Joseph Seif’s Midnight Sun documents life and loss in the polar regions

Joseph Seif’s new photobook, Midnight Sun, arrives in summer 2026 with images from Antarctica, Svalbard and East Greenland that pair stark beauty with warnings about climate change, tourism and other human pressures. Jamling Tenzing Norgay contributes a foreword that frames the book as both a visual record and a call to act.

Why it matters: - Midnight Sun turns polar photography into a record of ecological and cultural change in the Arctic and Antarctic. - The book links climate change, over-tourism, mining and the colonization of Indigenous communities to visible shifts in fragile ecosystems. - Joseph Seif positions the project as work that speaks to planetary-scale choices and the future of the poles.

What happened: - Joseph Seif’s newest book, Midnight Sun, is set for summer 2026 release through Daylight Books. - The project draws from assignments and expeditions in Antarctica, Svalbard and East Greenland. - Seif’s images combine landscapes, outposts and human traces from the polar regions. - Jamling Tenzing Norgay wrote the foreword and an essay for the book.

The details: - Seif first saw the effects of climate change and human activity while on assignment in Antarctica with National Geographic Expeditions. - Later expeditions to Svalbard and East Greenland expanded the project’s scope. - The photographs include volcanic rock, ancient glaciers and expanses of blue ocean. - The book also shows remnants of fur-trapping stations, mines, shipyards and military bases. - Seif’s background in cinematography shapes the images as both sweeping and intimate. - Seif said in an interview with Voyage LA that the project marked a shift in his career toward work “that matters on a planetary scale.” - Seif said the project helped inspire him to co-found Creative Climate Lab, a nonprofit focused on expedition storytelling tied to the poles and ocean research. - Midnight Sun is a hardcover book with 160 pages, 100 photographs, a 12 x 13-inch trim size and a $60 price. - The book carries ISBN-13 9781954119574. - Seif is also a classical pianist and composer. - Seif’s previous fine art photobook, ONWARD, covers work made over 12 years across multiple countries.

Between the lines: - Norgay’s contribution frames the book as more than a travel or landscape volume. - His essay pushes readers to think about responsibility, preservation and whether the poles remain sanctuaries or become sites of exploitation. - The book reflects a broader trend in environmental photography toward pairing visual wonder with direct climate commentary. - Seif’s mix of commercial, fine art and expedition work gives the project a hybrid voice between art and advocacy.

What's next: - Midnight Sun will reach readers in summer 2026 through Daylight Books. - Seif is likely to continue building work tied to polar storytelling and ocean research through Creative Climate Lab. - More information is available through Joseph Seif Visuals.