Icy Wilderness of Antarctica Captured in Beautifully Blue Landscape Photos

Landscape Photos of Antarctica by Jan Erik Waider

From Iceland to Greenland, landscape photographer Jan Erik Waider is well-versed in capturing snowy locations off the beaten path. In his series A Faint Resemblance, he journeys to the southernmost part of our planet to bring lesser-seen depictions of Antarctica's solitary wilderness. These blue-tinted photographs highlight the extreme beauty of this polar region.

Waider visited Antarctica at the end of 2019 via the ship Bark Europa. When he arrived at the continent, he was immediately struck by the light and textures of the numerous icebergs floating in the dark blue waters. “Icebergs reveal their journey and countless rotations in their structures and shapes: from smooth and polished to angular and rough,” Waider tells My Modern Met. “I was particularly fascinated by the endless variations of the color blue that is revealed in the ice of the glaciers and also in the surrounding waters. Especially on cloudy days, the blue appears particularly intense, as if it shines from inside.”

In these photos, Waider highlights the varied appearances of these massive icebergs. At the same time, he captures the stormy atmosphere in which the cloudy skies blend into the ocean making it hard to see the horizon. “Even after a two-year distance, I am still not sure what really happened there: it was definitely one of the most surreal and beautiful experiences of my life, even if very exhausting on different levels,” he says.

“Antarctica is a place that you have to work for and where you can't just sit in a regular airplane that flies you there in comfort. The trip with the sailing ship Bark Europa was definitely the right choice to also get a small taste of how the explorers must have felt, in search of the white continent or the end of the world.”

Landscape photographer Jan Erik Waider captures the spectacular wilderness of Antarctica.

Landscape Photos of Antarctica by Jan Erik Waider

Landscape Photos of Antarctica by Jan Erik Waider

Landscape Photos of Antarctica by Jan Erik Waider

The series is titled A Faint Resemblance and shows the unique icy landscape of the southernmost part of our planet.

Landscape Photos of Antarctica by Jan Erik Waider

Landscape Photos of Antarctica by Jan Erik Waider

Landscape Photos of Antarctica by Jan Erik Waider

Landscape Photos of Antarctica by Jan Erik Waider

Waider traveled to the Gerlache Strait and Bransfield Strait of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Landscape Photos of Antarctica by Jan Erik Waider

Landscape Photos of Antarctica by Jan Erik Waider

Landscape Photos of Antarctica by Jan Erik Waider

Landscape Photos of Antarctica by Jan Erik Waider

Landscape Photos of Antarctica by Jan Erik Waider

Landscape Photos of Antarctica by Jan Erik Waider

Landscape Photos of Antarctica by Jan Erik Waider

Landscape Photos of Antarctica by Jan Erik Waider

Landscape Photos of Antarctica by Jan Erik Waider

Landscape Photos of Antarctica by Jan Erik Waider

Landscape Photos of Antarctica by Jan Erik Waider

Jan Erik Waider: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Behance

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Jan Erik Waider.

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Learn All About Antarctica’s First Flag Called ‘True South’ [Interview]

Rare Photos of the First Australasian Expedition to Antarctica in 1911

Interview: Ren Koster’s Amazing Journey to Antarctica on a Historic Ship Built in 1911

Margherita Cole

Margherita Cole is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met and illustrator based in Southern California. She holds a BA in Art History with a minor in Studio Art from Wofford College, and an MA in Illustration: Authorial Practice from Falmouth University in the UK. She wrote and illustrated an instructional art book about how to draw cartoons titled 'Cartooning Made Easy: Circle, Triangle, Square' that was published by Walter Foster in 2022.
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