The images changing how we see oceans
Grambeau plans to expand the series with pictures from small Pacific and Indian Ocean islands threatened by rising sea levels. “Using art to create awareness about climate change allows people time to pause and reflect on the issue,” he says. “Documentaries can be full of facts and figures. Art’s a more slowly digested form of engagement. My aim is to raise awareness of the gravity of the situation with climate change and the silent rise in our sea level.”
The more people are inspired by photography to think about the climate and our planet, the better. “This is a pivotal moment in time,” says Skerry. “Many of the goals for COP26 are noble goals: to secure global net zero by mid-century and keep one degree within reach. I’d also love to see them protect communities and natural habitats. We’re seeing mass extinctions and biodiversity loss. The ocean is dying a death from a thousand cuts. I’d love to see a commitment to protecting 30% of Earth’s natural habitats by 2030, including oceans.”
“Climate stability can be achieved by ocean conservation,” he adds. “We know Marine Protected Areas mitigate climate damage – the ocean is the greatest carbon sink on Earth. The time for talk and false pledges has passed. We have to take serious action and we have to do it now.”
Creating photos that provoke action and drive change is a motivation that unites many photographers. What’s striking is how different their methods are to elicit a response from viewers; the work of Beltrá and Grambeau, for example, is poles apart in style and subject matter. Photography, like every art form, is incredibly personal, each photographer’s choice of subject, when and where to press the shutter, and their creative approach (composition, use of light, length of exposure…) unique to them. As these photographers demonstrate, there are many ways to communicate with people, whether close-ups of marine creatures, overviews of landscapes or insights into the lives of people impacted by flooding or fires, or from hard-hitting journalism to thought-provoking abstracts. The support for urgent action on climate change from people around the world suggests these many varied photos are helping to make an impact.
That often means reaching people on an emotional level, and not just with brutal truths and hard-hitting depictions of death and destruction. Mittermeier is determined to show people the “beauty and majesty” of the natural world. Images by her, by Skerry and other nature photographers take viewers into remote, wintry wildernesses or deep into underwater worlds that few people will get to see in their lifetimes, letting us experience up close the remarkable creatures we share the planet with. Photos of healthy tropical coral gardens filled with colourful fish or a spectacular gathering of giant whales remind us of the beauty, diversity and wonder of the natural world, a world well worth working to protect.
If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Culture, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter.
And if you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter, called The Essential List. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Culture, Worklife and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday.
