On The Shore
by Hara Sklika
portfolio special mention call 'Urbanautica Institute Awards 2023', 2023
Category: People and Communities
In search of a safe activity close to nature during the recent lockdowns, many people globally turned to the practice of winter swimming. Ice cold dips rise in popularity, they become addictive. Communities are born out of this magical feeling, inviting others to trial it. In the project "On the Shore" man-made structures, lonely trees and winter swimmers stand for a moment in front of the camera lens, implying the serenity of a lonesome winter landscape and the rejuvenation the cold sea offers. The calmness of the setting is in conversation with the wistful posture of the subjects and the emblematic presence of the abandoned structures in the deserted coast. The calm view of the horizon represents the sense of balance felt after a dive in the cold winter water. Placing the human figure at the center of the image and employing a straight look, plant the photographer and their subject firmly in the scene - as if nothing else is happening around them. Perhaps the lens captures the swimmers’ instinctive preparation; the moment where thoughts and doubts are left ashore.
also from Urbanautica Institute Awards 2023