22nd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Birds in Blight

This image, taken in Walvis Bay, Namibia, captures the delicate grace of flamingos in what is ironically called a "bird sanctuary". The flamingos are juxtaposed against the stark intrusion of human activity: looming power lines, piles of earth, and nearby wastelands. It is a commentary on the uneasy coexistence of nature and human progress, where even sanctuaries are not immune to the spread of urban and industrial sprawl.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 07.2024
Date Uploaded: 12.2024
Photo Location: walvis bay, Namibia
Camera: NIKON D850
Copyright: © Alexandre Brisson