TNC VOLUNTEERS

There is joy, buoyancy, and authenticity to Jennifer Emerling’s photographs. She gravitates towards celebrating and uplifting the quirky individuality in her subjects. When Nature Conservancy magazine wanted to create an article that celebrated a few of the 75,000 volunteers around the globe, I felt that Jennifer was a natural fit for this story. She traveled to four different spots, spending only a few days with each location, but captured the beating heart of our organization through the reverance and humor that comes through in her work.

“Working with Rolaine Ossman should be a dream on every photographer’s editorial bucket list. I was lucky enough to be hired by her for a feature story on The Nature Conservancy’s network of volunteers and, to this day, it was one of the best magazine experiences I’ve ever had. As a photo editor, Rolaine’s communication skills are unparalleled — not only is she incredibly organized and calm, but I so appreciated her offering me a bounty of support while I was out in the field, yet also staying keenly aware to when I just needed to do my thing as an artist. As a photographer, having her as my cheerleader back in the office gave me a boost confidence in my abilities, echoed further by her feedback upon receiving the final images in which she was always fair-minded and thoughtful, encouraging me to be better while still celebrating my strengths. When I had doubts or concerns, she was a crucial sounding board that helped me work through any problems. She is a hands-on editor in all the best ways — you can tell she really CARES about the success of the story and the success of the photographer, and that goes a long way in my world. Her bottomless well of empathy and kindness makes you feel truly seen in a way that is so needed in the creative world, and I sincerely hope more photographers get to work with her at least once in their career.” –Jennifer Emerling

(All photos on this page ©Jennifer Emerling and used with permission by the photographer.)

Nature Conservancy magazine article