I grew up in a rural area and have literally watched the glaciers melt. The realisation came early to me. When I got a camera, I soon began to wonder — what will this look like in 50 years or 100 years …
I absolutely love documenting my surroundings. Photographing people and hearing their stories. I thoroughly enjoy being among people — experiencing how they live — and the camera becomes a pen writing their stories, so to speak. There is a whole other viewpoint. When you are on site you get a different sense of what worries the people who live and breathe in the area. Initially, I started wandering around in the Arctic for a good photograph, which then changed into the need to tell a story and leave something valuable behind for future generations.This has led me to concentrate on things that are changing and possibly even disappearing.
The intention is not to preach but rather just to cast light on life in the Arctic, which will hopefully encourage those who want to preserve it to make small changes in their lifestyle. No-one is saying that everything has to grind to a halt. This is where the debate is stuck today, and it is counterproductive.These images are the result of many years’ work and I have visited all 8 Arctic countries — I have walked on these pages, something that is completely different to reading a book or an article about the place. Whether on the tundra with reindeer herders or going to closed cities in Siberia, the Arctic is a truly amazing place.
61 photos