Saturday, February 22, 2020

I am vital and also fragile

Water is necessary for the survival of all living things on the Earth's surface.
Around our planet, it appears in many forms, liquid, gas or solid.
Almost 70% of the freshwater on our planet is held within glaciers and ice-sheets.
We take water for granted, even though it is something we all depend on.
Our future, amongst other challenges, depends on the capability of preserving the ice.
Simply as we cannot live without the air, many species cannot live without ice.
This short documentary was filmed in Greenland, Antarctica, Nunavut, Svalbard, Iceland, over 3 years.

From West Greenland, I have sailed 6 000km over the course of eight weeks to Nunavut to explore and document the Arctic Wildlife on Devon Island, Bylot Island, Baffin Island, Somerset Island, and the large Lancaster Sound, with a purpose to witness, document and protect.
In the same time I was there, On the 14th of August 2017, the Government of Canada and Nunavut agreed to establish the National Marine Conservation Area, the largest protected area in Canada called Tallurutiup Imanga.
But the target of protecting 10 percent by 2020 still remains far.
This was a great achievement but in 2016 only 4.7% of the Arctic’s marine areas were protected.
The pinnacle of my reportage expedition was undoubtedly my close encounters with these majestic yet gentle animals.
For me, there is no better feeling than being close to those magnificent mammals, sharing a space with them.
I will always remember that moment I saw my first polar bear, I cried during the three hours we stayed close to them.
I discovered it swimming and by the time I left my binoculars to announce it to our captain, I was already crying.
When I find myself in the remote Arctic, co-existing in harmony with the wildlife that calls it home, I know that this is where everything makes total sense.
I know it because I feel it deep within myself. It is a deep vibe that consumes my body and soul in its entirety.
At this moment, the urge to create an image that I would remember for the rest of my life with a strong message to protect it comes naturally to me.
Those moments are invaluable to me, something is happening within me.
It’s what I live for.
When I photograph, I’m somewhere else.
This is, I guess, what constitutes as passion, my passion to serve the conservation of the Arctic Wildlife.

No comments:

Post a Comment