Glaciers are composed of five major ingredients: 1) true glacial ice; 2) refrozen meltwater (superimposed ice), 3) air bubbles, 4) rock, and 5) uncompacted snow. The first four are the ingredients that make up this scene. In this case, a large black rock has melted down about 6 inches into the glacier surface, and meltwater that has partly filled this hole has refrozen overnight. Air bubbles in both the glacial ice and the superimposed ice create really compelling patterns, and in my opinion, these kinds of glacier surface features are every bit as good for abstracts as are sand dunes and mud cracks.
Specific Feedback Requested
I feel fairly confident in the technical aspects of this image, but Iād really like feedback on the emotional impact and creative value of this scene, even (especially!) if you donāt find it to be an impactful abstract.
Technical Details
142 mm at f/14; ISO 100; 1/40th second.
This is a cropped version of the full scene (about 1/6th of the original composition). Contrast, clarity, and dehaze adjustments in Lightroom and Photoshop.
LOVE this! Wonderfully crafted natural abstract. I think the stark contrast between the dark rock above, the bubbles and the blue iceā¦ are all working together; all nicely balanced - despite the large area the darks take up.
Just really enjoying and appreciating how you managed and crafted this. One could get lost in all the fine details in the large view.
No nitpicks or suggestions for improvement really. This is fabulous as presented.
As an alternative, Iām wondering about rotating this 90deg CW and maybe shaving some off the rotated new bottom (or the right side as presented.) I think with the rotation there is a sense of the bubbles ārising to the topā. I donāt know if thatās better or not, but certainly different view and interpretation.
Love the color! and dark contrast with the rock. Beautifully seen and captured.
Gorgeous abstract photo. The electric blue is eye catching. Wonderful details make this fascinating. I think I would agree with Lonās suggestion to try with a crop.
Jeff, such an impactful image! I love the contrast between the blues and the black in the rock. There are some fantastic patterns throughout the frame to enjoy.
I am a bit torn on the bright blue band of teal/blue on the left edge. I do love the lines connecting that section to the black rock. It feels like a frozen waterfall. As Lon suggested, I would try playing with various image rotations. Overall, I think this is a wonderfully compelling image!
Thank you for taking the time and consideration of the feedback to repost.
This most certainly works for me - even more so if this was the original postā¦ Comparing now, I might just prefer the horizontal version, by a slight edge. One of the reasons for that is because some time after my original view and comment, Iāve since now āseenā something that changes my impression. The original view as presented and just a little imagination - one could see an āAlienā head in the ice - with the large bubble as the āeyeā.
Either way, youāve got a wonderful abstract here and the color and contrast still stand out.
My first thought is this is the eye of a fish thatās been frozen in ice. My second thought is that upon further exploration, the fishās eye is actually a smaller fish within the big fish, and actually represents one of those infinite mirrors or a fractal. As such, I donāt like the rotation, which removes that element for me.
I think a very interesting story can be deduced by the viewer if they too see the fish within the ice story that I happen to see.
I liked the original but the vertical takes it to another level. Now we see a head and you can read all sorts of expressions into the face. The light area now makes more sense in the vertical (relative to the face) and the image no longer feels unbalanced.
Agree with all the positives - a compelling image and congrats on EP! Iām just wondering how you managed to take a photo incorporating much more than this scene and achieve such good focus. Were you perched high above?
A great image, Jeff. I think you have made a great choice of what to include in the image and how you have placed the different parts. The colors and patterns make up a great total, and then there are so much details to explore.
Hi Jeff,
Just seeing this now. Sorry Iām so late to the party. As others have said, the colors are fabulous. Iām an 80s gal, so electric blue or aqua and black always work for me.
As for the horizontal v. vertical, Iām torn. In the original post, I immediately saw the profile of a face, and more particularly, given the title, a baby about to be born. Iām not sure whether you wanted this abstract to become anthropomorphic or not, but I think itās thereāgiven the nose and the eye, so to speak.
On the vertical one, I donāt see a human form, and so it feels more abstract to me, and I do like the sense of darkness rising or bubbles rising, which comes through in the vertical comp.
The real question is which one communicates what you want. The baby in formation taking shape echoes the creation of glaciers. The bubbles rising have their own ambient meaning.
I think I have settled on the vertical orientation as my preferred layout. Itās been very interesting to read the different interpretations of what people see in the patterns, but the ārising bubblesā motif is most natural to me, and that idea resonates.
@Mike_Friel, ironically, the original composition was a failed focus stack. The hole is probably a foot (25cm) wide, and I set the camera up directly over it, looking straight down. The original composition included the entire structure and a small bit of the surrounding glacier surface, but there was one small band about 2 or 3 inches into the hole that didnāt end up tack sharp, so I āsalvagedā it by cropping down to the scene I presented here (which is ultimately much more compelling anyway, I think). In the end, this image is just one single exposure (the deepest part of the hole).
Missed this one earlier but glad to find it tonight and totally agree that patterns like thisāand the impossible blueācan be magical, as you so clearly have shown. Honestly, I resist even trying to see things in abstracts, like faces, etc., and simply appreciate the incredible beauty you have show us. Thanks
Great shot Jeff. I definitely prefer the horizontal version. I think the āeyeā gives a nice focus to the photo to explore the rest of the abstract portions.
Comparing now, I might just prefer the horizontal version, by a slight edge. One of the reasons for that is because some time after my original view and comment, Iāve since now āseenā something that changes my impression. The original view as presented and just a little imagination - one could see an āAlienā head in the ice - with the large bubble as the āeyeā.