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Melting Iceberg


Melting Iceberg
Photo Information
Copyright: James Parker (Jamesp) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1205 W: 0 N: 4610] (13714)
Genre: Landscapes
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 1999-09
Categories: Mountain
Camera: Canon EOS 1vHS, Canon 17-35 2.8L, Fuji Provia 100
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Blue Things [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-12-05 8:40
Viewed: 947
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 54
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I took this shot just after sunset - hence the very dark background and extra intense blue. I was intrigued bt the shape of this melting iceberg which had calved from the Grey Glacier, probably a couple of years before.

Torres de Paine is one of the most spectacular parks in the world and is sometimes referred to as 'The Yellowstone of the Southern Hemisphere', because of the stunning scenery and wonderful wildlife.

This is a scanned slide.

Torres del Paine National Park is a Chilean National Park comprising mountains, glaciers, lakes and rivers. The Cordillera del Paine is the centerpiece of the park. It lies in a transition area between the Magellanic subpolar forests and the Patagonian Steppes. The park is located 112 north of Puerto Natales and 312 km north of Punta Arenas. Bernardo O'Higgins National Park is its neighbour to the west, while Los Glaciares National Park is located to the north in Argentine territory.

The park is dominated by the Paine massif, which is an eastern spur of the Andes located on the east side of the Grey Glacier, rising dramatically above the Patagonian steppe. Small valleys separate the spectacular granite spires and mountains of the massif. These are: Valle del Francés (French Valley), Valle Bader, Valle Ascencio and Valle del Silencio (Silence Valley).

The head of French Valley is a cirque formed by impressive cliffs. To west rise abruptly the colossal walls of Cerro Cota 2000 and Cerro Catedral. The former is named for its elevation (the highest contour line is about 2,000 m) and the latter is named so because its east face resembles a cathedral's facade. To the north stands the mountain called Aleta de Tiburón (Shark's Fin). To the east, from north to south, lie the peaks Fortaleza (Fortress), La Espada (The Sword), La Hoja (The Blade), La Máscara (The Mummer), Cuerno Norte (North Horn) and Cuerno Principal (Main Horn).

Silence Valley is where standing face to face the gigantic granite walls of Cerro Fortaleza and Cerro Escudo (Shield Hill) with the western faces of the Torres del Paine. Ascencio Valley is the normal route to reach the Torres del Paine lookout. The highest mountain of the group is Paine Grande, although its elevation has not been determined with precision.

Much of the geology of the Paine Massif area consists of Cretaceous sedimentary rocks that have been intruded by a Miocene-aged laccolith. Subsequently, orogenic and erosional processes have shaped the present-day scenery. A good example of the latter are the Cuernos del Paine, whose central bands of exposed granite strongly contrast with the dark aspect of their tops, which are remnants of a heavily eroded sedimentary strata. In the case of Las Torres, what once was their overlying sedimentary rock layer have been completely eroded away, leaving behind the more resistant granite.

Southern Patagonian Ice Field mantles a great portion of the park. Glaciers include the Dickson, the Grey and the Tyndall.

Among the lakes are the Dickson Lake, Nordenskjöld Lake, Pehoe Lake, Grey Lake, Sarmiento Lake and Del Toro Lake. Only a portion of the latter is within the borders of the park. All of them characterize vivid colors due, in the most of the cases, to rock flour suspended in their waters. The main river flowing through the park is Paine River. Most of the rivers and lakes of the park drain into Última Esperanza Sound via Serrano River.
anel, SelenE, eqshannon, Heaven, nglen, XOTAELE, vanderschelden, Adanac, NinaM, haraprasan, enrico, marhowie, ramthakur, jrobertop, hester, JPlumb, alguazul has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

very good picture, I like the blue colour on the mekting ice.

