March 7, 2008
Fashion Photographer Nigel Barker Named Spokesperson for Humane Society of the U.S. Protect Seals Campaign
By David M. Kinchen
Editor, Huntingtonnews.net
Born in the United Kingdom in 1972, Nigel Barker is best known as a Manhattan-based fashion photographer and as a judge on Tyra Banks' "America's Next Top Model" reality show on the CW TV network.
He's also the new spokesperson for the Protect Seals campaign for The Humane Society of the United States.
He told HNN: "I grew up an animal lover in a nation of animal lovers -- the United Kingdom -- and have been aware of the seal hunt since I was a child, which I have always felt badly about. As a teen my ambitions were to become a zoologist, oceanographer or marine biologist but I was pushed into taking medicine -- as it turned out I became a fashion photographer! So, when I was approached by Dr. John Grandy from the HSUS and asked if I could help I jumped at the opportunity. Our idea was to use my ability as a photographer to celebrate these wonderful animals in their stunning Canadian landscape and to help highlight what an amazing opportunity the Newfoundland area has an eco-tourism destination similar to the whale watching business that has become a multi-million dollar industry for the country. We planned to photograph the new born, white coat, seal pups and their mothers on the ice floes in a celebration of life and the awe inspiring icy landscape where they are born. We also planned to go up for the hunt two weeks after the first trip. I feel it is important to witness the hunt first hand on the ice and document with my team for the world to see what is happening and how the “sealers” conduct themselves."
He added: "Personally, I feel -- despite whatever economic or scientific data there is to support the hunt -- the methods employed by the hunters are inhumane in regards to the slaughter of the seals and dehumanizing for the sealers no matter which way you cut it."
Barker said: “Witnessing hundreds of thousands of Harp seals with their beautiful white coat pups in this awe inspiring frozen landscape is enough to take even the most seasoned photo journalist’s breath away. Of course the thought of the impending slaughter with the use of clubs, sharp spikes and guns in only a few weeks time shatters what should be a celebration of life and promise and instead fills you with dread and remorse for the inhumane way we treat our fellow animals.”
“I hope to raise awareness in the youth of today with graphic images of both the joy and desperation from the largest mammalian birthing site and consequent killing fields on Earth. This sort of behavior cannot and will not be tolerated by the youth of today and I intend to do something about it,” Barker continued.
Barker said he will photograph harp seal pups, also known as whitecoats, while on the ice floes for two days. "It's imperative for me to go up there and to actually see what's happening," Barker said.
"As a human race, we need to act with a little bit more dignity and heart and not just think of things as scientific quotas and what's sustainable and what's not," he added.
Barker said he is aware that the hunting of whitecoats is illegal -- it was outlawed by Canada in 1987 -- but said he's taking pictures of them to highlight what could be a lucrative ecotourism business as an alternative industry to the hunt.
"I'm going to go up there ... and hopefully do some sort of free advertising for the Canadian tourist board to actually bring people out who want to see this," he said.
“I hope my photos will encourage ecotourism to the region and prove once and for all that the color of ice should be white, not red,” Nigel added.
Special thanks to Rebecca Sommer for putting HNN in touch with Nigel Barker, whose photographs accompany this article.--DMK
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Fashion Photographer Nigel Barker Named Spokesperson for Humane Society of the U.S. Protect Seals Campaign
By David M. Kinchen
Editor, Huntingtonnews.net
Born in the United Kingdom in 1972, Nigel Barker is best known as a Manhattan-based fashion photographer and as a judge on Tyra Banks' "America's Next Top Model" reality show on the CW TV network.
He's also the new spokesperson for the Protect Seals campaign for The Humane Society of the United States.
He told HNN: "I grew up an animal lover in a nation of animal lovers -- the United Kingdom -- and have been aware of the seal hunt since I was a child, which I have always felt badly about. As a teen my ambitions were to become a zoologist, oceanographer or marine biologist but I was pushed into taking medicine -- as it turned out I became a fashion photographer! So, when I was approached by Dr. John Grandy from the HSUS and asked if I could help I jumped at the opportunity. Our idea was to use my ability as a photographer to celebrate these wonderful animals in their stunning Canadian landscape and to help highlight what an amazing opportunity the Newfoundland area has an eco-tourism destination similar to the whale watching business that has become a multi-million dollar industry for the country. We planned to photograph the new born, white coat, seal pups and their mothers on the ice floes in a celebration of life and the awe inspiring icy landscape where they are born. We also planned to go up for the hunt two weeks after the first trip. I feel it is important to witness the hunt first hand on the ice and document with my team for the world to see what is happening and how the “sealers” conduct themselves."
He added: "Personally, I feel -- despite whatever economic or scientific data there is to support the hunt -- the methods employed by the hunters are inhumane in regards to the slaughter of the seals and dehumanizing for the sealers no matter which way you cut it."
Barker said: “Witnessing hundreds of thousands of Harp seals with their beautiful white coat pups in this awe inspiring frozen landscape is enough to take even the most seasoned photo journalist’s breath away. Of course the thought of the impending slaughter with the use of clubs, sharp spikes and guns in only a few weeks time shatters what should be a celebration of life and promise and instead fills you with dread and remorse for the inhumane way we treat our fellow animals.”
“I hope to raise awareness in the youth of today with graphic images of both the joy and desperation from the largest mammalian birthing site and consequent killing fields on Earth. This sort of behavior cannot and will not be tolerated by the youth of today and I intend to do something about it,” Barker continued.
Barker said he will photograph harp seal pups, also known as whitecoats, while on the ice floes for two days. "It's imperative for me to go up there and to actually see what's happening," Barker said.
"As a human race, we need to act with a little bit more dignity and heart and not just think of things as scientific quotas and what's sustainable and what's not," he added.
Barker said he is aware that the hunting of whitecoats is illegal -- it was outlawed by Canada in 1987 -- but said he's taking pictures of them to highlight what could be a lucrative ecotourism business as an alternative industry to the hunt.
"I'm going to go up there ... and hopefully do some sort of free advertising for the Canadian tourist board to actually bring people out who want to see this," he said.
“I hope my photos will encourage ecotourism to the region and prove once and for all that the color of ice should be white, not red,” Nigel added.
Special thanks to Rebecca Sommer for putting HNN in touch with Nigel Barker, whose photographs accompany this article.--DMK
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