Gulf photos make impact over three months
By ANDY BRACK
Reprinted from CharlestonCurrents.com

AUG. 30, 2010 — Today marks the 100th photograph posted to our BetterGulf.org photo blog that tells stories in pictures about what’s happening along the Gulf of Mexico following the big April Deepwater Horizon well disaster.

Since the beginning of June, the site has offered a new photo every single day. Viewers can see images of oiled and dead birds, fish kills, brown marshes and goo on beaches. There have been breathtaking aerial shots of a sea covered in an oily sheen, marshes colored brown by oil and thick black smoke from oil burn-offs.

But there have been more optimistic photos too — shots of workers working in burning sun on white sandy beaches to clear tarballs and goop. You’ve been able to see Coast Guard images of people cleaning oiled birds, eventually setting them free. Thousands gathered in hundreds of places to celebrate Hands Across the Sand to raise awareness of dangers inherent in drilling oil. The Sierra Club placed 10,000 small American flags on the National Mall in Washington to send its message.

Through the months, I’ve been struck by the generosity of photographers along the Gulf coast who share their work. Among the most notable:

• Drew Wheelan, American Birding Association. For weeks since the spill, Wheelan has been documenting the impact of the spill on wildlife, particularly migratory birds that roost along the Louisiana coast. He’s offered touching pictures of oiled birds, fish kills, dismantled boom that wasn’t doing its job and dead wildlife. Through the months, the spill has had physical, as well as emotional, impact on Wheelan, who had to leave the area for several days after getting sick from noxious fumes.

• Photojournalist Zoriah. The war photographer went to the Gulf on his own dime to uncover the untold story of the spill. He’s rewarded viewers with an image of a toe tag being put on a dead bird, another of a carcass collection sign and another of a bird being cleaned. In coming days, he expects to put a photo essay on his blog.

• Terri Garland. The Southern photographer highlighted the impact of the storm on people with portraits taken against a black background. Adjacent to the photo, she offered the impact written in their own words.

• TedX Oilspill Expedition. Three photographers, including Pinar Ozger and Kris Krug, swept into the Gulf in July and took amazing photos of oil burning in the Gulf, the sheen that dotted the sea and other photos that showed the impact.

• Richard Shephard. The Massachusetts photographer used an ultralight plane in June to take gripping photos of oil pools along the Louisiana coast and more.

• Jane Fulton Alt. This conceptual artist from the Chicago area covered models in a nontoxic but oily-looking substance and had them stand in Lake Michigan to demonstrate how everyone had a responsibility in the spill because of the nation’s addiction to oil.

• U.S. Coast Guard. Day in and day out, photographers with the U.S. Coast Guard have documented the agency’s efforts to help clean up the spill and coordinate help.

Check out BetterGulf.org. If you like what you see, you can sign up for free to get a daily email of photos that are posted.