Qanik

There are no two snowflakes in the world that are alike, they are all unique in their shape and structure. In Greenland, snow is called qanik and the locals have numerous words for snow – some say that there are more than fifty words – one is qanik.

I have always been deeply fascinated by snow. But just like the local people who have many words for snow, I have my ups and downs with it. Lightly falling snowflakes in the warm morning sunbeams are magical and fill me with calm and happiness.  While heavy sleet on a windy gray day does the opposite, I want to get under my warm duvet and forget that I got up.

I’m – relatively – lucky, since I live next to the beautiful forests of ” Large Animal Park “. An old-growth and pristine forest with great wildlife and nature like  beech, birch and pine trees. A location I have covered many times in the winter months.

So what do snowflakes in Greenland have in common with the Large Animal Park? Nothing – and yet – everything. Because in the early spring, when the snow is melting in Denmark, I travel to Greenland where I photograph unique landscapes. Here I find blankets of snow that form a fantastic setting for the cliffs and provide a wonderful counterpoint to the mighty icebergs and Ice fjord.  Now where I’m standing – almost – with one of my legs in Greenland, I feel like diving into my Greenland archives and sharing a few, for me, unique glimpses from Ilulissat in Greenland.