What’s black and white and has a tough life? A penguin. While we revel in how cute penguins are and the funny internet gifs they star in, these flightless birds lead incredibly difficult lives. Like the documentary March of the Penguins, this photo series titled A Penguin’s Life by photographer Camille Seaman gives a glimpse into the hardships endured by penguins in Antarctica. The tuxedoed birds waddle across the snowy plains in the bitter cold for half of their lives. Their arctic habitats, unfortunately, are clearly in danger which seems to be what inspires the photographer to document their lives.
Seaman officially began her photography career at the age of thirty-two. Having lived in New York in her youth, she racked up a number of pictures of her and her friends with the World Trade Center as part of the skyline in the background. The significance of a photograph dawned on her after the towers’ devastating collapse in 2001. In an interview with Outside magazine, Seaman says, “I understood for the first time the importance of a photograph as a historic document–you know, proof that these buildings existed.” From that point on, the photographer utilized the camera as a tool for capturing archival footage of today’s world, which is ever-changing. Her interest in the arctic landscapes all began with a flight change. Rather than flying to sunny LA, Seaman opted for a seat on Alaska Airlines to the frigid airs of Kotzebue, Alaska. From there, she continued to venture to various arctic lands to capture the beauty of the glacial scenery and its majestic creatures.
