A footbridge into the light ... - a photo on Flickriver

            I received a very interesting mail today.  This anonymous South Australian, Vegitarian, Environmentalist wrote to me asking me if I liked the sight of lifeless whales and informing me that whales deserved my love.  I was a bit startled by this message and I have given it some thought.  Of course I'm not going to dignify an anonymous letter with an answer but I'd like to share some of my thoughts on this subject here.

Of course I don't like the sight of a dead animal.  It actually makes me scared and repulsed.  But in some strange way it also makes me curious and interested.  I have made a few images of beached whales.  It's a rare happening around here and I find myself compelled to make a photographic record of it.  I also have to tell the story in my way and apply my personal photographic style.  The whole subject of the death of these majestic mammals is really interesting.  It makes me wonder if it has something to do with pollution or overfishing?  Then again these creatures must be as mortal as any other and die of all sorts of natural causes.  I don't pretent to have it all figured out.

The writer also touches upon the delicate subject of whaling and what he proclaims as brutal methods used by my countrymen as well as Norwegian and Japanes whalers.  Most cultures have a long tradition of hunting all sorts of animals.  Elephants, zebras, giraffes, cangaroos, aligators, sharks, polar bears as well any other living species are hunted by men for various purposes.  It may be for fur, meat, bone or even for use as zoo animals.  In general, I don't have anything against the sustainable use of any animal species.  But of course we must ensure that endangered species are protected and sustained.  I used to be pro whaling but in recent years I've changed my mind and now I think that Iceland should stop it.  Not because of some ideas about whales being intelligent creatures.  I've also discussed the topic of whaling with many veterinarians and they all think the modern approach to whaling is humane.  It just isn't right to carry on whaling against the wishes of the rest of world.  It has also been pointed out that more money can be made by using the whaleboats to carry tourists who want to see living whales with their own eyes.

Opinions on the killing of wild animals will in most cases be based on emotional or sentimental grounds.  So it's a topic hard to debate.  But anyone is entitled to their opinion.

About the image:  This bridge can be found near the powerplant in Svartsegni near Grindavík.  The image is an HDR of 3 exposures.

Taken on: March 9, 2008

Tags:

bridge

hdr

brú

river

light

clouds

cloud

mysterious

story

letter

Canon

10-22mm « less

Groups appears in: • HDR • captura digital

Stats: 21,542 views / 127 comments

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