California photographer Pinar Ozger snapped this dramatic photo while flying over Barataria Bay in Louisiana on June 17.  It wasn’t, she says, supposed to look like this. (More.)

Ozger and two other professional photographers have been documenting what’s happening along the Gulf coast and in the sea for the last couple of weeks as part of TedxOil Spill conference that starts tomorrow in Washington. The conference will “bring together the powerful voices that have responded in a call to action over the various facets that amounted to our current oil crisis, including our dependency to fossil fuels, our irresponsibility to our environment and the unregulated parade that is environmental policy.”

The three-member photography team have amassed almost 700 powerful images that can be found online through a Flickr feed.  (Visit the site.)  In the days ahead, we’ll feature more of these stunning images.

Ozger said late Saturday in an interview that seeing the oil disaster from above — its acrid smell, its massive size and more — is a much different experience than witnessing it from ground level.  “It’s saddening to see,” she said.

• View some of Pinar Ozger’s oil spill photos.
• Submit your photo today to BetterGulf.org.

NOTE:  The June 17 photo above is copyright 2010 by Pinar Ozger and used by permission.  Reproduction is not allowed without permission.