Nick Cobbing’s work rises far above mere photojournalism to a breathtaking journey into a landscape or culture that puts you at the perfect moment to peer into it for better or worse. From viewing the first image on his story based website everything around you disappears and draws you in as if you are standing right in front of this pristine landscape in Greenland or sailing in the frigid cold on a century old schooner. Cobbing gives the viewer gets a true sense of being there.

Although Cobbings has done wonderful work around the world his attention to Greenland and his obvious love for the frozen bleak landscape shines though as his crème of the crop. His series “Surface Tension” shows the world of the uninhabitable Greenland ice caps from above the surface. As stated on his website the Greenland ice caps have been estimated to hold a volume of water that would contribute to the rise of the oceans by 7 meters globally if melted. The sheer power that this area holds is tremendous which shows though in the photographs. The simple visual impact of the photographs are brought to life with rich textures and vibrant but realistic color as in photograph number seven and ten of the Surface Tension series.

A complimenting series of photographs with a different take on the Greenland landscape is Cobbing’s “Noorderlicht“. The Noorderlicht , a restored century old schooner, sailed from Svalbard to Greenland which turned out to be a very moody journey as documented by Cobbing. The images are cold in nature and give you a sense of what one might feel like in a century old ship in the middle of a vast ocean of freezing water nearly covered in ice. The photographs puts you right on the boat with everything except the cold sprays of water as you feel the sense of seriousness and the raw power that the oceans have over you. The waves crashing up against the boat leaning it over too much for anyone’s comfort.

Cobbings way of editing the landscape down to create a true representational landscape photograph that rivals the greatest color field and non-representational paintings in feeling and emotion evoked is breathtaking. His vision of the contemporary landscape blends beauty and environmental concerns effortlessly.

www.nickcobbing.co.uk