Chronicles of the Wild

Photos: My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

fjaine — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 16:10:00 GMT

I was recently offered to join a friend on a journey to Papua New Guinea. Being both marine ecologists, we had been invited to go explore the Conflict Islands, a remote, inhabited atoll of the northern Coral Sea. More than just a nice destination, this travel revealed itself as a determining experience that ignited in me a desire to further develop my photography and reporting skills in order to promote environmental and wildlife conservation. I hope to raise awareness on the beauty and uniqueness of our planet in sustaining life in all forms, shapes and colours. Coral reefs are one example and the Conflict Islands, with their 22 islands, shallow lagoons, pristine reefs and plunging outer walls, depict an ideal image of what most shores should look like in a world where human/nature interactions were minimised. In this series of photographs, ranging from seascapes through to animal portraits, I tried to portray the Conflict Islands as a marine biodiversity ‘hotspot’. The story I wish to tell through this entry is how a particular community, the natural world, is vanishing under the combined influences of human activities and a changing climate. At the dawn of the 21st century, I believe that it is time for our society to set environmental welfare as a higher priority if we want our planet to sustain future generations. This is what I believe in, what makes me wake up everyday and want to keep trying harder to fetch my dreams. I see photography as a strong medium to raise awareness on the beauty of our planet and the challenges it faces. Documenting Africa, its wildlife and cultural identity alongside Jason Edwards would be an invaluable experience that would enable me to take my photography further and get closer to my ambitions.

Photos: Lady Elliot

fjaine — Thu, 4 Nov 2010 16:06:00 GMT

Lady Elliot Island or the 'Gem' of the southern Great Barrier Reef

fjaine — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 23:32:00 GMT

Of the many islands spread along the east Australian seaboard, there is no such place as Lady Elliot Island, the southernmost island of the Great Barrier Reef. Only a few hundred metres wide, the coral cay sits on the edge of the continental shelf and regularly receives inputs of nutrient-rich oceanic waters, making it a hotspot for marine life by providing food and a suitable habitat for many species.

Lady Elliot Island is host to an amazing diversity of seabirds such as the Black Noddy, along with many other migratory species seasonally aggregating to mate and give birth. At sunset, thousands of birds fly back to the island in chaotic formations to spend the night, offering one of the most amazing spectacles I've ever seen. But to me, the most breathtaking show occurs underwater...

Lady Elliot reefs are host to an amazing biodiversity. Waters around the island are inhabited by an incredible diversity of fish, ranging from large groupers through to barracudas, reef fish, schools of pelagic fish and even small cleaner fish.

In fact, several sites around the Lady Elliot reef are known as 'cleaning stations', where small specialized fish offer their cleaning services to other bigger species such as sea turtles or manta rays, a beautiful scene that leaves no one unsatisfied. Sea turtles, mostly green and loggerheads, are present in high numbers, with females seasonally adventuring onto the beach to nest. But the most amazing species to me is the manta ray. Growing up to five metres across, these gentle giants are regular visitors of the cleaning stations spread around the island. Present all year around, manta rays aggregate in mass during winter months, where they are seen peacefully cruising, getting cleaned, feeding at the surface and even displaying courtship behaviour under the form of a harmonious 'ballet' where a train of several males follows and reproduces every move made by the leading female. Some other large occasional visitors of Lady Elliot include migrating humpback whales and some big predators such as tiger or hammerhead sharks.

I have been fortunate to stay on the beautiful Lady Elliot Island several times over the past two years to conduct my research, and I can affirm that this place is amongst the best places to go to on the Great Barrier Reef. My regular expeditions there have provided me with a good opportunity to practice my photography, each time taking some time to play with my camera settings, carefully think about composition and approach wildlife up close. Through these regular trips and sharing my shots with others, I have come to realize that photography is a powerful tool to raise awareness and I hope that my photographs will one day inspire the need to protect places such as Lady Eliot Island, and to a bigger extent our world's oceans.

Photos: Lady Elliot Island, southern Great Barrier Reef

fjaine — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 23:20:00 GMT

South Africa, Home of the Great White Shark

fjaine — Tue, 5 Oct 2010 23:20:00 GMT

Overlooking the union of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, South Africa covers thousands of kilometers of coastline and hosts one of the largest shark populations in the world. Portrayed as a merciless man-killer, the notorious Great White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias, is a successful predator fashioned throughout millions of years of evolution. Unfortunately today the species is close to becoming extinct as a result of targeted fisheries and black-market trade for high-value shark products.

With a degree in Marine Biology, I purchased my first camera and set off on a journey to Africa to gain a better understanding of this infamous predator. I arrived in Mosselbaai in September 2008, where I met up with local scientists and started assisting them in their daily shark observations. I quickly came to realise that white sharks have been falsely perceived in the past and that they rank amongst the smartest animals on the planet.

More than just a great opportunity to document sharks, this journey engaged a hidden passion for travel, photography and communication. Interested in world peace and conflicts, I had always been curious about the tumultuous history of the country. Sadly, I witnessed strong social inequalities remaining from the Apartheid era, but was unable to portray through my camera lens the depth of my personal reaction. Since then, photographing people, wildlife or landscapes and sharing my experiences with others has become a goal. Self-taught, I today feel a need to observe, listen and learn about the fine art of photography from an expert in order to take my technical skills to a new level and be able to capture natural scenes that will raise awareness on important environmental or social issues.