World Photography Day 2025 – My Favourite Photo
Every year on 19 August, World Photography Day invites us to pause and reflect on the power of photography to preserve, inspire, and connect us. The theme for 2025, “My Favourite Photo”, is both simple and profound reminding us how a single image can hold memories, meaning, and history.
For the Antarctic Legacy of South Africa (ALSA), choosing just one favourite photo is almost impossible. Since 2009, ALSA has been fortunate to receive thousands of contributions from researchers, takeover personnel, and overwintering team members who have lived and worked in the Antarctic, on the sub-Antarctic islands and Southern Ocean. These photographs cover a breathtaking range of themes:
- People – portraits of life in the extremes, from hardworking expedition teams to shared moments of camaraderie.
- Vessels – images of the ships that carry explorers and supplies across the treacherous Southern Ocean.
- Infrastructure – photos documenting the evolution of bases, laboratories, and living quarters that sustain life in remote environments.
- Research – powerful glimpses into the science being conducted, from seabird monitoring to atmospheric studies.
- The Environment – vast icescapes, unique wildlife, and the ever-changing moods of the Southern Ocean and polar skies.
Each image tells a story of endurance, discovery, and the human spirit in one of the world’s most extreme regions. Together, they form a unique visual archive that safeguards South Africa’s Antarctic legacy for future generations.
Beyond the archive, ALSA is proud to have supported the publication of two extraordinary photography books:
- Jean Brundrit’s “Over the Horizon”, a groundbreaking collection of Antarctic images created with a lens made of ice itself, reflecting the fragile beauty of the polar regions.
- “Marion Through the Lens” by Sean Evans and Tavis Dalton, a visual journey through their year as sealers on Marion Island, capturing both the harsh realities and breathtaking wonders of overwintering life.
On this World Photography Day, ALSA expresses its deep gratitude to everyone who has contributed their photographs over the years. While we cannot choose a single favourite, we recognize that each photo—whether of a windswept research hut, a ship in the mist, a penguin colony, or a smiling teammate—holds an irreplaceable place in our collective memory.
Thanks to the dedication of so many contributors, these images are preserved in the ALSA archive, ensuring that the stories of South Africa’s Antarctic journeys will continue to inspire long into the future.
Happy World Photography Day 2025!