A series chronicling seasonal transitions in the arctic by photographer Emile Holba. Compared to lower-latitude regions, time feels compressed in the Arctic, especially the duration of spring, summer, and autumn compared to winter, which dominates. For the last two years, Holba has been working in Ilulissat, Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland), a town that has adapted to the dark months of freezing temperatures and exemplifies sustained urban Arctic life with a population of just 4,000 residents. While Holba has gotten used to navigating the town during winter, a time when substantial snow cover conceals key town infrastructure, “When The Snow Leaves Town” reflects a different kind of transition:

“I had to adapt again—to the town’s vernal awakening and the stark absence of snow. As the season transitioned, the urban landscape had transformed. Seasonal desire paths had thawed, snowmobile trails had melted into the softened tundra, and car parking areas were reshaped….While I traversed the town, enveloped by the radiant glow of 24-hour daylight and the regular pervasive veil of dense sea fog, I experienced a profound sense of privilege to witness its serene state.”