Safe Waters and Beyond, Ilulissat, Greenland

Sunset reflection in pool of water on the edge of the Ilulissat Icefjord, Greenland. Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 24-105mm f4 L series lens @ 24mm.

The Ilulissat Icefjord is a huge, ever-changing body of ice off the west coast of Greenland. Located in Disko Bay 250km north of the Arctic Circle, and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, this huge expanse of ice is best explored on a midnight cruise.

Effort Equals Fun

In this case the photo was made during a long evening hike I undertook in late July. From memory I started the hike around 10pm and didn't get back to my hotel till around 5am the next morning. It was a big effort, but well worthwhile. To be out exploring and photographing, on the edge of the wilderness, under lovely, soft light for such an extended time was an amazing experience.

It's interesting how the reflection links the quiet pool of water in the foreground with the sky above. It reminds me of that famous quote, as above so below.

Lens Choice

The icebergs in the middle of the frame give a hint to the wildness of this location. The photo was made at 24mm on a Canon 5D Mark II full-frame DSLR camera. (These days I utilize a Nikon D800e camera). Wide angle lenses place emphasis on the foreground but, as a consequence, make the background look smaller and further away. That's why the section of ice through the mid ground doesn't seem that dominant. But, believe me, it contains huge blocks of ice, some the size of sky scrappers.

I photographed the Ilulissat Icefjord and much of the surrounding landscape with a variety of lenses. But, as this image was about the relationship between sky and water, the 24mm focal length was appropriate. In this case the ice helps to place the image and serves to separate the foreground from the background, thereby helping to illustrate 3-dimensional space.

Make Your Own Dreams A Reality

I can't wait to return and explore more of the harsh beauty of Greenland. It's an incredible place! In my case it was an extra bonus I added onto a photography expedition to Iceland. It's a long way from my home in Melbourne, Australia but, given that I'd realized a near life-long dream to travel to Iceland, the extra expense of adding on a Greenland component to my trip seemed like a no-brainer. And I'm constantly dreaming of my next trip.

Travel and photography, what a life!

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Glenn Guy, Travel Photography Guru

Distant View, Iceland

Canon 5D Mark II camera and Canon 70-200mm f4 L series lens and 1.4X Extender @ 113mm. Exposure Details: 1/8 second @ f8 ISO 100

What a bizarre landscape? Grass, steam, ash, sheep and distant mountains. Welcome to Iceland!

I made this image in the early hours of the morning after a long day of travel and exploration. My photo traveling buddy Joseph and I pulled our camper van off the road and decided to settle in for the night. But I was restless. The light and the weird landscape beckoned and I headed out for the next few hours to explore the surroundings.

What awaited was a hard land made up mostly of ash and steam. It was Mordor on earth. After a while the sun began to rise and I made photos looking into the light. The dynamic range (contrast) was extreme, but well suited to the eerie mood of the location. Frankly, it was a bit spooky!

After a time I took a circular route back to the car and came upon the outlook from which the above photo was made. It provided a more hopeful view, albeit a little less dramatic than the ones I'd be exploring earlier.

I love the 3-dimensionality of this image and the way the warm sunrise rakes across the landscape. The sheep provide a great sense of scale to the landscape. I had to make 4 separate photos as the little blighters kept moving around. The one I decided upon shows both sheep standing resolutely and looking back towards the camera. OK, I baa baad them.

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Glenn Guy, Travel Photography Guru

LuminOdyssey July 2013 Photography Tour to Botswana

A former colleague, David Burren, is running a photography tour to Botswana during July 2013.

David and I met at a photography college in Melbourne were we worked for a number of years. During November 2010 David and I co-ran a photography tour to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island and the Antarctic Peninsula.

Over recent years David has run a number of photography tours under the name LuminOdyssey. The Botswana 2013 tour is said to include opportunities for both wildlife and landscape photography.

Except for a stopover, which doesn't really count, I'm yet to travel to Africa. It's the only continent I haven't photographed, but it's most certainly on my list. David's tour looks interesting and might be worth considering, if you have the time and money to do so. Actually considering the nature of such a tour, and the very small number of participants involved, the price looks good.

I know July is not far off, but several places have just opened up, thus the reason for posting here.

Here's the link to David Burren's upcoming July 2013 Botswana photography tour.

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Glenn Guy, Travel Photography Guru