Throughout its 150 year history, Japanese cosmetic brand Shiseido, has been committed to beauty in all forms. So it should come as no surprise that a commitment to the arts, craftsmanship, and sustainability are central to their mission. To toast this legacy past and present, Shiseido teamed up with Emmy-nominated wildlife photographer, Enzo Barracco for a special exhibition and evening in New York to celebrate his radiant series and new imprint, The Skin of Rock: Galapagos. The evening kicked off with remarks from Shiseido's Executive Vice President Alessio Rossi, and US Vice President of Integrated Marketing Kenya Eldridge, followed by a fireside chat between Barracco and moderator Sid Feddema.

Born in Sicily, Barracco made a name for himself as fashion photographer, living between New York and London. After stumbling upon the biography of Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton, Barracco's life changed instantly. Inspired by Shackleton's mission and message, Barracco put together an expedition of his own, culminating in a body of work and book, The Noise of Ice: Antartica. Inspired by his medium's ability to capture and create collective action, Barracco's second project, explores the flora and fauna of the Galapagos Islands. Barracco's work is held by numerous high profile collectors and institutions including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

FLAUNT sat down with Barracco at Shiseido’s US Headquarters to discuss his kinship with the ocean, the endurance and fragility of the natural world, and the power of photography in fostering change.

What drew you to the Galapagos? Having grown up in Sicily, do you have a kinship with water and with islands?

All of my work is centered around the ocean, because I grew up by the ocean. I feel indebted to the ocean and what it gave to me, so now I am in the position to give back. I developed a project to raise awareness about the ocean. I started with a project about Antarctica, because it influences all of the oceans and currents around the world. Funny enough, when I was in Antarctica I discovered that there is a strong current that goes to the Galapagos. So if Antarctica is changing my life and my career, I was curious to understand what other places could influence me, which is how I ended up in the Galapagos.

How did you begin your career in wildlife photography?

I was a fashion photographer, and by accident when I was living in London, I went to a bookstore, and found a book about the explorer Ernest Shackleton. And it basically immediately changed my life. This story of never giving up, of incredible courage, [and it] inspired me to organize my own expedition. I went to Antarctica, and when I came back it had changed my life, and I didn’t go back to fashion. Of course nature was always my muse, but the story helped me to make this switch.

In your experience, is it harder to work with nature or with models?

[Barracco laughs] When you work in fashion, you control everything. You control the set, you control the lighting, but when you work in nature, nature controls you. It controls where you go, and you need to respect the timing of nature. Sometimes to do a photo you’ll need to wait six or eight hours, and you need to anticipate what will happen. Nature organizes everything and you need to be a respectful guest.

How do you think about the endurance and fragility of the natural world?

In the wilderness you are always seeing power contrasted with fragility. In the more extreme places that you go, you witness this every second. You realize two things, how lucky we are to live in this world, and the responsibility we have to maintain it, and two, how fine the line is between that balance. Nature has the capacity to make us understand where we come from.

We think that we can control nature–

No no no. We don’t have a chance. You can see very quickly how powerful nature is. I always say that we forget to listen, we forget to see, and I don’t think it is a very smart choice, because nature always has the capacity to surprise us. ‍

We can try to conceptualize the challenges we are facing with a changing climate, but do you feel there is something about photography that lends itself to creating and inspiring change.

I think photographers have an almost magic ability to communicate a very complex story. It is the perfect tool to communicate this, because it engages the audience in a very unique way. Every time that you look at a photo you look at a different detail. Photography also doesn’t need translation. We know numbers, we know data, but photography gives you the chance to see climate change now.

There was an experience I had actually when I was in Antarctica, and I went back to Cambridge University, who was a partner on the expedition. It’s nice that collectors and institutions appreciate my work, but when I brought it to the scientists [at Cambridge] they were actually shocked, because I captured an iceberg, which when it is trying to survive, loses its point of balance, and flips upside-down. We know that it happens, but we never see it. I’m not a scientist, I’m not an explorer, but this is what photography can do.

How did this initiative come together and how do you feel aligned with Shiseido’s mission and sustainability goals?

I was living in Tokyo, and of course Sheseido was very present when I was there. I always had a deep admiration and respect for the attention they place on art and on science. So it was a privilege and a pleasure to work with them, because I know they have such a strong interest and focus on nature and on the ocean.

Shiseido and Barracco have also teamed up to auction work from The Skin of Rock: Galapagos collection, with proceeds going to support the World Surf Leagues’, One Ocean, non-profit initiative. Place a bid HERE through November 23rd.