Stuart Hammill, Dissolve (PEOPLE 2022)

This is my expression of grief over climate change. The woman in the picture knows water scarcity is one of the saddest by-products of global warming. If temperatures continue to rise, water shortages will be commonplace. We’ll see extremes of long dry spells and dangerous floods. In fact, the World Health Organization estimates that half of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed areas by 2025. In this image, I sought to capture a person holding onto the earth for dear life. She rests in the precious water, knowing it’s vital to survival. Climate change is a threat to our most precious resource. Without water, life is lost. Without water, we dissolve. Shot with Canon 6D. Canon EF 24-105mm F4 lens. ISO 200, 24-105@85mm, f/8, 1/125s

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.