Photography
fromThe Atlantic
1 week agoWheels Up
Edward Burtynsky documents altered industrial landscapes and also photographs pristine natural sites to convey both environmental warning and cautious hope.
Dawn was breaking over the lagoon when I looked down and saw one of the oldest life forms on earth. It wasn't much to look at. Lumpy, white, and sitting just below the surface of the water, it resembled an overgrown cauliflower. But its appearance notwithstanding, this was one of the most remarkable objects I had ever encountered. "It's called a stromatolite," my burly and ebullient guide, Edwin Ruiz, explained as he nursed his flask of morning coffee.