View from Chamonix Grande Balcon Sud towards Montenvers and the Mer de Glace
View from Chamonix Grande Balcon Sud towards Montenvers and the Mer de Glace
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Honorable Mention in Rough Landscapes Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Magical Outdoors Photo Contest
Action Award
Contender in the Visual Poetry Project
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DigitalDawn
July 20, 2013
Beautiful shot of two world, ice caps and spring fields, lovely shot with fantastic clarity.
adavies
July 25, 2016
Awesome image! Great job! If you haven't done so already, please consider joining my Peaks and Valleys challenge:) viewbug.com/challenge/peaks-and-valleys-photo-challenge-by-adavies
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo from the Grande Balcon Sud which is a high level walking route above Chamonix, France, contouring a steep section of mountain. The mountains across the valley are the Aiguille Vert and the Dru, above the glaciated valley containing the Mer de Glace, a long snaking glacier running from Mont Blanc.Time
The time of day was early afternoon and the light was creating good contrast.Lighting
The light was creating a good amount of contrast but the sun was high enough to throw light into the valley, delineating the peaks and troughs of the area.Equipment
I was walking a long way on the day and had my Olympus XZ-1 camera which was an excellent compact camera with a detachable electronic viewfinder and a fast lens at f/1.8, so well able to handle the bright light in the French Alps. The EVF is useful in the bright light. The picture was taken hand held at f/4.5....ISO 100... 1/160sec ..Inspiration
The French Alps are so photogenic that at every turn I was inspired to take photos of peaks, valleys, flowers, butterflies and this location was no different .. the peaks were so dynamic, the valleys deep and the foreground detail mirrored the peaks in the distance.. to say that I was inspired is an understatement.. I have had this photo printed and framed and it is in my home, I look at it every day and am transported back to the day.Editing
I take all my photos in RAW and so there is always an element of post-processing to work on the contrast and a touch of sharpness but generally the image made itself...In my camera bag
I have several Olympus Micro four thirds cameras and lenses and it depends on the day what I intend to do. I normally have at least one OMD camera and lens. Sometimes if I am taking photos of wildlife I will take a second camera in a backpack with a long focus lens, usually a 300mm micro four-thirds and possibly a two times converter. I also carry a lens cleaning kit and spare batteries. I have a tripod but the camera internal stabilisation makes 2-3 second hand-held images possibleFeedback
Keep looking all the time for images. I always have a correct exposure dialled in for the probable light that I am walking in, so that I can quickly frame and take advantage of good lighting with minimal changes. Look for a good foreground to complement the distant detail. Sometimes you have to wait for a change in the weather/cloud cover, a few minutes can make all the difference. Think about what works as a composition. There is nothing worse than getting home and being disappointed about the details that you included or left out... in this case I was particularly impressed by the diagonals of the valley/ridge sides and I wanted the majority of the picture to show that. The sky was blue and I wanted the mountains to be reaching for the sky.