Photographer Kike Calvo: The Ice Is Melting

Photographer Kike Calvo: The Ice Is Melting

To see how photographers are documenting climate change around the world, watch our video Climate Change Is Real.

Kike Calvo is a photojournalist specializing in the relationship between humans and the environment. Throughout his career, he’s been on assignment in over 85 countries, and his cultural and environmental work has been published by National Geographic Society, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, among many others. He also recently launched a new company, Columbia Photo Expeditions, that runs boutique travel to Colombia for photographers and companies seeking photographic expertise.

Today, the climate change story he’s dedicated to is driven by the birth of his daughter and the realization that we have a responsibility to our planet and future generations. It all became clear when he was on an expedition up north a few years ago.

“I’ll never forget it,” says Kike. “We were sailing along the coast of Norway, less than a thousand kilometers from the North Pole. I remember we reached a 45-kilometer ice wall. It was impressive — just massive, sparkling, white. But it was melting. Thousands of liters of water pouring out of the ice.”

Water Pours From face of Brasvellbreen Glacier on Nordaustlandet. Svalbard Archipelago, Arctic Norway. © Kike Calvo

“It was then I realized that as humans, we have an urgency to respond to the climate change challenge if we really care about future generations and the livelihood our planet.”

Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) on the Ice edge at 82,11 degrees North. Svalbard Archipelago, Arctic Norway. © Kike Calvo

The photographs Kike has taken since capture images all over the Arctic — Greenland, Baffin Island, Svalbard, and beyond. For years, he’s been returning to these same locations, exploring the same corners of the planet. “When you keep coming back to the same places, you get a visual reference of change that strongly impacts not only your soul, but your heart and your mind,” he says.

Water Pours From face of Brasvellbreen Glacier on Nordaustlandet. Svalbard Archipelago, Arctic Norway. © Kike Calvo

Polar Bear in Snow Blizzard. © Kike Calvo

Kike says that in practical terms, the depletion of our polar regions has the power to enable both domestic and international discussions. And its photojournalists who are critical in bringing a voice to the communities of these regions, like the Inuits, and can help ensure they play a hands-on role in shaping their own future.

Inuit children. Pond Inlet, Baffin Island. High Arctic, Canada. © Kike Calvo

“I believe it’s our job as photographers to take viewers on a creative and emotional journey — to bring them to the center of the action,” says Kike. “But beyond this, it’s also our job to place a mirror in front of their eyes. After all, what if these real changes were actually happening in your own backyard?”

Today, Kike says that one of the most visible signs of climate change is the disappearance sea ice and studies indicate it’s likely that we may have ice-free arctic summers this century.

Local Inuit children. The fishing community of Kimmirut. © Kike Calvo

He adds, “As consequence, the livelihoods, cultures and ecosystems that are being supported by the ice are greatly threatened. We must act to save the region and the future generations of this planet.”

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What changes do you see? Email climatechange@photoshelter.com with your photo and the story behind it. We’ll choose several stories to share (and do so only with your permission).

*We strongly support your rights as a photographer. We will not use your images without your permission, and we claim no commercial rights to them.

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