And then you just can't feel your legs: Polar nights through the eyes of a Brit (8 photos)

British photographer Simon Roberts spent a year exploring the vastness of the world. This work took place in 2004-2005, and the result was the acclaimed project "Motherland." In it, the artist alternated travel photographs with statements by political and cultural figures.





Since then, Simon has continued to develop his own visual language, based on the contradiction between small objects and the all-encompassing natural world. Another remarkable, but lesser-known, project is the "Polar Nights" series. All photographs in the series were taken on the Kola Peninsula between December and January, when the region is literally plunged into 24-hour darkness. Because the sun barely breaks the horizon, stunningly beautiful lighting effects are created, directly referencing the project's title.



The unique winter landscape rightfully deserves to be called the project's protagonist, while people remain mere supporting characters against the backdrop of this natural wonder.

"Like ants, unknown and so small against the backdrop of the buildings, the faded silhouettes in my photographs emphasize the melancholic beauty of their environment."



During a period of complete darkness, he is forced to survive. The extreme weather conditions made the shooting process extremely challenging. Because of this, Simon eschewed expensive equipment, opting instead for a medium-format film camera. He reinforced the film with paper to prevent the fragile material from breaking in the cold.



"Using a digital camera would have been impractical in the horrific cold. Furthermore, at temperatures below -25 degrees Celsius, the batteries drain too quickly. Working in such cold is both challenging and invigorating."



"Most of the time, I spent no more than 30 minutes outside, because after that, you just lose the feeling in your arms and legs. It's quite difficult to use a tripod or change film in the camera!"



"The rich blue tones really surprised me when I developed the film in Moscow a couple of months later." I decided to continue working with this color effect, which was reflected throughout the entire series."



Simon found inspiration for the project in culture. He especially admired Russian directors Tarkovsky, Khlebnikov, and Zvyagintsev, as well as the writer Nikolai Gogol, whose Dead Souls captivated the British author.