For the last 30 years, photographer, conservationist and humanitarian Cristina Mittermeier has traveled all over the world to document nature, the beauty of wildlife and the power of the ocean, as well as the wisdom of indigenous people. For the Sony Artisan, the past few years have been challenging because of the bad news regarding what’s happening to our planet. Instead of falling victim to the pessimistic thoughts, she instead decided to do something about it. “I started thinking deeply about how to pull myself into a better place, where we can still feel optimistic and hopeful.” She came up with an idea to help spread optimism and build community by creating a book, “HOPE,” with all of the images she’s taken that still give her hope. Watch the video below to learn more about the project and how you can be part of it.
“I started thinking about all the people that I know,” Mittermeier explains. “The enormous community around the world that’s fighting for solutions and the incredible humanity of the people that I have photographed over so many years of traveling. Their wisdom, their optimism, the integrity of their purpose on this planet. It occurred to me that doing a book about these people and the things that still give me hope, would be a wonderful way to contribute to society today.”
She realized that everyone could really use this dose of hope, and for her, it’s not just a word. It’s real empowerment and real agency, that inspires people to take action. “The way that we wanted to do it was not just publish a book, but really to build a community, a community that’s empowered and hopeful and that together we can find the optimism and the energy that’s necessary to continue fighting for a beautiful planet.”
Learn more about the project and how to support it HERE.
