Daniel Beltra is a passionate environmental photographer based in Seattle, Washington who spent two months documenting the devastation wrecked by the Deepwater Horizon Gulf Oil Spill from an airplane. Visually arresting, powerful and compelling, his images reveal the destructive effect of mankind on his environment, and use the transformative power of art to initiate and encourage change.

“The fragile state of our ecosystems is a continuous thread throughout my work. It is in nature’s beauty and complexity that I find my inspiration. My photographs show the vast scale of transformation our world is under from man-made stresses. To capture this, I have found it is often best to work from the air, which more easily allows for the juxtaposition of nature with the destruction wrought by unsustainable development. Aerial photography gives a unique perspective emphasizing that the Earth and its resources are finite. By taking viewers to remote locations where man and nature are at odds, I hope to instill a deeper appreciation for the precarious balance we are imposing on the planet.”