Search
Art, Culture, Photography

Explore the World with Conor MacNeill

by
909

Conor MacNeill has been working as a photographer professionally for a relatively short amount of time now, but it hasn’t taken him long  to make a name for himself in the field, having amassed an impressive Instagram following and a series of clients, that include the BBC and National Geographic. Unlike many other travel photographers, Conor’s work doesn’t tend to feature particularly touristy locations, and looks to capture the more subtle locations in the countries he’s visited, bringing out their merits in his own style. We interviewed him about his travel experiences, work and background.

Tell us about your background. Have you always been a photographer? 

Conor MacNeill: My job for over a decade was as a front-end web developer; in fact, I still enjoying doing that today. Photography started as a hobby about six years ago and I really enjoyed it. It stems from a love of travelling and a desire to record my trips. I ended up being alright at it and a couple of years ago, after losing my job, I decided to become a full-time photographer.

unspecified PHOTO CREDIT: Conor MacNeill; IN PHOTO: Conor MacNeill

What is the daily routine of a travel photographer like? 

C.M.: I’m not too sure there is such a thing as a daily routine of a travel photographer. When I’m travelling for photography, I’ll tend to get up a couple of hours before sunrise, since I like to get there an hour before, and need to factor in the time it’ll take to drive or hike to a location. I’ll then spend a few hours shooting before heading back and getting breakfast. The rest of the morning and afternoon generally revolves around food and planning before heading to another location to shoot sunset. If the skies are clear at night, I’ll end up doing some astrophotography.

Related articles: “AMBROISE TÉZENAS ON THE EVOLUTION OF PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE DIGITAL AGE“

“RE-ESTABLISHING A CONNECTION: INTERVIEW WITH LAURENT BAHEUX“

Much of your work is of wide expansive landscapes. Are these your predetermined destinations when you travel, or do you just stumble across them?

C.M.: This is about 50/50. Sometimes I’ll see something amazing online and think I must travel there and put my own twist on that location. Sometimes I’ll pick a country and discover something beautiful when doing my research. Other times I’ll be exploring an area and find something I feel is worth photographing.

"Sunset behind Mingalazedi Pagoda, one of the many temples in Bagan, Myanmar." PHOTO CREDIT: Conor MacNeill

Your capturing of color in your photos is stunning. How do you do this so well, and what goes into development to get those results?

C.M.: Thank you very much! I spend a lot of time concentrating on colour. This is something I feel I have to get right and can spend hours just working on colour and contrast. I’ll start in Adobe Lightroom and tweak the HSL of the image until things are looking nearly right. Then I’ll move into Photoshop where I’ll often do many layers dedicated to certain colours or particular areas of the photograph. I’ll also use the NIK Software plugins to give me some extra control.

For a full mindmap behind this article with articles, videos, and documents see #photography

Do you travel alone? 

C.M.: I often travel alone, as it means I can stick with my own schedule and change plans on a whim. That said, I’ll sometimes travel with some of my good friends who are also photographers. We are all on the same wavelength and know the perils of traveling with a photographer, which include (but are not limited to) early starts, standing in one spot for hours while waiting for the light to change.

"The sun strikes the bright orange sand dunes behind the skeleton of dead tree in Deadvlei, Namibia." PHOTO CREDIT: Conor MacNeill

In your opinion what is your favorite photo? Was there a moment where you took it and without even looking at how it turned out thought “this is perfect”?

C.M.: It’s really hard to pick a favourite photo. It sometimes depends on what mood I’m in. One that I’m still fond of after many years is of a sunrise at Mount Bromo in Indonesia. I knew it was a nice scene, but it was only when I converted it to monochrome that it really capture me.

You’ve visited a pretty extensive list of countries. Which was your favorite to photograph, and why?

C.M.: I think I’ve done roughly 60 countries which makes picking a favourite one rather tricky! Iceland is always a top destination for photographers and I’m no exception: it’s stunning. I’m also a massive fan of Myanmar, especially Bagan. I’ve recently fallen in love with Japan, so I want to go back and explore it more.

Waterfall of Light-X2 PHOTO CREDIT: Conor MacNeill

Recommended reading: “ENJOY THE MOMENT WITH ALEX STROHL”

—
FEATURED IMAGES: NICOLE EDDY
EDITOR’S NOTE: THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED HERE BY IMPAKTER.COM COLUMNISTS ARE THEIR OWN, NOT THOSE OF IMPAKTER.COM.
0
Tags:
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
About the Author /

James is currently studying Psychology, with a focus in Neuroscience, at Stanford University. He is a member of the varsity fencing team there, and also a huge soccer enthusiast. Passionate about psychology, James is interested in the role it has in our everyday lives, and particularly the impact it has on marketing and advertising.

Post a Comment

Related posts you may also like

Politics & Foreign Affairs, Society

The conversation that took place on July, 25, 2019, between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump, has resulted

News, Politics & Foreign Affairs

Indonesian President Joko Widodo was sworn in for his second and final five-year term on Sunday, October

Food, Impact, Uncategorized

The food industry is coming under increasing scrutiny for its environmental impact, from greenhouse gas emissions, to excessive and detrimental land and water usage, to chemical pollution. Given the challenge of feeding a growing world population whilst simultaneously needing to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts, clearly we need to look at alternatives to “dinner as usual”. The contribution of livestock to global greenhouse emissions is estimated at between 14.5 – 18%. Fortunately, there are companies who are tackling this challenge head on and looking at how emissions from food production can be reduced. With consumer interest increasing in alternatives to meat and other protein sources, we’ve spoken to the founders of three companies. From the seemingly futuristic to the rediscovery of superfood trees, each company tackles this new drive in consumer interest in different ways.

