Individual snowflakes are the tiny building blocks of Aspen’s winter sports industry. Jeremy Swanson, a photographer for Aspen Snowmass, has documented how vulnerable they are to warm, dry temperatures. Swanson spent the last two winters taking close-up shots of individual snowflakes. He says his photos capture the toll last year’s warm, dry weather took on the snowflakes that did fall.
“They were broken, they were malformed, they looked more like the granules you see coming from a snowgun, and they feel that way under our skis,” said Swanson.
His exhibit opens Friday at the Limelight Hotel as a part of The Meeting’s snowsports film festival.
Swanson spoke with arts and culture reporter Christin Kay about how his photography could inspire action to protect snowy winters.
