How many times have you gone to take a photo, only to later notice there was something else in the background? Perhaps on a night out with friends, you’ll notice a photo with someone dropping their drink down themselves by the bar. Maybe you’ll capture a beautiful sunset, only to notice the flock of birds in the corner. Photographs can capture a moment in time, which you can look back on in years to come. As they say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Sometimes, there is nothing better than scrolling through old photos and reminiscing on the memories that surround that picture. However, when one photographer scrolled through the photos of this incredible moment, he never expected to see something so strange in the background. As soon as he showed the world the photo, people couldn’t believe their eyes. Was this just one unusual photograph or was it going to change the world forever?
There have been plenty of photographs that have changed the world over the years. Some may have been taken decades before we were even born, but we know the story behind them. There are photos that can evoke such strong emotions and others that make us want to take action. There are positive photos, such as the kiss with the sailor on V-J Day in Times Square and the Empire State Building construction workers having lunch high in the sky. Then you have the photos that hold a bit more of a darker meaning, such as capturing the famine in Somalia or the war in Europe. In more modern times, photos can quickly spread across the internet, going viral for one reason or another – we all remember the Oscar selfie. Photos can tell us so much about a moment, but sometimes they can give us more insight than we ever expected. There’s a reason there are so many photographic competitions and awards every year, and there’s a reason so many photographers are living to capture that perfect shot. To be able to tell a story, evoke an emotion, or capture a piece of history, is something that every photographer hopes to achieve.
When this one photographer went out to take photos of the majestic humpback whales, he never expected to capture something entirely different on his camera. What he found led to a huge conversation around the world; a sort of social commentary. A picture is worth a thousand words, but what kind of words was this picture saying about humanity? From the moment it went viral there were a million questions. Who? Why? And what does this say about us?
[post_page_title]Meet the photographer[/post_page_title]
Before we take a look at the photo that caused a real stir, it’s important we meet the man behind the camera. Eric J. Smith attended the Hartford Art School before graduating with the highest distinction from the Rhode Island School of Design. On top of his educational accolades, he is a member of some of the biggest and most prestigious photographic societies in the world, including the Royal Photographic Society and Directors Guild of America.
