Captive_01 , 2009 by Gaston Lacombe
Ever stare at a rock chuck and think, "I wonder what is going on in that little head?" Yes? Us too! There are a lot of animal lovers here at the HHS! office, so the series Captive, by Contender Gaston Lacombe, could not have escaped our eyes.
Captive_02 , 2009 by Gaston Lacombe
At first glance, what captures the viewer's imagination is that every animal in the images seems to be having a moment of its own, and it's the kind of moment that us humans can understand, or even relate to. The posture, the attitude and the look in their eyes captured by Lacombe are all suggestive of an isolated state of mind that is very fitting to the backdrop. As Lacombe explains in his statement, the unnatural living environments is exactly what he is trying to address with these images:
In zoos all around the world, visitors go to admire some of the most beautiful, rare or fierce creatures on Earth, but often fail to notice the deplorable habitats in which they are kept. I have been gathering pictures from zoos in North America and Asia for the last two years. I like most zoos—I really do. Some zoos need to be congratulated for making great efforts at conserving endangered species, providing shelter to animals who could not otherwise survive and educating the public on ecological issues. However, even in the best zoos, there are always some animals that are stuck in cement enclosures too small for their needs, or in rooms where the only vegetation they see are the plants painted on the wall... The animals live in cages where they cannot even sit up, [where they] walk in a thick layer of their own feces or have no access to daylight or clean water. At these moments, I feel guilty for supporting a system that treats animals cruelly, and at these moments, I take pictures.
Captive_03 , 2010 by Gaston Lacombe
Lacombe hails from Canada but is based in Washington, D.C. He has a PhD in history, and he has worked in a wide array of professions, from teacher to diplomat and journalist. He has been working as a professional photographer after receiving his diploma in professional photography from the Center for the Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University, Washington, D.C., campus in January 2010. Since then, he has published a number of articles in publications such as the Washington Post, Toronto Star and Islands magazine. He was also a finalist in PDN's World in Focus competition and had his work published in the PDN magazine. His photo of monks in Bhutan just became National Geographic's Photo of the Day yesterday.