TITLE: The Great Indifference

Born in Germany and based in Villach, Austria, I am a 37-year-old photographer navigating life after a brain tumor and stroke. These events left me with aphasia, making verbal communication a daily challenge. Photography has become my vital language—a way to express complex thoughts and observations without the need for words. My work is a testament to the belief that we only have one life, and everyone should capture their perspective of it. Through my lens, I find a freedom that speech cannot provide.

This image serves as a commentary on human apathy toward our planet. While a majestic whale—a symbol of the nature we are losing—lies before them, people walk past, preoccupied and indifferent. It reflects my observation that society often ignores the urgency of environmental preservation, choosing to remain detached from the very earth we depend on.

Note: Due to my aphasia, I used AI to help translate my thoughts into this written text.

AUTHOR: Bernhard Eisgruber (Austria)

Born in Germany and currently living in Villach, Austria, I am a 37-year-old photographer whose life was redefined by a sudden and profound medical crisis. After surviving a brain tumor and a subsequent stroke, my world was stripped of its most basic tools of communication. These events left me with aphasia, a condition that makes the everyday acts of speaking, writing, and even basic calculations an immense struggle.

In the wake of this change, I found that while my voice had faltered, my vision had sharpened. Photography has become my vital language—a way to translate complex observations and deep emotions into a form that requires no verbal explanation. Where words often fail me, the camera allows me to speak with clarity. It is my bridge back to the world, a tool that bypasses the limitations of my condition to share my perspective directly with others.

My work is deeply rooted in the belief that we only have one life, and our time is finite. This realization, born from my health struggles, has instilled in me a sense of urgency: every moment is worth capturing, and every photograph is a precious record of our existence. I am drawn to the streets because they are a theater of the unplanned and the authentic. Through my lens, I search for the "decisive moment"—the split second where light, geometry, and human emotion align to tell a story that would otherwise be lost to time.

Photography provides me with a sense of agency and a voice that speech cannot provide. It is a testament to the fact that even when communication is complicated, our need to connect and to be seen remains universal.

I choose to work in Black and White often because it strips away the distractions of the world, focusing instead on the raw contrast of our reality—much like my own journey through darkness and light. My images are not just pictures; they are my contribution to the conversation of humanity, proving that a single frame can hold the weight of a thousand unspoken words.

Note on Communication: Due to my linguistic challenges with aphasia, I utilize AI as a supportive tool to help translate my internal thoughts and experiences into this written text. While the words are polished with assistance, the vision, the heart, and the photographs are entirely my own.