Chatting the Pictures: Personal Meets Political in Undersea Climate Change Portraits

This portrait is part of a series called “SINK / RISE by photographer Nick Brandt published by CNN on November 4, 2023. The images, which Brandt describes as “pre-apocalyptic,” feature South Pacific islanders underwater, symbolizing the future loss of their homes, lands, and livelihoods due to climate change. The process of capturing these images mirrors that adversity, involving dive training, breath-holding, and the construction of scenes. Despite contributing only a small percentage of global greenhouse gas emissions, Pacific islands like Fiji face the risk of complete submersion.

The video discusses the project’s powerful blending of portraiture and landscape and the brilliant tension between domesticity and disaster. We focus on the solitary figures as “everyman” and “every woman,” as well as symbols of global isolation. Finally, we examine how the composure of the subjects reflects dignity and determination in the face of overwhelming threat.