Contemplation

One of the joys of remote travels is to get lost into the Infinitewhich unwinds in front of you. An almost unexplored and definitelyunforgiving land of ice and stones starts at the horizon ofKongsfjorden in Spitzberg island, a mere 1000km from the NorthPole.

When I look at this shot I can see her contemplating thisunique landscape...and you? Comments and critiques are most welcome!

Actually, you might want to contemplate this photo larger, or give a look to another takefrom that place.

Good Composition!

This one works pretty well for me. It reveals the perspective of the climber and rolling mountains are wide-sweeping enough to produce the visual effect. Perhaps, a little lower angle might make it even more dramatic. Nice!

Excellent view. I wish to be there:) DDD

Salvatore, really beautiful place and you have composed it well to bring the joy in to the viewer's eyes.... excellent shot.

Andrey, Arthur, Dexter, Rajeev: thanks.

 

Arthur, I had though of shooting more from below, but I remember I liked the contrast of the red bandanna and the bleak mountain and did not want to lose it. At any rate, in more recent shots, I'm going so far as digging holes in the snow to shot from below...so you're going to see something from a more extreme angle!

Digging holes after the climb can be strenuous. Is there a way to attach a wait-level viewfinder onto your film-camera or are you totally digital now?

Salvatore, I like this just as it is. There is a wonderful story unfolding with all the elements bringing you through to the blus sky in the far distance. I often find the technique of extreme wide angle shots to be a distraction, and definitely don't see the need for it here.

Arthur, I'm mostly digital now, even though this image is of two years ago (scraping the bottom of the barrel of that expedition, recently), from the FM2N days. At any rate, more than a viewfinder point, I am starting to try -nothing deserving a post so far- some action shots like a skier passing by, taken from below the level of the skis...so a hole is somehow needed. At any rate, I'm considering starting carrying the FM2N again, since some slide processing will be cheaper than a wide-angle lens, and my 20mm worked magic with that camera.

Jeff, thanks. I am with you in that here an extreme up-looking wide-angle perspective might have been detrimental to the shot. We do want to see something of the landscape and I prefer these shots -as just mentioned- when the human action is a key player of the picture. I doubt I will use them for contemplative poses...even though a moderatly up-looking worked well here, as you remember.

The large version really puts us there with you in the scene. It's as if we can feel the stones and taste the air.

Who is this happy person, Salvatore? A magnificient shot!!!

A relaxing moment after the climb, easy to forget about the view when heading for the top. As in a few other shots from you, those mountains way in the background appear like paintings, islands floating in white.

great image, I feel the thoughts... , cheers Jana

Chris, Brad, Stephan, Jana, thanks. I'm glad to see that this shot which slept for long at the bottom of a disk had some value, after all. Glad I pulled it out -while scraping the bottom of the barrel, of course.