Smooth Crash
Captured at Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska.
Captured at Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska.
Read less
Read less
Jun, 2014Views
1183
Likes
Awards
Featured
Contest Finalist in A Force Of Nature Photo Contest by Focal Press
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Superior Skill
Jaw Dropping
Great Find
Love it
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 2Top 10 rank week 1
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
The photo was taken on the deck of a cruise ship in the Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska. The Glacier Bay National Park provides great photographic opportunities from magnificent landscapes to an assortment of animals on the shore and in the water.Time
The ship reached the Margerie Glacier a little before noon. We had been in very low clouds and then as we reached the glacier it became very sunny with just a few wispy clouds. This created some very harsh light and required bringing the exposure compensation down a full stop.Lighting
-Equipment
The calving (ice breaking away from the glacier) was captured with a Canon 7D, with a Canon EF 100-400mm lens, a Tiffen polarizer, and a Benro monopod. This shot was at 100 ISO, f/6.7, 1/500, at 190mmInspiration
The opportunity to visit Glacier Bay for its variety of landscapes and glaciers was one of the reasons for booking this particular cruise. I wanted to see these glaciers before they were greatly reduced. Also, I wanted the opportunity to experience a calving of a glacier which can be very dramatic. You never know exactly where or when a glacier will calve, so capturing the event is even more rewarding. This particular shot, I believe, shows the power and energy that comes with such an event.Editing
I shoot in raw and do post processing with ON1 software. The white balance, shadowing and contrast were adjusted due to the brightness of shooting a sheet of ice at noon. Also, I added an HDR glow and a soft vignette —hence the name “Soft Crash.”In my camera bag
On this particular trip I had my Canon 7D, a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 IS II lens, a Canon EFS 10-22 mm lens, and a Canon 50 mm 1.4 lens. Also, I had Tiffen neutral density filters and a Tiffen circular polarizer.Feedback
I have been very focused on photography since my retirement and I have learned from many other photographers on Viewbug that when dealing with a subject that will move at some point be prepared and patient. The weather changes frequently in Glacier Bay - you can move from low heavy clouds to bright sunshine in a matter of minutes. So, you need to set your camera for the changing light and compensate for shooting a white subject matter. Also, the camera needs to be set on continuous shooting mode to capture the quick, exciting, but very brief burst of energy as the ice breaks from the glacier. Finally, watching a huge sheet of ice for a long period of time can be challenging, but there is usually hint of movement in the ice just seconds before it breaks away from the glacier - with a payoff of being in the right place at the right time.
