Barentsburg
Nov, 2015Views
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Awards
Action Award
Zenith Award
Creative Winter Award
Curator's Selection
Top Shot Award 21
Legendary Award
Lucky 3 Award
Contest Finalist in My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 3
Contest Finalist in Lonely Cabin Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Unforgettable Landscapes Photo Contest by Zenfolio
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Contest Finalist in Dramatic Light In Nature Photo Contest
Staff Winter Selection 2015
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Virtuoso
Genius
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in Barentsburg on Svalbard last year in April. I went there with a photographer who didn't speak Russian to be his interpreter. For those who don't know, while Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, Barentsburg is almost entirely inhabited by Russians and Ukrainiens. In winter it is accessible by snowmobiles and helicopters and by boats during the navigable season.Time
It was a very windy evening but we can't really see it on the picture before the weather was quite hot the day before and the snow melted a little bit and was heavy so it didn't move despite the wind.Lighting
I love the flare effet on the wood shack. It was not easy to capture, a fleeting moment just before the sun disappeared behind the snow mountains.Equipment
The only camera I was able to take for this trip was my boyfriend's Canon 500D with a fish-eye and my 24-70mm 1:2.8 Sigma. As we had to travel light and I needed to take my video camera as well it was a good compromise.Inspiration
This wood shack is the only structure in Barentsburg which doesn't give any hints about its location. Absolutely all the other buildings are easily recognizable. Take a look on-line and you'll be amazed how Barentsburg could make you feel travelling in the Soviet Union if you went there. Having spent two weeks in this mining town I wanted to take one picture of it where the omnipresent coal was only vaguely suggested by the dirty snow in the foreground. Otherwise it's just a beautiful sunset as we could see on every coast of Svalbard in this short period if time between polar nights and days.Editing
I didn't do much of post-processing... I shoot everything in RAW so it was just basic color and exposure adjustments.In my camera bag
Canon 7D, 24-70mm 1:2.8 Sigma, Canon XA10 (video)Feedback
Always take your time. There's no need to take 30 pictures a minute because usually it prevents you from paying attention to details. But if you feel you might have a good shot, it's worth waiting a few minutes to get everything right.
