlife conservation, and the beauty of the natural world. But they never amounted to 100% of the work as a journalist and editor. It was then that I made a bold decision in 2010: I would leave journalism and pursue my childhood dream of working in conservation.
This wasn’t just a career shift; it was a life-altering decision. The new work started slowly. I dwelled on ‘wasted’ years spent in journalism when I should’ve found ways to stick to chasing my original career goal of working in conservation.
In the beginning of being a solo entrepreneur I did guest speaking and keynote gigs talking about the power of stories, social media, and marketing for conservation. I dabbled in some video work, here and there too, with my Nikon photo camera doubling as a video camera. The video work was mostly one-offs for small businesses. Everything changed when I invested in professional filmmaking equipment, networked with my contacts in conservation, and began using my deep experience in storytelling to document conservation efforts. Word of mouth accelerated in conservation circles that I was pursuing more focused narrative filming work for conservation.
As each year passed, I worked hard, very hard, to get better at the craft of videography. Even though I never attended film school I knew I still held a big advantage over those who did. I was about more than holding a camera, focusing and pressing record. My self-taught filmmaking skills were combined with my deep skills in award-winning storytelling, and my life-long passion and knowledge of nature. I knew could bring the wonders of the wild to others, inspiring them to appreciate and protect our natural world.
Today, I am a full-time conservation filmmaker with a decade of experience behind the lens. Each day, I wake up excited to document new stories, knowing that my work contributes to the greater good of conservation.
Switching careers was daunting, but it was the best decision I ever made. I am finally living my dream, making a difference in the world. If there’s one lesson I’ve learned, it’s that it’s never too late to pursue your true passion. Embrace the journey, no matter how winding the path may be. And don’t regret your past career swerves, no matter how hard that seems, if there’s something learned that helped you get to where you are today.
My tagline is A True Conservation Partner In Your Conservation Storytelling.
It has become an incredible journey with conservation partner organizations who share the vision of turning their conservation efforts into success stories for audiences to see and become inspired to take actions too for the environment.
- Filming Sea Lamprey Work With Fisheries and Oceans Canada - September 24, 2024
- Filming Invasive Phragmites Removal in Marshlands - September 16, 2024
- No Film School: How Years as a Journalist Helped Me Become A Filmmaking Storyteller - August 26, 2024
