ART247: Digital Nature Photography: Post 5: Photographer Paul Nicklen

This is the photographer, Paul Nicklen. He is a Canadian photographer whose work is unbelievably
inspiring to me. Before I ever began to show any interest in photography, my attention was captured
by the photos that he posted on Instagram. One of the things that make his images so memorizing I
think is the unique looks he provides his viewers. A perfect example is his image of a penguin ducking
under the water for a look. You can see the movement, which I believe he has an unusual grasp of
because he is also a filmmaker and a marine biologist. He studies these animals and understands
them. This provides him with the expertise to capture their movements in a still photograph, and have
a clear understanding of their behaviors as well. He has been recognized for his work by receiving
many awards, and also by contributing to national geographic.

Warning: Sensitive content! Photo by @FrancisPerez000. This horrific image of a pilot whale that had its tail mostly chopped off by a boat propeller off the coast of the Canary Islands is meant to be a wake up call. Was it hit by a ship, a ferry or a pleasure boat? We will never know, but I have certainly seen many boats traveling at high speed through sensitive wildlife corridors. Only three people were there to hear the shrilling calls of pain and fear of this young whale. The photographer, the marine biologist and the wildlife veterinarian who were called to the scene were not able to help an animal with such a severe injury. All they could do was pull it out of the water and, with the kind of sorrow that can only be understood by people with enough empathy to do what they had to do, sedated it until it died. Sparing more unnecessary suffering to an animal with no chance of recovery was what they had to do. What the rest of us need to do is to become more engaged. Enforcing regulations on vessel speed limits is very difficult but it all begins with awareness and public pressure; the kind that demands that the voices of thousands of people are heard. As angry and sad as this makes me, I am also extremely motivated to do something about this. I am working with @SeaLegacy to create a global movement of people who want to push for legislative changes that prevent this type of accident. You can add your voice to ours by going to the link on my bio. We are stronger together!

He is also very well known for his work in conservation. Using his skills and talents to help not along
raise awareness, but cause change. One of the ways that he has accomplished this is by being one
of the co-founders of the non-profit SeaLegacy, which works on conservation and protecting the
environment. Another way he evokes change and raises awareness is he does not always capture
the things that people always want to see, but the things that they need to see. A perfect example of
this is the picture that he posted to his Instagram of a pilot whale that had had most of its tail cut off by
a propeller on a boat. This is not something that everyone is willing to see, but those who are willing
will use this image as fuel in their fight to restore the planet and to protect the animals that also call it
home. This is something that I greatly admire about Paul Nicklen.

Instagram: paulnicklen

https://paulnicklen.com/fine-art/

ART247: Digital Nature Photography

Monday, October 7, 2019

Post 5: Photographer Paul Nicklen

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