polar bears and the icebreaker
You can take thousands of shots in the moment of a great encounter. You can shoot from one side, other side, every side. Sometimes you’re so exhilarated, you just hold your finger down taking 20+ frames per second. But you always feel that exact moment when you got “the” shot - the one you dreamed of. When everything comes together: the animal’s mood, light, clouds, composition, and perhaps a bit of nature’s magic. I called this image - “A Home Divided” and here’s why.
Polar bears and man exist in two different worlds. We - wake up to our smartphone alarms, go to the office so that we can buy lunch, force ourselves to the gym to work off said lunch, and then go to the bar looking to forget the day at the bottom of a glass. The bear just lives - and in order to live it does not need a Gucci bag or a TikTok feed.
Progress is relentless and as we move up the technological ladder, we are melting ice, destroying forests, and devastating the oceans. In the process, the two worlds - man and nature - continue to drift apart. And, the crown of this incompatibility - we board this huge iron vessel with a capacity of 75k horsepower, with a luxury bar and a pool to explore “the animal world”, a place moving further and further away from us.
The world as we know it is very fragile, and the current state of affairs - from political conflicts and nuclear tension to the climate crisis - means that the end could very well be nigh. These things are real, and if they continue as they are, the outcome will be catastrophic. I’m curious - what will it take to steer this ship around?
So - a home divided. Or maybe the world is divided?
Photo art print, unframed, printed on Fuji Crystal Archive Digital Pearl paper with 3cm (1.19in) borders.
“House of Bears” , Kolyuchin Island, Chukotka, Russia.
Shrouded in fog, the remote island of Kolyuchin in the Russian Far East looked eerie and deserted. Suddenly, I noticed movement in the windows. From our small yacht, seeking shelter from the storm, I grabbed binoculars — and the ghostly shapes came into focus: polar bears. Around 20 of them, mostly males, wandered through the abandoned settlement, exploring windows and doors.
Polar bears are naturally curious and opportunistic. While females with cubs stayed near the shore, the males roamed among discarded fuel barrels. Such a gathering is rare here. Most bears in this region follow retreating sea ice further north in summer. But in September 2021, loose pack ice brought them to the island.
Using a drone with low-noise propellers to avoid disturbing them, I captured an image that felt like a glimpse into a post-apocalyptic world — where nature reclaims what humanity leaves behind.
The art print includes a signed Certificate of Authenticity.
Please note that due to white borders, the actual paper size will have an additional 6cm (2,38in) on both the width and the height of your chosen size. These borders will be removed in the framing shop when you will frame the print.
Printed in the UK or Germany, worldwide shipping in a mailing tube via express delivery. From the placement of an order please allow up to 3 business days for processing and printing, around 7 business days for shipping internationally.
If your country is not on the delivery list at check-out, please don’t stress, just shoot me an email - dmitry.kokh@gmail.com
*P.S: Thank you for checking out my shop! Travelling to some of the most remote places on the planet is far from glamorous and can be very, very costly. Your support is crucial in helping me continue this work, which I love, and cherish sharing with you! :)
Framing and custom sizes are available upon request.