James Balog is a famous National Geographic and nature photographer. His work spans across environments and subjects. However, his recent obsession for the past ten years has been with ice. His photographs take the usual viewpoint, what is used to chill our drinks, and excels it's natural beauty to a class all its own. His ability and determination to repeatedly photograph stationary blocks of frozen ice is remarkable and is clearly shown in his body of work.
James Balog first got started with ice after he graduated from Boston College with a graduate degree in geography and geomorphology. He loved science, but hated the numbers, statistics, and newer computer models. So for awhile he switched to photography and melted his degree with his passion. By catching ice on film year after year, he noticed how fast they appeared to be disappearing in the course of 365 days. He decided to do some more research and developed stationed cameras to take pictures hundreds of times during the day and night. He placed these cameras in Greenland, Iceland, and Alaska. This is what he saw,
The first image above is a time lapse of the same glacier over the years. From 1851 to 1875 it melted roughly 10 km. From 2000 to 2006 it melted twice that. In six years, more ice had melted than in 20 years. The second photo described a different glacier in a different area of the world. This glacier melted 1,200 feet in one generation. That's the size of the Empire State Building. Talk about a wow factor. So why are glaciers melting all over the world at an alarming rate? James Balog provides one answer, global warming.
When he first provided this answer the general public was stunned. He had used government research money and provided an answer of something that "didn't exist". He also openly talked about global warming to the globe; thus stunning the masses with his photographs and years of proof. Many fans of his work were shocked that he put his own name down on these studies and photographs,
James Balog's work created ripples worldwide. Someone finally had photographic proof of something that scientists only had numbers for. James Balog took his work on the road and spoke lectures nationwide to provide personal stories and a person to photos. His art has educated the masses and provided awareness. He made the unbelievers believe and the ignorant a chance to see something tangible. His work is a stunning and remarkable portfolio that all artists hope to attain one day. a portfolio that speaks on its on; that displays a purpose. James Balog shows that art is necessary in this culture and shouldn't die. The arts are a necessity, and the conversation that comes from them can be earth-shattering.
James Balog's Portfolio: http://jamesbalog.com/
James Balog's Extreme Ice Survey: https://chasingice.com/
James Balog's Documentary: Chasing Ice
