Frontier life: Paolo Verzone on documenting the people of the Arctic

When Canon Ambassador Paolo Verzone visited the Arctic for the first time three years ago, he knew he would be back. Five trips later, the Italian photographer is midway through a personal project documenting Arctic communities. Here, he describes what it takes to shoot in one of the world's most challenging environments.

Paolo is no stranger to long-term photography projects and his latest undertaking is one of his most ambitious. Provisionally titled Arctic Zero, the ongoing project sees the award-winning Italian photojournalist travel across the Arctic, from Svalbard in Norway to Siberia and Greenland, to tell the stories of the scientists and communities who call these inhospitable places home.

During his travels, Paolo carried two camera bodies with him: a Canon EOS 5DS R and Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. The former was perfect for portraits, especially on the move, and "the capability of this camera to keep the whites readable was always fantastic," he says. A standout feature was its ability to capture everything, especially in images where there was a lot of contrast. "A little bit of sun on the snow or reflected on the water and you know the camera will get it." 

Paolo used the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV to capture action and low-light scenes. The camera's dynamic range, even at higher ISOs of 3200 or 6400, impressed him. On one occasion, it was the middle of the night and Paolo was on a boat waiting for another smaller boat to take him to Samoylov Island. "It was a strange and magical atmosphere," he recounts. "The 5D Mark IV was fantastic. I wouldn't have been able to get the night time image of the boat otherwise. That was the moment I understood the real value of this camera."

The challenges of shooting in endless snow

Inevitably, Paolo was at the mercy of the elements. "In the studio you can control everything, but outside you have no control. You have to understand what is the best situation, place and angle of light to take your picture, so it's your way of seeing the environment that makes the picture."

While the Arctic is defined by mile after mile of ice and snow, that didn't make for a boring shoot. Although Paolo had an idea of the shots he wanted to take, it was necessary to adapt to changing conditions. Indeed, the key word was always 'adapt', he says. "This is what I was doing every day because the light was changing – direct sun, clouds – and the snow was changing colour. You'd be thinking of doing a portrait a certain way and then discover it's a different picture..."

Everywhere you looked there was ice and snow, says Paolo, but focusing on subjects in a world of endless white was never a problem. "Perhaps, in the past, focusing in the snow was a little problematic. But now, with the Canon EOS 5DS R and Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, [the images] have sharp edges," he says. The cameras even performed in a snowstorm. "On one occasion there was wind and the snow was coming across horizontally, but the cameras did manage," Paolo adds.

And what about getting a good exposure in snowy environments? Paolo advises not to compensate or underexpose. "Do one or two tests and check the screen to make sure that the exposure is ok – that it isn't too bright or underexposed," he says. "The capabilities of the Canon cameras mean it's possible to capture almost everything."

Sometimes, Paolo would be out for long periods of time, but the batteries never let him down. "I never had a problem, even at -15°C or -20°C. You just keep your camera warm inside your backpack or underneath your jacket when you're walking and take it out when you want to shoot."

One of the biggest pitfalls of shooting in the Arctic is the temptation to focus only on the beauty of the landscape, says Paolo. You have to practise restraint in order to go beyond clichéd, picturesque images. Once Paolo understood how to work with the white that was all around, he could start to take a variety of shots.

"When you arrive, everything is incredible," he says. "For you, it's the moon. Then, the next day, you realise everything is still there. Instead of taking pictures in all situations you try to understand and interact with the situations. 

"That's why it's key to go to places many times," he adds. "The more you travel, the more you say, 'let's wait', and then you get the pictures." It's a case of slowing down and shooting in "a meaningful way."

Next, Paolo hopes to visit Alaska, but he plans to take his time. "The Arctic Circle is very big so there are many other parts to visit and photograph. But I'm not in a hurry."