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Craftsmanship #6
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Craftsmanship #6

by Kent Mearig

Gallery: Macro & Close-upPosted February 10, 2012225 views7 comments
It feels a little bit funny to me to be making a post to the "macro" gallery that is my first post in months. Though I'm much more comfortable in the realm of "landscape", this is the photo that I want to share, and this is the gallery in which it belongs.

This is ice from underneath a glacier. The outlines of the larger shapes here can be seen fairly frequently under a variety of conditions, but the more intricate patterns and textures are much more elusive. In fact, by the time I made my most recent set of photos featuring the phenomenon, it had been about five years since I'd last been able to photograph it. In the meantime, the number of times I visited the Mendenhall Glacier probably totaled in the triple digits.

I'm happy for the opportunity just to share, but I'd also love to get your feedback. Thank you.

Comments

7 comments
Comment posted by Stuart Williams on February 10, 2012 at 8:40 AM
kent - the colour here is astonishing, almost surreal (but this is true of many of your under-the-glacier images). i like the interesting details - not what i would have imagined (from my chair in front of the computer. some 30km from the equator, I would imagine, silky-smooth, glistening ice). it is quietly interesting - and i am grateful you shared it - but those seeking :eek: eye-popping :eek: compositional structures or other such stuff may drift on ...
Registered on December 7, 2007, 247 Posts, 4792 Comments
Comment posted by Kent Mearig on February 10, 2012 at 10:57 AM
Stuart - Thanks so much for your comment. As I mentioned in the image description, you're right when you imagine glacial ice with a smooth and reflective surface. Those are the qualities most often observed and felt by visitors to a glacier. Only a miniscule fraction of the population has seen what is in this photograph with their own eyes, which is a big part of what makes the image special to me.

With regards to composition, as much as I've desperately wanted on occasion, I just don't seem to make photographs with compositions that raise people's heart-rates. I've had to come to grips with the fact that my role as a photographer is not the same as those who can make people's eyes bug out of their heads. :wink: Instead, I strive to have my compositions feel balanced and "right".

Thanks again.
Registered on September 4, 2006, 237 Posts, 4748 Comments
Comment posted by Nancy Lea Sandy on February 10, 2012 at 3:50 PM
Beautiful color. The larger version is fascinating for us 'what's it all about' nuts. I'm going to guess the larger patterns are some type of pressure or stress fractures and I'm wondering if the striations could possibly indicate direction of movement at the time they were formed. Do I see evidence of foreshortening from frictional melt in places along the base? My eyes may not be bugging out of my head, but you sure have my brain cells working overtime. Thanks for sharing.
Registered on January 24, 2011, 576 Posts, 6942 Comments
Comment posted by scott lanz on February 10, 2012 at 9:08 PM
Kent, very cool, no pun intended. I like the lines, colors and patterns, especially the interesting intricate detail in the side of the ice. I am unsure about the OOF bottom of the layer of ice because it is quite prominent, but I don't know what options were available to you and I also don't know what more DOF would have done to the dark layer at the bottom. Interesting image; thanks for sharing.
Registered on November 14, 2003, 840 Posts, 12902 Comments
Comment posted by Kent Mearig on February 11, 2012 at 8:03 PM
Nancy and Scott - Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and give some consideration to both the photo and the subject. This ice is in the ceiling of the cave that is shown in the image I just posted in the "landscape" gallery. I hope the expanded perspective contributes to the appreciation of the subject. The photo will have to stand on its own.

About the depth of field, I'm new to working with a macro lens (50mm) and the challenges of the insanely close working distance. On the other hand, the out of focus areas in this particular image were deliberately embraced, whether I had much choice or not.
Registered on September 4, 2006, 237 Posts, 4748 Comments
Comment posted by Benjamin Olson on February 15, 2012 at 6:21 PM
Great detail and color! The bottom half of the image isn't doing much for me honestly, however, I immediately recognized what the subject is because of it. Did you happen to take an image focusing on the detail of the ice only?
Registered on April 7, 2007, 169 Posts, 725 Comments
Comment posted by Albert Darmo on February 18, 2012 at 4:14 PM
Hi Kent :wavey: A remarkable capture of natures wonders :eek: amazing lines, color and light :eek: :smile:
Albert Darmo
Canada
Registered on November 25, 2008, 1386 Posts, 11978 Comments