"I took this photograph in Svalbard in June 2024 during an expedition cruise. We had spotted this female polar bear the day before. She was by the water with her two cubs. The next day we found her near a walrus carcass on which she and her cubs were feeding.
From the zodiac, I had all the time I needed to observe her calmly and then to think about the composition of the image. I really liked the majestic, imposing posture when she stood up, lowering her head and passing her paw in front of her, like a salute, like a reverence... I often choose to develop my photographs in slightly overexposed black and white to show the purity of the animal photographed, while trying to bring an artistic dimension to my work.
Using the photograph as a starting point, a dialogue is established with the viewer. This allows me to explain that in addition to global warming, which is a problem for this animal, more than 1,000 polar bears are legally killed in the Arctic every year... Not to mention poaching."
