The Swans (2024) seems, at first glance of the photograph, a peaceful and happy moment with two figures holding children on the shore watching a group of two swans swimming by. The swans seem to be drifting towards them, yet one can see the solitude disrupted when one looks above them and further out into the horizon. The motorboats in the distance imply the threat of humans towards the environment (as these motorboats affect the swans and pollute the oceans- even after being removed from use, they end up in landfills polluting the land as well).
The photograph seems as though it is staged, however it is not- the figures are parallel to each other on each side of the photograph and create symmetry. The land and the sea take up half of the composition; only separated by the horizon and sky taking the upper half. The motorboats invade the space which seem to be coming closer through the horizon and adding a noise to the photograph. Hence, the photograph was taken in a spontaneous moment snapshotting it perfectly.
The swans are not only swimming closer to the photographer but also away from the motorboats, which are starting to encroach on the scene. However, the lack of more swans in the scene could also suggest that they are at risk of disappearing as human pollution continues to increase in the oceans and on land. Therefore, it reminds the viewer of these issues and challenges them to confront them to help heal the world.