Shades and Elements

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Story Behind the Photograph: Shades and Elements

Over the past number of years humpback whales have been found to gather in what is known as a “Super Pod” in an area off the Western Cape coastline in South Africa. This Super Pod can sometimes number into the hundreds as the whales use this as a short feeding stop before proceeding on their annual migration route to Antarctica. Towards the end of 2020 we were on standby for weeks in the hope of being able to photograph this incredible coming together of great whales. News of the Super Pod finally reached us and after a six hour boat journey we found ourselves bobbing around in the open ocean in our 26 foot boat. It was impossible not to feel small whilst surround by these huge but gentle giants. Almost close enough to touch, humpback whales bigger than buses moved in a graceful ballet just below and all around our boat. The reflection of sky on the deep, dark blue of the water stretched out in every direction, including below, making the ocean seem bottomless as well as endless. The water was serene and adding to the atmosphere were the vast array of sounds coming from the whales themselves … deep inhalations and exhalations, low rumblings and some severe cases of flatulence!

Whales are the largest amongst those incredible animals who are proficient in both worlds, breathing in one but primarily living in another. Known for their incredible showmanship on the surface, humpback whales are physically distinctive with long pectoral fins and knobbly heads. Hunted by the millions in the past, these mysterious giants have made an amazing comeback. While only hundreds of whales survived the brush with extinction, scientists now estimate tens of thousands of whales thrive off the coast of East Africa. Nature has a stunning ability to recover from human assault when given a chance.

Soft shades of blue contrast with the dark form of the whale and befit the sense of peace and tranquillity that washes over me. With a beautiful last show of its huge fluke, ocean droplets flowing off its wavy trailing edges, a massive humpback whale prepares for a dive that will take it from the element of Air, to the element of deep Ocean. From the pastel shades of the ocean’s surface, the great whale sinks through many shades of ever darkening blue, and finally into black in search of food.

Like the footfall of an elephant, so the slipping of a thirty-five ton whale beneath the surface is notable for its lack of sound, the loudest noise, my camera’s shutter mechanically closing in fast bursts … all else was silence.

About Untamed Photographer

Untamed Photographer is an online art gallery that brings together wildlife photography and stories from a range of international environmental artists, both emerging and established.

Structured as an online marketplace, Untamed Photographer offers a selection of handpicked, limited-edition works of art, alongside the photographers’ compelling stories of what occurred in the wild to get the shot. The exclusive limited-edition pieces are printed in Miami and come with an artist-signed certificate of authenticity from their respective worldwide locations.

The Nature Trust of the Americas (NTOTA) was founded with the mission to give back. While building awareness for NTOTA’s causes, the founders met talented nature photographers who are passionate not only about photography, but also about saving the planet. Their life’s work and stories are inspiring, and their art, passion and stories deserve to be shared on a platform that benefits the environmental causes they are dedicated to.

Just as the photographers preserve the beauty of the planet in their art, Untamed Photographer is dedicated to preserving the planet for the future. All profits from photographs go to Untamed Photographer's two pillars: the artists and causes that protect the environment, ecosystems, and wildlife.

About the Photographer: Chris Fallows

Chris Fallows is a world renowned wildlife photographer and authority on Great white sharks.

South African-born, his work represents authenticity, intimacy and emotion. Chris has loved wildlife since his first breath; his passion for wildlife and the natural world is reflected in his photographs and the unique manner in which he treats each species and brings it to the foreground.

The engaging manner in which he photographs his wild subjects bears testimony to the decades he has spent in some of the world’s most remote regions, uniquely working in all areas: ocean, land and air. He seeks to bring the audience to the subjects at eye level, and in that way create the feeling of being with the subject rather than dominating it.

His composition style is clean and unobstructed with landscapes that empower the subjects, rather than overwhelming them.

Fallows wishes to touch the audience of his work in a way that emotionally connects them to the subject matter, with awe and respect to perhaps guilt and sadness. Most of all, he would like to unearth in his viewers a primal desire to get in touch with the natural world that is our shared origin. Through that most basic urge, he feels we can create a collaborative path toward sharing the planet rather than conquering it.

Fallows’ work has appeared in more than 60 international documentaries with the BBC, NationalGeographic and Discovery Channel.