Jan 2023—Camera and a Shark
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I was in the Mexican Riviera taking a few weeks to relax and continue figuring out the next chapter life had in store for me. I was going on month three of sabbatical from my IT career and I was conflicted as ever about whether I had any passion left for my former industry, or if now was the time to pivot onto something new. I spent most of my days scuba diving and taking pictures/videos since those activities have been my sanctuary from the stresses of executive IT work for years. It was on one of those dive trips that I met a young lady from Florida who was involved in marine conservation efforts. Let’s call her Jane.
Jane was a smart, articulate, and ambitious young woman who was working on her Masters in the marine sciences. As part of her capstone, she was donating her time to a small Florida-based conservation group who was working on creative and inexpensive ways to restore coral exponentially despite the negative effects of climate change on the reefs.
“This is great” I said. “I bet you are developing a huge following of donors and volunteers to make this happen. People should be excited!”
“I can’t get anyone to participate let alone donate” she replied.
I couldn’t believe the response. Florida is the mecca of scuba diving and fishing in the continental United States. People there are essentially born on the water and learn to swim while in the womb. If anyone has witnessed and understands the negative effects of the eroding marine ecosystem, it’s them.
She went on to explain that while there are many conservation groups based out of Florida, the landscape is chaos. There’s substantial lack of coordination between the entities, and despite the strong presence of ocean enthusiasts, there is no true connection between the public and the ongoing efforts to save the ocean, especially given the noise of everyday life.
And so, Camera and a Shark was born.
We're continuously asking ourselves why more people aren't helping save the marine ecosystem or making a greater impact—and that starts by reimagining how NGOs and marine conservation groups connect with the public.
Our contributors are scuba divers, free divers, and snorkelers who also enjoy capturing the beauty of the ocean through photo and video. We've all experienced similar bouts of astonishment, that in this age of internet and social media, organizations still struggle to develop strategic approaches towards connecting with the public.
We're not oblivious to the fact that the culprit often lies in that most of these organizations are hamstrung by tight budgets with no ability to hire the IT, media marketers, and other skills necessary to put together comprehensive campaigns. We believe fixing this starts by redefining a new business value to NGOs and marine conservation organizations; by finding new subtle ways to leverage information technology and social media platforms to make emotional and educated connections between citizens and the marine ecosystem. Photographers and videographers bring the ocean world to life. Sharing and reliving our experiences makes ocean life more meaningful and brings an aura of excitement that will motivate the public to do more.
Camera and a Shark: Bringing the ocean to life.
CaaS
