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.
