Can he read?

The above image was taken for a photo contest in the category of “Environment at risk”, the photo was taken at Stromness Bay, South Georgia, Antarctica titled “Can he read?”  Photographer Susanne Weissenberger took the photograph. Stromnees Bay, South Georgia was once a whaling station that slaughtered thousands of whales and other marine animal taking them down in numbers to the brink of extinction.  Susanne wanted to show the depressing sadness of mans impact on the environment in this place, which I think she captured with all of the broken down machines and buildings as well as the warning sign in the foreground of the image. The male fur seal sitting on a large boats propeller seemingly suggesting that the view read the sign is also an important part of this image. Although this image portrays the negatives of whaling, or more so the impact of man of the environment the image also tells another story which the photographer wanted to portray. This separate story is one of hope or the hope that lies within as Susanne put it. This hope is that through conservation and environmental efforts areas like this can rebound and recover. The male fur seal in the foreground is just one of many fur seals that seem to have taken up residence on the beach in this location proving that with some effort this area could once again be a safe haven for the seals and other marine life that inhabit this place.

I love this image from an environment impact point of view, the only thing I would have liked to see different was the light through out the picture to be less dull. The light gives the whole picture a flat look, having very little dimension. Having taken a wide variety of nature and environment photographs myself I know how you cannot control the sunlight and when a seen such as this presents itself you have to be ready and able to capture it no matter the lighting conditions. That being said I think that Susanne Weissenberger captured the seen beautifully telling both stories she intended to tell.