The image I chose to analyze is particularly moving because it emphasizes the grave consequences of global warming. It captures an underweight polar bear struggling across a small piece of melting Arctic ice. The bear has matted fur perhaps because of having to swim to the small surface of the ice to search for food, as most other ice has probably melted away and prey is scarce. Viewers can even observe that the iceberg that the bear stands on is also melting away, and only the Arctic Ocean and another small piece of ice surrounds the bear. Its bones are clearly visible beneath the bear’s fur, showing that the bear has been malnourished, and the bear looks towards the water, perhaps to look for food.

The perspective of the image enables the photographer’s central message about climate change advocacy to resonate with viewers. Even if there were other icebergs simply on the other side of the camera lens, the viewpoint of the audience can only see the two small pieces captured. The lack of ice would bring a shock to viewers knowing that the photo was taken in the Arctic, which most imagine would have an abundance of glaciers for animals such as polar bears to walk across. Seeing the dominance of the ocean through the photo would almost act as a wake-up call for the photographer’s audience to address climate change, as the world’s increased temperature would cause such the expected icebergs and glaciers to melt away.

Another striking aspect of the image is the bear’s physique. When most see photos of polar bears through books or documentaries, they have fluffy white fur and seem to be well-fed. The bear in the photo above, however, has matted down fur from being forced to swim to the ice surface and bones that jut through its fur. Since polar bears go to the ocean to search for food, viewers might infer that the bear has been searching for food and has possibly been unsuccessful because it had to swim out to the iceberg it stands on. The portrayal of the bear is especially alarming because when many think of bears, they imagine big, strong animals. The photo, however, shows one of these bears appearing vulnerable and weak because of global warming and its consequences for the Arctic ecosystem, causing the audience to recognize the dire need to act on the issue.

Given that people’s general perceptions of polar bears as big, strong animals who lived surrounded by their icy habitats, the photo above serves as a shock for viewers, causing the photographer’s message about addressing climate change to resonate with the audience.