Photographer Neill Drake Recreates a Glacier Photograph Taken in the Arctic Over a Century Ago.
Climate change is having a devastating impact on the state of melting ice. To illustrate these effects more clearly, photographer Neill Drake has recreated a photograph of a glacier taken in the Arctic over a century ago, highlighting the significant reduction in ice today and issuing a warning about climate change.
The Blomstrand Glacier, located in Svalbard, was photographed in 1918 by the Norwegian Polar Institute, showcasing a towering ice wall that seemed impenetrable.
However, 104 years later, Drake has recreated the image to illustrate the catastrophic decline that scientists attribute to global warming.
Drake explained that he felt a responsibility to take this photograph when he had the opportunity to visit the location where the old photo was taken. He mentioned that he aimed to capture an image as close to the original as possible, using a Sony a7R III camera and a Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 lens.
Using a print of the original photo as a guide, Drake began searching for the position to take a photo as similar as possible. Based on the unique shape of the mountain peak in the original image, Drake moved to the exact location where the 1918 photograph was taken.
“I probably took about 40-50 photos and then used Photoshop and Lightroom to find the best comparison image by overlaying the two images and using a low opacity.”
Photographer Neill Drake
Drake shared that he developed a passion for the environment after working as a guide in Antarctica, where he witnessed dozens of glaciers shrinking or disappearing entirely.
