Photos that give voice to the animal kingdom
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0:01 - 0:04Humanity takes center stage at TED,
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0:04 - 0:07but I would like to add
a voice for the animals, -
0:07 - 0:13whose bodies and minds
and spirits shaped us. -
0:13 - 0:16Some years ago, it was my good fortune
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0:16 - 0:18to meet a tribal elder on an island
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0:18 - 0:21not far from Vancouver.
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0:21 - 0:23His name is Jimmy Smith,
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0:23 - 0:25and he shared a story with me
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0:25 - 0:28that is told among his people,
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0:28 - 0:31who call themselves the Kwikwasut'inuxw.
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0:31 - 0:34Once upon a time, he told me,
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0:34 - 0:37all animals on Earth were one.
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0:37 - 0:40Even though they look different on the outside,
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0:40 - 0:43inside, they're all the same,
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0:43 - 0:45and from time to time they would gather
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0:45 - 0:48at a sacred cave deep inside the forest
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0:48 - 0:51to celebrate their unity.
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0:51 - 0:52When they arrived,
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0:52 - 0:55they would all take off their skins.
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0:55 - 0:58Raven shed his feathers, bear his fur,
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0:58 - 1:01and salmon her scales,
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1:01 - 1:04and then, they would dance.
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1:04 - 1:07But one day, a human made it to the cave
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1:07 - 1:09and laughed at what he saw
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1:09 - 1:12because he did not understand.
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1:12 - 1:15Embarrassed, the animals fled,
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1:15 - 1:17and that was the last time
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1:17 - 1:21they revealed themselves this way.
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1:21 - 1:23The ancient understanding that underneath
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1:23 - 1:26their separate identities, all animals are one,
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1:26 - 1:30has been a powerful inspiration to me.
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1:30 - 1:33I like to get past the fur, the feathers
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1:33 - 1:35and the scales.
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1:35 - 1:37I want to get under the skin.
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1:37 - 1:40No matter whether I'm facing a giant elephant
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1:40 - 1:42or a tiny tree frog,
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1:42 - 1:49my goal is to connect us with them, eye to eye.
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1:49 - 1:52You may wonder, do I ever photograph people?
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1:52 - 1:56Sure. People are always present in my photos,
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1:56 - 1:58no matter whether they appear
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1:58 - 2:01to portray tortoises
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2:01 - 2:02or cougars
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2:02 - 2:04or lions.
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2:04 - 2:09You just have to learn how
to look past their disguise. -
2:09 - 2:10As a photographer,
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2:10 - 2:13I try to reach beyond the differences
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2:13 - 2:15in our genetic makeup
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2:15 - 2:19to appreciate all we have in common
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2:19 - 2:22with every other living thing.
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2:22 - 2:25When I use my camera,
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2:25 - 2:26I drop my skin
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2:26 - 2:29like the animals at that cave
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2:29 - 2:33so I can show who they really are.
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2:33 - 2:35As animals blessed
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2:35 - 2:39with the power of rational thought,
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2:39 - 2:43we can marvel at the intricacies of life.
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2:43 - 2:46As citizens of a planet in trouble,
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2:46 - 2:49it is our moral responsibility
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2:49 - 2:54to deal with the dramatic loss in diversity of life.
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2:54 - 2:56But as humans with hearts,
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2:56 - 3:00we can all rejoice in the unity of life,
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3:00 - 3:03and perhaps we can change
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3:03 - 3:07what once happened in that sacred cave.
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3:07 - 3:12Let's find a way to join the dance.
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3:12 - 3:15Thank you.
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3:15 - 3:17(Applause)
- Title:
- Photos that give voice to the animal kingdom
- Speaker:
- Frans Lanting
- Description:
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Nature photographer Frans Lanting uses vibrant images to take us deep into the animal world. In this short, visual talk he calls for us to reconnect with other earthly creatures, and to shed the metaphorical skins that separate us from each other.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDTalks
- Duration:
- 03:30
Morton Bast edited English subtitles for Photos that give voice to the animal kingdom | ||
Morton Bast approved English subtitles for Photos that give voice to the animal kingdom | ||
Morton Bast edited English subtitles for Photos that give voice to the animal kingdom | ||
Morton Bast edited English subtitles for Photos that give voice to the animal kingdom | ||
Morton Bast edited English subtitles for Photos that give voice to the animal kingdom | ||
Madeleine Aronson accepted English subtitles for Photos that give voice to the animal kingdom | ||
Madeleine Aronson edited English subtitles for Photos that give voice to the animal kingdom | ||
Madeleine Aronson edited English subtitles for Photos that give voice to the animal kingdom |