40 Places Captured Then VS. Now, And The Stories Hidden Between The Frames

The images in this list that compare the same place in two different moments in time are called rephotographs. They provide us with a then-and-now view of the same site and allow us to document the changes that are happening for various purposes.

To know more about this fascinating kind of photography, we reached out to photographers Mark Klett and Garry Pycroft, who dabble in then-and-now photography, and they kindly agreed to share their experience with us.

Pycroft starts by explaining that there are two types of fundamental approaches to rephotography. The first is quite straightforward—the image connects two photos, one before and one after. Meanwhile, the second is more artistic—it blends the two images to create the appearance of the past being in today's environment.

"My images fall into category 2. I should also state that I consider myself probably the most travelled "rephotographer" in the world. My website, Voyageur Du Passe, shows my images from the USA, Canada, the UK, France, Hungary, and Switzerland."

Pycroft decided to dabble in rephotography because he simply loves the entire process.

Whereas photographer Mark Klett tells us that what drew him to rephotography is the curiosity about what has happened to the scene or place shown in an older photograph.

"What has changed, and what does it look like now? It’s a kind of time warp to stand in the same place where a historical photograph was made long ago. It’s an often unexpected and eye-opening experience."

The photographers tell us that the whole rephotography process essentially encompasses finding where the original photograph was made and making a new photograph from the same exact spot.

"Exactness and skill in relocating the location can make the difference in how convincing the rephotograph looks," notes Klett.

"Also important can be trying to match the original picture’s lighting, time of day, and year. A kind of visual detective work is often needed to do this kind of work with accuracy."

Meanwhile, Pycroft differentiates 3 stages to producing such images:

"The discovery phase: this is where I search for old postcards of the location I intend to visit. I also need to research if the old buildings still exist and their exact location within the target town.

The on-site photography: I am excited when I find the building and realize that I can photograph it. Many times, the opportunity cannot be completed, maybe due to trees and shrubs masking the site or renovations that hide the building.

The creative phase is where I merge the two images together. And the joy it brings when I see that I've accomplished another image," he shares.

When it comes to the significance of rephotography, Klett says that "the process can show changes that have occurred over time, but the pictures alone can’t explain the reasons for change. The process can also tell us something about how individual photographers made choices and decisions about what and how to make their photographs."

"I've completed several exhibitions here in France, and a consistent theme is that it highlights the heritage that remains in the town," adds Pycroft. "Very often I hear locals complaining about how the town has changed, but my images show that maybe there has been quite a change, but there still remains a beauty in the town. And it highlights some of the history to be found."

Lastly, we couldn't let the photographers go without asking about their most memorable rephotography project they've done.

"The one that comes to mind is one I created of a local village, and in the photograph, we see a mother with her young daughter. At the exhibition of the event, an elderly lady approached me and told me that the young girl was here and she was there with her mother, and her father was the photographer. She had tears in her eyes when she saw the image," Pycroft fondly recalls.

"I have made many landscape rephotographs, and sometimes I like the ones that show that little has changed even after one hundred years or more. Together, they challenge the concept of time passing," says Klett.

"I also like to experiment with the methods used to make rephotographs. It’s not always the most interesting thing to do - to make basic rephotographs. It’s sometimes more interesting to combine images made at different times into one larger document of the space, and this is now possible using digital techniques."