Sustainable Consumption

One of my most memorable life experiences was the Tour de Mont Blanc just before entering university. It was the hardest physical challenge I had ever completed, especially given how unprepared my group was for the hike. However, I distinctly remember one of the many climbs along the way, just before reaching the border between France and Italy. The sun was shining just past the top of the peak we were hiking towards, and below, the lower mountains were still surrounded by darkness. The contrast between light and dark around us, Mont Blanc rising ominously on our left, and the fatigue of several days camping surprisingly combined into unexpected, blissful awe. I felt a connection with the world around me so intensely that I somehow regained strength and vigour - simply by existing. In that moment, I was a titan conquering the world in a symbiotic way, something which might seem like an oxymoron but somehow made perfect sense.

This personal memory came up naturally whilst thinking about what "Sustainable Consumption" means to me, as a photography theme. Discussing sustainability implies a sense of communion with the environment around us, whether that is Queen's Lawn or the Alps. The feeling of the sublime is what has provided me with personal favourite pictures from my hiking trip and what has inspired great photographers such as Ansel Adams and Yann Arthus-Bertrand (who I mentioned in "Seasonal Landspaces", Issue #1848), as well as countless other artists, poets, and writers. To me, "Sustainable Consumption" is about realising that relationship with the world and understanding that to exist, we must erode part of it, yet there is a balance to look for, which does not assure mutual destruction.

In the midst of the now overly touristy Camden Market, Antoine shows a different view of this theme, which I admittedly had not thought about. Sustainability here doesn't mean the inclusion of the sense of unity, but rather the exclusion of those characteristics which make consumption unsustainable in the first place.

In the photographer's own words: "No multinational brands, no excessive transport - just locally sourced produce, consumed on the spot with minimal waste. This image celebrates a model of sustainable consumption: direct, low-impact, and mindful of both people and the planet". From a technical angle, Orange Gold has journalistic characteristics: the wide-angle lens and low framing show great understanding of the nuances of documentary photography.

Finally, I should mention Ashtray on my balcony, a more experimental submission this week, which captures aggressive shadows and uncomfortable shapes and lines, while still framing the subject precisely and unequivocally. I think this picture might be a sad reminder of the sort of damage that consumption can create - cigarettes are not known for being a healthy choice.