A snap back in time: Incredible pictures as photographer merges black and white images with modern scenes


With a couple of clicks, photographer Jim Adams from Whidbey Island, Washington, transforms a familiar landscape into a modern marvel.



When Mr Adams comes across a place he finds fascinating, a home, a hill, or an ancient hall, he painstakingly researches the location to find photographs of its former glory.



He then reproduces the original image and overlays it on the newer one, creating fascinating scenes that collapse a century into a single image.



Landscape: With a couple of clicks, photographer Jim Adams from Whidbey Island, Washington, transforms a familiar landscape into a modern marvel. Fort Casey Main Battery Line is pictured in 1955 and 2010

Homestead: When Mr Adams comes across a place he finds fascinating, a home, a hill, or an ancient hall, he painstakingly researches the location to find photographs of its former glory. The lighthouse assistant keeper's quarters in 1920 and 2010

Time Lapse: He then reproduces the original image and overlays it on the newer one, creating fascinating scenes that collapse a century into a single image. A barn is pictured in 1937 and 2010

Armed with his Nikon D90, Mr Adams explores the history of his surrounding environment thanks to a spark started by his parents.



'Growing up, my parents always had some kind of camera around for capturing moments,' he writes on his Flickr page.



'I remember 126 cameras, 110 cameras, even Polaroid cameras.'

He devoured photography magazines and began to study the art in high school, where he 'learned how to make photographs, not just snap pictures.'



He went on to attend the Art Institute of Philadelphia to study photography, but dropped out after two years to move to Washington.



'I realized the photography industry doesn't offer many career opportunities,' he said. 'To fund my relocation in 1990, I sold my Nikon F3 gear… a decision I still regret to this day.'



Drive: This photomontage combines a photograph of present-day Oak Harbor and a postcard of Oak Harbor from 1940

Imagine: Armed with his Nikon D90, Mr Adams explores the history of his surrounding environment thanks to a spark started by his parents. The Mukliteo Lighthouse is pictured in 1920 and 2010 at left, and the Admiralty Head Lighthouse is pictured in 1902 and 2010 at right



Passage: For the images, he finds a historic place and researches it in the public library. Finding old negatives or 8 x 10 prints, he will re-print them. The Ferry House is pictured in June 1934 and May 2010 Journey: He will either add the older image to the new one in Photoshop or line up the photograph with the scene with one hand and take a new photo with the other. The lighthouse keeper's garden is pictured in 1920 and 2010

Mr Adams had a successful career in the IT industry for 20 years before he picked up a camera again, and has since dedicated his free time to to turning landscapes into time capsules.



'The concept is to photograph an old photo in the original location the photo was taken while fitting that photograph into the original scene,' he said.



For the images, he finds a historic place and researches it in the public library. Finding old negatives or 8 x 10 prints, he will re-print them.



He will either add the older image to the new one in Photoshop or line up the photograph with the scene with one hand and take a new photo with the other.

The result is an astonishing image that captures both the past and the present in a single shot .

Example: Here are two images of the same home that Jim Adams combined to compare now and then

