In his talks he offers insight into three major areas of his work. It begins with the journey to follow the inspiration given to him by two whales, and the external and personal challenges he had to overcome to document and share these creatures on their scale.
With the challenges he faced in our world, he moves to share the challenges in the world of a whale. Over the years Austin has grown to appreciate the concept of coming to know whales as individuals. He will share stories about seven of them, some that have spent up to six hours per day for five days with him. Individual whales spending time with him on their terms, from a distance less than six feet is what is at the core of his work, and what allows him to create largest photographs of whales in the world.
His talk concludes with his extensive work in Norway and Japan where he has so far carried out six exhibitions within these countries. He offers insights to the overwhelmingly positive responses both from the public and from the media in these countries and how it has provided him with a glimpse into the potential for positive change with the simple act of making a whale visible. He concludes with a message of hope for the oceans, one that can be achieved if new bonds between species can be formed.
