ナショナルジオグラフィックのインスタグラム(natgeo) - 11月10日 00時34分

Photograph by @paulnicklen for @ナショナルジオグラフィック. For the finale of predator week, I’d like to share with you this image that has never been seen before, and for good reason. This photograph I made is an example of how these predators are wrongly portrayed in the media, creating a culture of fear among modern society.

This was a young leopard seal who was calmly enjoying a nap in Antarctica. I was trying to capture a peaceful sense-of-place image that would help connect the readers to the importance of sea ice in a leopard seal’s life. The wind pushed us close to where he lay, forcing us to start the engine to back away so as not to disturb him. At the rev of the outboard, he sleepily lifted his head. Leopard seals open their mouth constantly as a display tactic, and that is what he did as I pressed the shutter instinctively. He placed his head back upon the ice and continued to doze and we went on with our day.
When I looked at the image, I was amazed at how a shooting technique of a slow shutter speed could so easily transform a gentle young leopard seal napping, into a vicious monster from the deep. As photographers, we are obligated to portray these species in their true nature. But that is not what sells. What the media wants, what gets spread around like wildfire, is the sensationalized image of the roaring grizzly bear, ferocious tiger, snarling wolf – most of these images are capturing moments in a yawn or a baited response from zoo handlers. This creates a gap in understanding in people who have never experienced an encounter with this animal, yet fully support the extirpation of the species because they fear for their safety. The power of a photograph is immense; it can shape the fate of nature in her entirety.
To celebrate apex predators, we need to portray their true nature, dispel the myths of man-eating beasts and realize we need to protect and understand these flagship species who balance the entire ecosystem. Thank you for reading and doing your part to stop the fear and spread understanding. Image by @paulnicklen #onassignment for @ナショナルジオグラフィック #nature #wildlife #natureispeaking. This image is not to be shared or displayed without the above text accomp

[BIHAKUEN]UVシールド(UVShield)

>> 飲む日焼け止め！「UVシールド」を購入する