XPOSURE PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL: UNDERSTANDING CLIMATE CHANGE THROUGH PICTURES

Translating the data of scientists into tangible photographs: At the Xposure International Photography Festival some of the best-known environmental photographers are showing how important their work is for public awareness and understanding of climate change. The festival, which takes place from 9 to 15 February in Sharjah, UAE, dedicates a one-day Conservation Summit to the topic.

Her pictures from the longest ever scientific Arctic expedition "MOSAiC" are world-famous: Esther Horvath documented the scientists' work for three and a half months at temperatures as low as minus 35 degrees Celsius. Since 2018, she has been working as a photographer at the German Alfred Wegener Institute in the centre for Polar and Marine Research.

“There are scientists working their entire lifetime in one specific topic. And measuring every day the same. For me it’s very fascinating, this human dedication”, says Esther about her passion for polar research. “They go out and work in this remote and harsh condition and deliver very important data for us. I want to show the human faces behind climate data.”

Data that is not comprehensible to most people. National Geographic photographer Robbie Shone therefore sees himself as a translator for abstract scientific facts and figures. The British-born photographer, now living in Austria, specialised in caves - in the earth and in glaciers. From adventurer, he has become a conservation photographer over the years. Also, because he has seen, through the example of his partner, how much researchers fight against windmills.

“I’ve seen my partner’s work and I have seen her reach and how she’s limited within the science community. And then I have seen the reach of a photographer to the public and the mass audience. And I am trying to be that person.”

Robbie Shone experienced climate change firsthand during his most famous expedition: When he climbed down into the deepest cave in the world, to the bottom of Veryovkina in Abkhazia, in 2018, he almost drowned. To get to safety, he could only save his memory cards.

“It’s kind of a result of climate change. In the fact that we knew that lower camp can be flooded to the roof. We knew that in the winter the water table rose”, Robbie explains. But the expedition took place in September. “We can’t predict, we can’t rely on accurate weather patterns. Even in summer we get these torrential rainstorms. That’s what caused that flood.”

One person whose work sounded the alarm very early on is James Balog. In 2007, the photographer and geoscientist was the first to document the progressive melting of various glaciers. His documentary "Chasing Ice" won an award at the Sundance Film Festival. 16 years later, the American has no good news.

“Now we just shot basically a sequel to “Chasing Ice” this past May, that will be later out this year. And it will be an updating on what we have been talking in “Chasing Ice”. So, the big shocking thing will be that this new film is going to show that almost all the ice we were looking at back in 2007 to 2012 is gone. It’s not there anymore.”

Despite this frustrating development, it is important - all three photographers agree - to continue with their work and the fight against climate change. Esther Horvath's heart beats especially for the polar animals:

“Thinking about that their lives, their environments can disappear because of human activity, what we do on earth, it makes me extremely sad.  I cannot imagine a world without these creatures.”

Esther Horvath received the World Press Photo Award in 2020 for her photograph of a mother polar bear with her offspring at a research camp in the Arctic.

  VIDEO INFORMATON

Location: Sharjah, UAE

Date of shot: Feb 9-11, 2023

SOURCE:

• Shots of Xposure exhibition and interviews: ENEX

• Mosaic Polar Expedition 2020: must credit “Alfred-Wegener-Institut / Esther Horvath”

• Ice expedition to South Georgia Island 2015: must credit “Earth Vision Institute”

• Picture of polar bears awarded World Press Photo Award 2020: must credit “Esther Horvath”

Sharjah, UAE, Feb 9-11, 2023

• General shots of Xposure International Photography festival

• Various shots of Ester Horvath exhibition at Xposure

Mosaic Polar Expedition 2020: must credit “Alfred-Wegener-Institut / Esther Horvath”

• Various shots of scientists working on and off expedition icebreaker “Polarstern” Sharjah, UAE, Feb 9-11, 2023

• SOT Esther Horvath, conservation photographer (English): “There are scientists working their entire lifetime in one specific topic. And measuring every day the same. For me it’s very fascinating, this human dedication. They go out and work in this remote and harsh condition and deliver very important data for us. I want to show the human faces behind climate data.”

• Various of Robbie Shone exhibition at Xposure

• SOT Robbie Shone, cave explorer and conservation photographer (English): “I’ve seen my partner’s work and I have seen her reach and how she’s limited within the science community. And then I have seen the reach of a photographer to the public and the mass audience. And I am trying to be that person.”

• Various of Robbie Shone exhibition at Xposure

• SOT Robbie Shone, cave explorer and conservation photographer (English): “It’s kind of a result of climate change. In the fact that we knew that lower camp can be flooded to the roof. We knew that in the winter the water table rose. We can’t predict, we can’t rely on accurate weather patterns. Even in summer we get these torrential rainstorms. That’s what caused that flood.”