THE CRYOPHILIA PROJECT
Bringing awareness to vanishing ice by capturing changing landscapes and ice features around the world.
Ever since I started in photography I have been fascinated by ice as a subject. At first glance, solid water may appear to be mundane as a subject. However, through extensive explorations at the high latitudes and cold parts of the planet, I've repeatedly marvelled at how ice can display an infinite array of textures, present ever-changing shades of blue and white, and interact with light in countless ways. Ice is never the same. In the face of that fact, I feel both fascination and heartache.
CRYOPHILIA
From ancient Greek meaning “frost loving,” cryophiles prefer or thrive at low temperatures.
It seems we’re only decades, maybe even a decade, away from some of this ice disappearing altogether. Some of the ice featured in my photographs taken just a few years ago is already gone. With rising temperatures, we risk the melting of our polar regions and our world’s glaciers. The implications of this are well-researched and documented. Many dedicated scientists are working to better understand what is happening and what is at stake. By and large, the practical consequences of melting ice are widely discussed — a role I leave to those who are qualified to speak about it. Where I feel I can best contribute is to use the power of photography to raise alarm at the loss of the aesthetics of ice and showcase its beauty for others to appreciate.
“…for me, the loss of these frozen landscapes also signifies the loss of a unique, powerful experience.”
Paul Zizka
Photo: Trixie Pacis.
Beyond the long-term human and environmental consequences of melting ice, for me, the loss of these frozen landscapes also signifies the loss of a unique, powerful experience. The stillness and silence of cold places are humbling and wonderfully eerie. The beauty in ever-changing and extraordinary ice features is a wonder to look at. It is a delight — and also a challenge — to capture with the camera. My calling as an artist is to continue to celebrate and document ice before it vanishes. Icescapes are among the most dynamic, exciting, and fascinating locations a photographer can hope to document. I consider it a privilege to be able to bring the beauty and mystery of these foreign, enchanting worlds to others.
The project will result in a book and will culminate with a public exhibit so that more people can experience the artistry and impermanence of the world’s frozen places.
LOCATIONS
View the map of locations I’ve photographed so far.
PORTFOLIO
A sampling of images from the collection.
About the Artist
Paul Zizka is an award-winning Canadian landscape photographer.
PROJECT NEWS
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Locations
Photographed thus far.
Canada:
Alberta
British Columbia
Yukon
Nunavut
Nunavik
Labrador
Northwest Territories
Global:
Antarctica
New Zealand
Nepal
Iceland
Greenland
Mongolia
Uganda
Ecuador
South Georgia
Alaska
Norway
UN INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF GLACIERS’ PRESERVATION
I am honoured to announce my official partnership with the UN International Year of Glaciers' Preservation (IYGP) through Paul Zizka Photography and the Cryophilia Project.
The United Nations has declared 2025 as the IYGP to raise awareness of the critical role of glaciers, snow and ice play in local and global climate systems, and to recognize the social and economic impacts their changes will bring. The core objectives of the IYGP are to better equip decision-makers globally with the tools and information needed to address the consequences of deglaciation and otherwise changing snow and ice conditions, and to ensure scientists and researchers have the capacity to provide that information.
In Canada, the IYGP is about much more than glaciers; it is about our changing frozen landscapes and how they impact our water, our culture and our lives. It is first and foremost about recognizing that they matter, and then about understanding why.
The documentation of ice in all its forms, and the changes we're seeing in the landscape is the focus of Cryophilia Project. My hope is it can help illustrate the landscapes that can at times feel so out of reach for many, but are the very ones we need to care about.
Articles
Sample Collection
Click any image to enlarge.
I started talking, half-jokingly, about trying to isolate an iceberg, which I know wouldn't be an easy task. But Jesse is always super keen to make my ideas come to life. He suggested that we could isolate an iceberg through a mix of towing and paddling. But, all we had for paddling was a hiking pole. As for towing, he suggested that he could place an ice screw into an iceberg, tie that to a rope and then we would be able to tow it from shore.