Artem Shestakov is a celebrated nature photographer with a focus on capturing stunning images of wildlife, landscapes, and natural scenes. His talent has been recognized with multiple awards, including the Shoot The Frame Wildlife Photography Award in March 2023. Shestakov’s photography is aimed at showcasing the beauty of the natural world while also raising awareness of the environmental threats that it faces.
Recently, Shestakov went on a captivating expedition to Antarctica with the Poseidon Expedition. The goal of the trip was to capture and showcase the beauty of the region while also shedding light on the impact of global warming on the fragile ecosystem. During this expedition, he managed to capture an incredible portrait of a Fur Seal.
South Georgia Island has the densest population of Antarctic Fur Seals on the planet. These seals are one of nine species of Fur Seals found worldwide. They were almost hunted to extinction for their fur, and their population bounced back only after the near-extinction of another animal, the baleen whale, which reduced competition for krill. In the early 20th century, only a few hundred Antarctic Fur Seals were found on South Georgia Island due to excessive hunting. Today, their numbers have increased to the hundreds of thousands or even millions during the breeding period.
Shoot The Frame Photo Awards, which began in 2012, has three monthly contest themes: portrait, landscape, and wildlife. The themes remain the same, and the home page of Shoot The Frame features exceptional photography from past finalists and winners. Shoot The Wild, a monthly international wildlife photography award, is also available to wildlife photographers who dedicate themselves to capturing stunning imagery. Members of Shoot The Frame have been sharing their wildlife imagery with the community since 2014.