Solar Foods, Finland

Dr Pasi Vainnika is the CEO and co-founder of Solar Foods. The slogan of the company is “Food out of thin air”. Pasi was formerly in charge of the single largest renewable energy program in Finland. However, when he found out that 20-25% of the emissions come from food, he realized that emissions from this sector needed to be addressed, as well as those in the energy sector. But with the growth in affordable and renewable energy – particularly solar energy– it led him and his team to question the possibility of producing food solely from energy, carbon dioxide, and water. It turns out, the answer is yes. Solein is a unique single cell protein. It is produced using a fully natural fermentation process like that of the production of yeast or lactic acid bacteria. The powder, which is produced from the process, is 50% protein, 5-10% fat and 20-25% carbohydrate. Most likely, the first product to reach the consumer market will be a replacement in existing plant-based foods. For example, using Solein in shakes or as an alternative to dairy in milks, yogurts, and even in breads and pasta. In the future, a lasagna could include the protein in all aspects of the recipe: the sauce, in the pasta sheets, and in the filling. Further into the future, there is also the possibility that it could be used as the basis for cultured meat production.
In the Photo: Solein Can be used in smoothies as a protein alternative. Photo Credit: Shawn Fields - Unsplash
To produce a kilo of the protein powder takes 10 liters of water in comparison to the 2500 liters of water for a kilo of soy or 15,500 liters for a kilo of beef. Electricity is the main raw material, and the plan is to source this from renewable energy sources. Additionally, Solein binds carbon dioxide rather than emitting it, easing pressure on land use. The product is currently going through regulatory checks and testing at the moment, with a plan to launch in 2021. NASA and the Soviet Union space programs had started to investigate in similar protein production for their expeditions in the past, but Solar Foods has brought it down to earth.

Higher Steaks, United Kingdom

Whilst some people are switching to plant-based diets and others have reduced their meat consumption, some others still want to keep meat in their diets but are looking for more environmentally friendly options. This is where lab-based meat comes in. Benjamina Bollag, CEO and co-founder of Higher Steaks, a UK-based company, believes that it is important to provide alternatives to meat with a lower carbon footprint, but that taste as close as possible to the real thing. She believes that the change required in human behavior to cut emissions will not happen fast enough otherwise. This approach is confirmed by research they have conducted. 52% of respondents confirmed that they would switch from conventional meat to the Higher Steaks alternative, with 21% saying they would prefer a plant-based diet. There are different ways of producing lab-based meat. The process that Higher Steaks is developing is based on pluripotent stem cells, which are taken from a small skin patch or blood sample. The meat that is grown is then shaped into products. Currently, Higher Steaks is working primarily on pork products.
In Photo: Higher Steaks will eventually release pork as its first lab-cultured meat. Photo Credit: Yvonne Lee Harijanto - Unsplash
The company has yet to conduct a lifecycle assessment of the lab-grown meat, but given the high levels of environmental impact from meat production, it should be safe to say that Higher Steaks products will be more sustainable. In addition, as Benjamina explains, other advantages include the avoidance of antibiotic use, resulting in a product which is better for the consumer as well. The level of fat can also be adjusted, depending on consumer preference. The company is working to have the first products in shops within 3-5 years.

Barukas, Brazil

Barukas proves that you don’t always to have to look to the future for more sustainable food sources. Sometimes it is about rediscovering and making available a food source which has been around for a long time to a wider audience. The baruzeiro tree, native to Brazil, has been a long-time source of nutrition for people living in the Cerrado, the vast savannah at the heart of Brazil. The tree produces a fruit, which contains the baru nut. It was the nutritional profile of the baru nut that initially attracted Seth Tuckerman, who had formerly been the COO of Beachbody, a fitness business. The nuts are high in protein, fiber, minerals, and are lower in fat than typical nuts. The taste is often described as a cross between peanuts and almonds. In fact, Tuckerman’s immediate thought on tasting them was “low calorie almonds”. Tuckerman’s passion is not only about the positive health benefits, but also about the trees and the mutual benefits for the communities where they grew.
In Photo: Baruzeiro tree. Photo Credit: Barukas
Tuckerman became a co-founder of Barukas Incorporated. They are on a mission to plant 20 million baruzeiro trees – as a start. The trees need little water and – as native trees – they are already ideally suited to the Cerrado conditions. First, Barukas must prove that there is a market for the fruit of the existing trees. As such, the company is encouraging those living in the Cerrado to collect the nuts by guaranteeing to buy them, then creating customer demand for the nuts. Collecting the fruit from existing trees helps to preserve them from being cleared for intensive and invasive agricultural methods such as soy plantations. Likewise, planting new trees helps to reverse the deforestation of Cerrado. A report by the Climate Observatory estimated that the destruction of surface vegetation in the Cerrado released 248 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2016. This is roughly two-and-half times the annual tailpipe emissions from all cars in Brazil.
In Photo: Closer look at the baruzeiro tree. Photo Credit: Barukas.
From talking with these three pioneers, it is now clearer than ever that we need multiple solutions to address how to sustainably feed a growing population. We need to cut the carbon emissions and reduce other environmental impacts such as water and land use associated with food production. Some of these solutions are a little way off in the future, but others are available now. We are what we eat, but our choices will increasingly determine what kind of future we will live in as well.   EDITOR’S NOTE: The opinions expressed here by Impakter.com columnists are their own, not those of Impakter.com.
Continue reading

Scroll Up
impakter-logo-light

Editor's Pick Newsletter

~ Once a week only ~

You have Successfully Subscribed!

I confirm that would like to subscribe to Impakter Editor's Pick Newsletter