We are very pleased to announce Dounya Cherqui and Bryan Hynes are the winners of the TruBeach Bursary to Triplit Conference 2019. This week’s Spotlight Profile is Emmett Sparling, a co-founder of TripLit. His day job has involved hanging from a helicopter over a Hawaiian volcano, sledding down a Swiss glacier at sunset, making friends with alpacas in the mountains of Peru, capturing sunrise over a misty coconut plantation in Bali, and exploring the pristine sand dunes of South Africa. By sharing these amazing experiences with gorgeous photography and stunning videos, Emmett shares his passion for inspiring people to love and protect our planet and its diverse cultures. He has been featured by Forbes, Condé Nast, Le Buzz and many others. His long list of clients includes Samsung, Lexar, National Geographic, ShotX, Qantas Airways, and multiple tourism boards. He is a brand ambassador for Global Green USA.
Can you tell me a bit about the purpose and the story of Triplit?
TripLit's goal is to showcase the positive impact initiatives to which companies and organizations are contributing, to support content creators to clarify their purpose, and to grow their career in a meaningful way. Not everyone has the goal of becoming a big influencer, but we are all influencers in some way and we have the opportunity to contribute to positive change more than ever with so much of the world connected online and seeking to connect. The stories we tell have impact and meaning.
We are not setting ourselves up to be a traditional social media agency that offers a full suite social media marketing services, but more of a cross between social media, education, and entertainment company. We are driven to tell meaningful stories through our influencer’s experiences, the content they create, and through the creative campaigns that we develop in collaborations with brands or other financial backers.
You’ve traveled all over the world. What have you seen from experience, of the state of our oceans? Can you share a moment that impacted you?
I was recently in Australia and had the opportunity to dive on the Great Barrier Reef. This was probably the most striking landscape I’ve ever seen that was directly effected by climate change. Not just some of the coral was dead, but all of it was completely brown or white and crumbling. We saw probably 20-30 turtles within the hour dive, and they all looked lost- like they were searching for something to eat.
Two weeks later, I was diving in Palawan, a group of islands in the Philippines, and I had the chance to see the reefs there. It couldn’t have been a bigger contrast. All the coral was thriving- bright colours, seaweed, giant clams, turtles, and massive schools of fish. Each time I go back to Palawan, I’m always so impressed at how clean it is.
You're part of a generation has tremendous reach. How can someone start to make a difference?
Find something you’re passionate about, and focus your social media content towards that topic. Eventually you’ll start gaining a following that is aligned with your message, and/or inspired by your efforts. Its a lot easier and more effective to focus on one topic, rather than trying to solve every problem by yourself.
A picture is worth a thousand words. What can travel photography, film making, and documentation do for our planet?
Successful content creators are engaged storytellers who are able to form their own unique identity and connect authentically with their audience. Personally I hope that by showing the beauty and diversity of our planet, and by connecting with people from different cultures when I travel, it will inspire people who follow me to want to protect our planet and value people with different backgrounds and traditions.
Can you tell us a bit about Triplit Conference 2019?
This summer on Bowen Island, B.C. Canada, we are offering 5 days of hands-on workshops, presentations, outdoor adventures, hosted discussions and networking. Hosted by an extremely high-profile group of leaders in the travel photography and video space, digital media professionals, business owners, group facilitators and charity consultants. This retreat is geared towards photographers and videographers who are ready to move into collaborations with brands and learn about how to align themselves with special causes that help people and our planet.