It is a fast-paced world, and it is an era where we also want to explore every part of it, leaving footprints behind.
We work with polar bears in Svalbard and also organize expeditions in the region bringing guests. The most important task is to be able to learn from nature and learn about ourselves. You need to realize that you will leave behind footprints the moment you set foot in nature. There is a need to balance one’s wishes and needs with sustainability and work with nature for conservation.
We see the beauty of nature and we try to document it for the world to share our experience, but your own desire for the perfect photo can not always be your top priority. Always ask yourself: why am I doing this? Why do I do, what I do?
We intend to protect and restore habitats, learn about ecosystems, and protect biological diversity. We want to document the natural life of polar bears over time and we want to tell their story. And for that, we need to respect nature and everything that lives or comes with it.
We often see our own actions in black and white, some of us think that travel is bad for the environment and our climate and others don’t see the link between, or say is the adverse impact is negligible.
The question you should ask yourself is not “yes” or “no”, it’s “how, where, and when?” Conservation and our planet benefit or are impacted by what choices we make and how we do things, where we go and the travel options we choose. And we should always ask ourselves “why?”
When we work with bears we know that we are disturbing them, even when they don’t show any sign of stress. We basically broke into their homes to watch them. This is how I try to see it, how would you feel if someone comes into your home to watch you? You want the intruder to respect you and your space. If the intruder is rude, then your hand is forced, to show them that they are not welcome. This is perfectly agreeable if the ‘you’ in question is human, but if the ‘you’ is a polar bear, then the intruder reserves the right to shoot bullets at you. We humans need to realize that it is not for us to decide how far we can go. We need to be mindful about balance and respect nature.
The fascinating part of working with nature is that you never know what is going to happen, you can plan to an extent but you can never develop a foolproof plan for your dream photo. My job is to document the moment nature gives me.
We share this planet with so much life, so much beauty that wants nothing but to live and being part of the natural world, and part of ecosystems that are in the perfect balance until we step in and mess it up.
Everything we do matters and affects not only ourselves but for everyone and everything on this planet. Every ounce of ice, every drop of water, every single life on this planet is connected.
We have seen people chasing mothers with cubs to make their own dreams come true, the photo they had wished for. We should at all costs avoid disturbing the equilibrium of nature to take a photo, and at best we should avoid labeling the very photo as one about saving nature or conservation.
We should not chase bears or any other animals and then talk about their extinction. What we can do as a photographer is to watch and learn, to listen and act in a good way.
And it’s not always easy to know where and when we have to take a step back. But it’s important to know this and to think about it. This is not our world, we share it with so much wildlife and beautiful nature and it is on us not to destroy it.
We do leave footprints out there, however. It’s impossible to take one single step outside civilization without disturbing wildlife. But we should do everything we possibly can to minimize it.
The current polar bear population around Svalbard is within 2,000 to 3,000 bears. It has been stable for quite a long time, but with the sea ice vanishing at an alarming rate in the arctic, the population decline of polar bears is high. Polar Bears need sea ice for their day-to-day survival, to hunt, mate, and even to sleep.
We are in regular contact with Norwegian Polar Institute who work with the Svalbard Polar Bear population. Their studies teach us a lot and having a strong foundation in science is important to us. Sometimes we also share our observations with them that helps their research as well.
This is the polar bear’s land after all and everything has to happen on their terms. No matter how much time we have spent on the ice – we are just visitors.
Respect is the key to most things in life!
Moment: “Through the mist of blowing snow, something moves…the air looks like it is on fire, while the sun is going down behind the hills. The silence gets loud. You close your eyes and just listen. You can hear the wind, you can hear them breathe. You can hear them walk… you can hear the snow under their paws. The greatest predator on Earth is so powerful and beautiful, yet at the same time so vulnerable.
When I was a child I believed that one day I would walk with polar bears. I believe they are kind and wise. Polar bears – They are wanderers. In constant search for food and life, they are endlessly on the move, most of the time alone. I am thankful for every minute they allowed me to be with them on the ice, I know now I don’t belong there, but I love to be.”
