Daniel Turbert is an experienced and unique photographer. His passion for capturing and bringing awareness to situations that need it most is deeply inspiring. He specializes in animal photography and hopes to change people’s attitudes towards all animals and encourage them to view these beings as worthy of love and protection. He chats about his organization The Sentient Project and emphasizes the ways in which photography can make a real difference.
Hi Daniel, tell us about yourself.
Hi, my name is Daniel Turbert and I am a professional photographer. Although I have always enjoyed being a commercial photographer and have done so for ages, the past few years have been where I’ve really started to put into action my lifelong passion for making a real difference through photography. My goal is to share compassionate perspectives and promote awareness for those who need it most.
How do you go about doing this? What kind of objects or situations do you photograph?
I still do commercial photography and I like creating really unique and interesting headshots and portraits for people. On top of this, however, I have expanded into photographing animals and gaining exposure for animal sanctuaries. I also use photography to bring awareness to humanitarian issues. My main mission is to show that every person and every animal are sentient beings and that we are all worthy of compassion and respect.
What made you so passionate about photographing animal and advocating for their rights?
Well I have a background in nature photography and have always felt a connection to animals. Using my skills as a photographer to reach a broader audience and communicate this love and compassion for animals seemed like the perfect thing for me. I have been a vegan from a young age and have always felt a need to stand up for those that are voiceless. It is my hope that by capturing animals in a unique way, it will open people’s minds and inspire them to reconsider some of the choices they make. Ultimately I want to encourage better choices in people through my photography. This is what The Sentient Project is all about.
Can you tell us more about The Sentient Project?
Absolutely! The Sentient Project is a not-for-profit that I began in 2017. Its main goal is basically to encourage people to view all animals as sentient beings. Through my photography, I want people to realize that animals are deserving of our compassion and of our protection. I aim to capture animals in ways that people might not expect and change their perceptions of them. It is my hope that people will then be more aware and more careful of their actions as our actions often have huge repercussions for animals.
How has the project grown since its beginning?
The project has now expanded to include humanitarian issues in locations such as Uganda. We have been working on a campaign to help women in Uganda support themselves by making traditional East African clothing. We then plan to sell this clothing in the US to help the women earn money. We also have a photojournalism program and have sent our first participant in East Africa to study photojournalism so that they can continue to bring awareness to important issues through photography.
Can you tell us about Cows Come Home the documentary you directed?
Cows Come Home is a short documentary that I directed in 2019. It’s about a cattle farm that became an animal sanctuary. I realized that film can be just as powerful as photography as a medium and decided to try it as a way to further spread my message of compassion for animals. The film received numerous awards including Best Short Documentary at the Anaheim Film Festival. It really captures the way in which people can have a change of heart and alter their behavior to protect animals.
What advice would you give to aspiring photographers?
If you have a passion, pursue it, you have the power to make a world of difference with your creative talents. Photography can be an extremely powerful medium as it allows us to capture and share moments with each other. Find the moments that you think most need capturing and make an impact with your work.
Thank you Daniel for your time!
You can follow up with Daniel Turbert at https://danielturbertphotography.com
