Some years ago, it was his good fortune to meet a tribal elder on an island not far from Vancouver. His name is Jimmy Smith, and he shared a story with Frans Lanting that is told among his people, who call themselves the Kwikwasut'inuxw.
Once upon a time, he told to Frans, all animals on Earth were one. Even though they look different on the outside, inside, they're all the same, and from time to time they would gather at a sacred cave deep inside the forest to celebrate their unity. When they arrived, they would all take off their skins. Raven shed his feathers, bear his fur, and salmon her scales, and then, they would dance. But one day, a human made it to the cave and laughed at what he saw because he did not understand. Embarrassed, the animals fled, and that was the last time they revealed themselves this way.
The ancient understanding that underneath their separate identities, all animals are one, has been a powerful inspiration for him. He likes to get past the fur, the feathers and the scales. He want to get under the skin. No matter whether if he is facing a giant elephant or a tiny tree frog, his goal is to connect us with them, eye to eye. As a photographer, he tries to reach beyond the differences in our genetic makeup to appreciate all we have in common with every other living thing. When he use his camera, he dropped his skin like the animals at that cave so he can show who they really are.
"As animals blessed with the power of rational thought, we can marvel at the intricacies of life. As citizens of a planet in trouble, it is our moral responsibility to deal with the dramatic loss in diversity of life. But as humans with hearts, we can all rejoice in the unity of life, and perhaps we can change what once happened in that sacred cave. "
Estephany López Deza
Forgiveme for the delay.
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