In Focus: The Glacier ProjectIn Focus: The Glacier Project

In Focus: The Glacier Project

Sitting Down With

Elmar Janse and Merel Klomp

In the frozen stillness of high mountain ranges, where time seems to slow and the air is heavy with ancient cold, a massive slab of ice breaks loose from a glacier's edge. It crashes into the meltwater below, echoing through the valley like a distant warning. The scene etches itself into memory: breathtakingly beautiful, and at the same time, painfully finite.

For Dutch photographers, filmmakers and co-founders of Encrite creative imagery studio, Elmar Janse and Merel Klomp, witnessing such a moment became the catalyst for The Glacier Project, an ongoing visual exploration of glaciers as living, breathing entities slowly disappearing in a warming world. "We were struck by that contradiction," Elmar shares. "How something so magnificent can exist precisely because of something so tragic."
Since that moment, they have travelled across Europe from France and Norway to Iceland, capturing the fragile beauty of glaciers.
Their work documents the many stages of the glacial process: the mass of the glacier itself, braided rivers, moulins, moraines, meltwater erosion, and human intervention. While these phenomena are often studied scientifically, Merel and Elmar reframe them through the lens of art and design.
Their backgrounds in design are evident in the careful composition of their images. Fractal patterns, graphic arrangements, and dramatic shifts in scale invite viewers to get lost in the details and question what they're looking at. Some images seem more like paintings than landscape photography, yet they present a very real and disappearing world.
What sets The Glacier Project apart is its subtlety. There's no finger-pointing, no loud alarm. Instead, Merel and Elmar ask viewers to pause. To wonder. To feel. "We believe awareness begins with wonder," says Merel. "Facts and figures rarely move people the way images can."
Through powerful imagery, their work captures both the sublime and urgent reality of a changing climate. A tribute to glaciers, and a reminder of what we stand to lose. Art that doesn't shout, but whispers with precision. By using aesthetics to inspire change, it invites reflection rather than reaction. And perhaps, that's exactly what we need right now.

Urth

Can you share one of the most memorable images you’ve captured, and what made that moment stand out?

Elmar & Merel

One of the most memorable moments was when we first saw the braided rivers from an aerial perspective. It was an almost surreal sight, glacial rivers winding like veins through the landscape, creating these abstract patterns. At first glance, the image evokes a canvas of natural abstraction, fluid lines of slate blue and milky white. But its creation was anything but spontaneous.
Capturing that series took days of scouting. We had to understand the terrain, find the perfect vantage point and then wait for the right conditions. The light, the weather, everything had to fall into place. It was about patience, about knowing when to act and when to wait.
Nature is constantly in motion, changing, shifting. So it takes a lot of preparation to capture that perfect moment. The whole experience stuck with us. Reminding us that in nature’s flux, intention and patience are what make the difference.

Urth

What does your collaboration as a creative duo look like behind the scenes? How do you make decisions in the field?

Merel & Elmar

We both photograph and film, but we often see and frame differently. We use different focal lengths and notice different details. That contrast helps us spot things the other might miss. It’s not just practical, it adds depth to the work.
When you're traversing over glacier ice, it's not just about the shot, it’s about trust. We challenge and push each other to go further, both physically and creatively. We’re very critical, so if we’re both enthusiastic about a scene or a shot, that’s a rare and important signal. It means we’ve really found something.
Our collaboration is fluid, shaped by years of working together and a shared commitment to our subject. Out there, you don’t have time for long debates. There’s weather, light, and safety. We make decisions quickly, but always with full awareness of what the other is seeing. That mutual understanding drives everything.

Urth

How do you stay creatively motivated when conditions are difficult?

Merel & Elmar

It helps that we know what we’re getting into and the challenges we might face. We put a lot of time into preparation: location research, alpine training, checking weather windows, and making sure our gear is solid. That groundwork allows us to stay focused and creative when it matters. Of course, we can’t control everything. Sometimes the weather shifts, fog rolls in, or winds pick up. But even then, we try to adapt. Those unexpected moments can bring a different kind of beauty.
As glaciers retreat further into the mountains, reaching them requires long approaches, steep climbs, and days of physical effort, carrying gear across unstable terrain at high altitude. The deeper we go into these places, the more silence we find. But that silence comes at a price. It demands everything: distance, exposure, and exhaustion. It's part of the process, and somehow, it makes the image feel more earned.
It’s in those moments, far from everything familiar, where we feel most connected, completely present and immersed in something far greater than ourselves.

Urth

What tools or gear are essential when working in such extreme, remote locations?

Merel & Elmar

Good gear is essential to us. We often shoot in sub-zero temperatures, high winds, or inside ice caves where you can become soaked. We rely on weather-sealed cameras, climbing gear, durable tripods, and technical clothing that keeps us warm and dry without restricting movement. We also use lens protection filters, especially in unstable and wet conditions. They’re a lens lifesaver.
Navigation is key, and of course, backup batteries, because the cold drains power fast. But one of our most important tools is knowing when to stop and turn back if things get unsafe.

About the Artists

Elmar Janse and Merel Klomp are Dutch photographers and filmmakers, and co-founders of Encrite creative imagery studio. With a background in design and a shared fascination for remote landscapes, they explore the intersection of art, climate, and design through their collaborative work, using visual storytelling to evoke emotion and provoke thought.
The Glacier Project is their most ambitious undertaking to date. It serves not only as an ode to nature, but also a visual time document for the future generations.