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About us
As a documentary team, we have been telling stories that connect people and nature through photography, field audio and writing for almost a decade. Our personal project, Facing Climate Change, documents communities around the world as they confront and adapt to the complex issues surrounding global warming.
Benjamin Drummond
Benj (b.1979) is a photographer, producer and designer. Originally trained as a geologist, he came to photography inspired by its power to motivate environmental and social change. Benj's work has appeared in National Geographic, Mother Jones, Orion and PDN and been exhibited at more than a dozen events and venues including the Houston Center for Photography and the Ansel Adams / Mumm Napa Fine Art Gallery. In 2009 he joined Aurora and GHG Photos and was selected as a Flash Forward emerging photographer by the Magenta Foundation. Benj graduated from Carleton College in 2002 and lives with Sara in Seattle, Washington.
Sara Joy Steele
From writing and research to collecting and editing audio, Sara (b.1978) shapes our stories. Since 2006 she and Benj have collaborated on their documentary project, Facing Climate Change. Other recent accomplishments include producing a multimedia story about a project that connects prisons with nature, introducing urban youth to audio journals and documentary storytelling, and curating Three Degrees: An exploration of Climate Change and Human Rights for a conference at the University of Washington School of Law. She graduated from Carleton College in 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts in Natural History, a self-designed major emphasizing the creative communication of sciences.
Exhibitions, Presentations, Publications & Press,
Awards and Workshops
Exhibitions
2010- Confluence Gallery, Twisp, WA
Nordic and wildfire work on display for Weathering Change. August-September. more » - SRG Gallery, Seattle, WA
Nordic work on display for the Living Future 2010 UnConference for the month of May. more »
- Nau SoHo, New York, NY
Reindeer and wildfire work on display in Nau's retail gallery. November. - Ansel Adams / Mumm Napa Fine Art Gallery, Napa, CA
Changing Earth: Photographer's Call to Action. A Blue Earth group show. September-March. more » - National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO
Three Degrees: An exploration of climate change and human rights. A GHG Photos group show curated by Sara. June-August. more » - UW School of Law, Seattle, WA
Three Degrees: An exploration of climate change and human rights. A GHG Photos group show curated by Sara. May-June and September-December. more » - Houston Center for Photography, Houston, TX
Human Nature group show. April-May. more » - Henry Gregg Gallery, New York, NY
Visualizing Climate Change. A GHG Photos group show. May-July. more » - Smith & Vallee Gallery, Edison, WA
Confluence: Artists of North Cascades Institute. February-March. more » - Centennial Center Gallery, Kent, WA
From Antarctica to the Amazon: Blue Earth Photographers Document Global Climate Change. Curated by Sara. November 2008-January 2009. more »
- Climate Action Team Meeting, Renton, WA
Nordic prints exhibited at the Spirit of Washington Event Center for October meeting. more » - Greendrinks 5-year Anniversary Celebration, Seattle, WA
Nordic prints on display for event in June. - Seattle City Hall
Blue Earth Alliance group show. April-June. more » - Nordic Heritage Museum, Seattle, WA
Facing Climate Change: The Nordic Collection. An educational display. March-April. - Blue Earth Gallery, Seattle, WA
Nordic prints on display. December 2007-February 2008.
- Patagonia Seattle, Portland and Ventura
Facing Climate Change: The Nordic Collection. An educational display. Spring 2007. more » - Benaroya Hall, Seattle, WA
Facing Climate Change: The Nordic Collection. An educational display at Seattle Arts & Lectures event with Elizabeth Kolbert. December 2006. more »
Presentations
2009- Ansel Adams / Mumm Napa Fine Art Gallery, Napa, CA
Kick-of event for Blue Earth lecture series. more » - Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park, Seattle, WA
Presented Parks Climate Challenge story at closing ceremony. more » - Stafford and Cedar Creek Corrections Centers and WA State Department of Corrections headquarters
Connecting Prisons with Nature and work from Facing Climate Change. - RE Sources Sustainable Living Center, Bellingham, WA
Facing Climate Change multimedia. more » - University of Washington Henry Art Gallery, Seattle, WA
Presented as part of Blue Earth Lecture series. more » - Pacific University, Forest Grove, OR
Presented for National Teach-in on Global Warming. more »
- North Shore Country Day School, Winnetka, IL
Presented multimedia at K-12 all-school assembly and visited classrooms. - REI Seattle
Multimedia presentation followed by panel with local experts on climate change. more » - Olympic College, Bremerton, WA
Multimedia presentation for Earth Day. - University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Multimedia presentation for Focus the Nation. more »
- Portland Natural Capital Center, Portland, OR
Multimedia presentation hosted by Patagonia.
Publications & Press
2010- Rosebud Magazine, June
"Jailhouse to Greenhouse" - Mother Jones, January/February
"The Green Mile: Can turning prisons into hothouses of sustainability pay off for everyone?" more »
- National Geographic, November
"Ahoy, Reindeer" more » - Nature Conservancy Magazine, Winter
"Green Rehab: Inmates Fuel a Prairie's Restoration" more » - Photo District News, September
"Photographers making a difference" feature. more » - High Country News, September 14
"Living on Glacial Time" feature with "Parks Climate Challenge" multimedia. more » - Grist Magazine, August
Special series on art and climate change and "Joe King of Fire Suppression" multimedia. more » - Austin Center for Photography Blog
Q&A about Facing Climate Change. more »
- Mother Jones, November/December
Out front: "Dash Away All." more » - Meet the Planet, October
Radio interview about Facing Climate Change. more » - Mother Jones, July/August
Out front: "Fan Club." more » - Orion, July/August
"Uncertain Future." Feature on climate change and Sámi reindeer herdsmen. more »
- American Photo, September/October
"Assignment Earth"
Awards
- Nau Grant for Change, $10,000 grant more »
- Eddie Adams Barnstorm XXII, Orange Team 2009 more »
- Magenta Foundation Flash Forward Emerging Photographer, 2009 more »
- Blue Earth Alliance Lottery Project Grant, 2008 more »
- Our World Portfolio Review Orion/PhotoAlliance Award, 2008 more »
- Blue Earth Alliance project sponsorship, 2007 more »
Workshops
- North Cascades Institute seminars and retreats:
- Will Write for Change: Communication Tools and Techniques for Activists, October 2009
- Digital Outdoor Photography: Capturing the Cascades, September 2009
- Nature Photography Retreat: High Country in Autumn, September 2008
- Digital Outdoor Photography: Springtime in the Skagit Valley, April 2008
- Wildlife, People and the Land: The Art of Nature Photography, September 2007