This Is the Fabled Northwest Passage at Midnight

Up in the Arctic this time of year, you'll find the "midnight sun." Its warm light is comparable to what occurs in photography's "golden hour"—just after sunrise or just before sunset. Instead of lasting an hour, in this case, it lasts all night long. And it's captivating. Traveling on an icebreaker with two AP colleagues through the Arctic Circle's fabled Northwest Passage to document climate change's impact, David Goldman knew immediately that if he chose to make photos in this light, he'd end up with too many beautiful skies and golden suns suspended over endless seas. He wanted to capture that, but also combine it with scenes of life aboard the Finnish icebreaker MSV Nordica.

Goldman chose midnight; not one minute before, not one minute after. He soon found despite the light in the sky that aside from the two officers on the bridge overnight, most of the ship was asleep at midnight. Many nights, he returned to his cabin without a picture. The elements just didn't come together. But on occasion he'd find someone doing something, admiring the beauty of the scenery they were passing or taking a moment for themselves, to read, write, or have a cup of coffee. A quiet moment at a quiet time, under a midnight sun. (More Arctic stories.)