For We Animals’s 4th anniversary, we’re celebrating 100 contributing photographers from around the globe.
Twenty five years ago, Jo-Anne McArthur took a photo in Ecuador of a capuchin monkey who was tied to a windowsill by a short chain, trained to pick-pocket tourists amused at the animal’s behaviour. This photo was the beginning of animal photojournalism: revealing the experiences of animals who live among us but who we fail to see as individuals.
What began as one woman and her camera is now 100 photographers telling animal stories. These photographers venture into farms, slaughterhouses, laboratories, zoos, wet markets and natural disasters to hold governments and industries accountable. Their work challenges cultural norms and pushes us to do better all around the globe.
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To celebrate this milestone we’ve put together a selection of visuals, one from each of our contributors, to give you a sample of the incredible work they’re doing globally. These are challenging stories. They challenge us to look at where we fail animals and they challenge us to imagine a better world. These are also uplifting stories. Uplifting animals into our cultural fabric and uplifting us when we see them thrive. These are the 100 photographers bringing you animal stories.
“There is power in numbers, there is power in collaboration, there is power in telling these stories; and the more storytellers, the greater impact. People are finally beginning to consider the unseen, and we want to ensure these animal lives are documented in the most engaging, timely and effective ways possible. We Animals is that lens.” — Jo-Anne McArthur, We Animals Founder
“Every place, every animal and every human attached to a situation brings new and complex layers that must be peeled away with thought and consideration. Pushing myself to create images that spark conversation is always at the forefront of my mind when documenting.” — Molly Condit
“The beauty of the natural world is what makes us so interested in documenting it and to experience it. But there is the other side of the coin as well, which needs to be amplified. And it is high time to highlight the destruction and demolition of natural resources. We aren’t living in silos separated from one another.” — S. Chakrabarti
“From early on, I started to take care of my choice of shots and lights. Shadows play a fundamental role in my photos. I believe that today we no longer need documentary images but photographs capable of involving viewers in the scene, giving back to the public the drama that animals have experienced.” — Stefano Belacchi
“Animal photojournalism is to look closely at the lives of animals and record images in order to raise and create awareness in people against legal and normalized animal exploitation all over the world. Through the photographs I have created in this field, I want to remind through an empathetic encounter the forgotten bond between animals and humans as they become adults.” — Deniz Tapkan Cengiz
“As a documentary photographer, I don’t interfere in the scene and mostly try to shoot from the animals’ point of view. There is often little time and a lot of stress involved in the photography, but I compose in such a way that the atmosphere of the place or the victim is transferred to the viewer and the emotions are felt.” — Lukas Vincour
“I normally set aside my emotions and focus on the assignment, however, when I have to go through all of the footage that I shot, it’s heartbreaking.” ― Napat Wesshasartar
“To my fellow photographers, we have a very powerful tool in our hands and knowledge with which we could make great changes. Photography lasts through time and at this moment we are showing the current reality and later it will also be part of history.” — Gabriela Penela
View more work from our network of photographers via the We Animals stock platform, which offers 30,000+ free visuals for changemakers.