“I am obsessed with mineral formations,” says Frankie Carino. So, it’s not surprising he was researching ice caves when he became aware of the work of Ice Castles—a company that builds ice structures as tourist attractions throughout the United States.
“My interest in them [the ice castles] really grew from their formation; they are formed through the same process as a glacier, but the growth is drastically accelerated by human intervention,” he says. “Ice castles are an amazing unnatural display of the potential of ice.”
Hoping to document the ice structures, Carino reached out to Ice Castles to see if he could photograph their team at work. He offered to share the images on social media. They agreed. Carino first shadowed workers to get an understanding of their process and then began making photos using a Nikon D850 with an AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens. For lighting, he used a battery-powered strobe wrapped in a white plastic bag to protect it from the elements and to diffuse the light.
Some workers were a bit uneasy being photographed, Carino says. But by approaching them with earnestness and humor and asking genuine questions, he was able to alleviate their discomfort. “I’m really happy with how the images came out and how they convey an otherworldly placelessness,” he says.
Amanda Arnold is a senior editor.
Tags: documentary photography
