Social Hour
2023
Social Hour
“You had a once-in-a-year day today.”
Wildlife experiences tend to be easier to describe in feelings than in frequency. Even then, I find myself taking days, months, or even years to find the right words to accompany an image.
The nature of these moments varies significantly. A combination of conditions, duration, and behavior makes it difficult to assign odds to what you observe.
So, this time, I let my guide to do it for me.
Most encounters with these whales are brief. They swim past you in seconds as they prepare for their next descent into the abyss for their hunt. Even during these “respites” for air, the titans slice through the water far too quickly to keep up with.
The two coveted behaviors—sleeping and socializing—are the most visually impactful. They also provide you with the most time and flexibility to maneuver around the animals to create an image.
On this day, I was graced with both.
Socialization events, like the one captured here, are not often witnessed. Sperm whales form tightly knit matrilineal units of around ten members. Grandmothers, mothers, and calves of a single unit, or even multiple units, take pause from their travel to congregate at the surface.
They twirl in place, bob their heads, and press together in a tangle of forms, clicking constantly in conversation. These 15-ton giants converge in a single moment—bodies and time aligned.
No matter how many times I return to Dominica, I likely won’t have a day like this again. It was the novelty of the encounter, but also the essence of it.
You always hope for a subject engaged with you and your camera, yet there are times when interactions among the animals carry far more weight. The whales engage in this spectacular display—not to impress, but to connect.
These bonds being forged will last the rest of their lives.
LIMITED EDITION
A moment captured for a life on paper.
Eric works with a renowned print studio in Brooklyn, New York, known for decades of expertise in archival pigment printing. The local lab allows for a collaborative approach, ensuring that his intended vision is expressed in the final artwork. When cared for properly, archival pigment prints can last for over a century.
Archival Pigment Prints
Modern printmaking, refined. Pigment prints utilize state-of-the-art digital technology and high-quality pigment-based inks to achieve striking reproductions. A digital image is applied directly onto the paper using precision inkjet printers, ensuring both image quality and longevity.
Vision meets the surface. Archival papers differ in weight, material, and texture. A paper is chosen to best suit the intent of the piece, from satin finishes to enhance rich shadows and colors, to handmade Japanese rice paper that offers a more textured and vintage feel.
The edition size ensures that only the number of prints indicated will ever be produced. Each print is proofed, reviewed, numbered, and signed by Eric, and includes a Certificate of Authenticity that is unique to your artwork.
Prices from $3,500 USD
Archival Pigment Print
20’’ x 30’’ / 50.8 x 76.2 cm
Edition of 15
24’’ x 36’’ / 61.0 x 91.4 cm
Edition of 7
Silver Gelatin Print
36’’ x 54’’ / 91.4 x 137.2 cm
Edition of 3
46’’ x 69’’ / 116.8 x 175.3 cm
Edition of 2