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1580 W: 242 N: 5278] (18595)
  • [2007-12-05 8:53]

This is a harsh reminder of what global warming is doing to our planet!
Amazing shapes produced from the melting ice.
I love the cool blue colour.
Well done James!
Joe

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2304 W: 59 N: 3674] (11774)
  • [2007-12-05 8:53]

Hi James,
The form and the color of the ice is beautiful. Very good exposure handling. TFS
Best wishes,
Selen

Fascinating....I have always appreciated the added colour of blue, in snow and ice at times depending. It is a quality which some try to capture, then PP it to a more white, which really isn't the spectrum wave which the eye sees..I believe the bluish tinge is a purposeful addition by the Creator of all things and recognized by us not only in colour but in mood and feeling...Well done and added to the theme...Blue
Things.
Bob

  • Great 
  • Heaven Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 407 W: 83 N: 768] (2929)
  • [2007-12-05 10:18]

Hi James!

You present us a wonderful picture, very abstract and artistic as I like them. The colors are fabulous and the lighting is perfect.

I would hang it on my wall...

I also would like to thank you for the detailed and interesting notes.

Kind regards

Markus

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1895 W: 4 N: 5148] (19630)
  • [2007-12-05 10:37]

Hi James. This is just beautiful. Fantastic blue colour so cool looking great shapes. and lighting. very well done TFS.
Nick..

Hello James,
You definitely saw a lot of wonderful nature. This image is another example.
I like the special light conditions in your image.
TFS
Annick

hello james fine capture of the melting iceburg, the colour looks just great, well composed shot with perfect pov, lovely shapes,
well done,
tfs & regards
pankaj

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1036 W: 1 N: 3967] (13346)
  • [2007-12-05 19:02]

Hello James,
I love blue ice and the details here with the black background are superb, thanks.
Rick

  • Great 
  • NinaM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 544 W: 0 N: 1338] (4443)
  • [2007-12-05 19:45]

hi James, what a superb shot. I thought at first it was a small chunk of ice that you tinted blue. I had to look at the picture intensely to see the gigantic iceberg it must be. Impressive.

Francine

  • Great 
  • demeve Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 507 W: 8 N: 1071] (3954)
  • [2007-12-05 21:23]

Hello James,
Something that I don't have today is time,
but I could not resist to stop by and congratulate
you on this wonderful capture.. Congratulations my friend
I'll be back tomorrow..

Everton

Hi James,
A beautiful capture of this nice looking natural ice sculpture with excellent composition and colors. Thanks a lot for sharing.

Maravillosos colores y estupenda presentación.
Bella imagen James.
Saludos, JL.

Hi James!
I like the idea of keeping a low exposure to have a black bacground! The torres del paine park is a wonderful place indeed! I was there a couple of years ago!
Thanks for sharing!!
enrico.

  • Great 
  • Norte Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 34 W: 0 N: 45] (184)
  • [2007-12-06 2:47]

Hello!
Nice natural ice sculpture.
Lovely shades of blue, and I like the texture of the ice from the wet melting to the drier higher up.
Fine composition.
TFS!
Regards, Jon

Unique image James, love the intense blues on black..
Great interest, great notes on this also.
Very well done.
Howard

What an artistic creation of nature, James!
You have reproduced the masterpiece beautifully through this great shot.
Well done and TFS.
Regards.
Ram

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2007-12-06 7:48]

Hello James

A sculpture?
Beautiful colours and lighting.
This is well composed and is very artistic.
Nicely done.
TFS

Rob

Bonjour,
Magnifique objet qui est une véritable sculpture.
Bonne journée.
clnaef

Hi James,
Wonderful sculptures of nature!
Fantastic photographic work!
Magnificent coloration and texture.
Great framing and luminosity.
Thanks for sharing this marvel!
Regards,
José Roberto

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1292 W: 104 N: 4589] (20415)
  • [2007-12-07 8:24]

Wow ! Hello James, that's a really fine shot, I can't stop looking at it. The forms, textures, colors and BG are just amazing. Well done ! Thanks,

Mario

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1675 W: 24 N: 4870] (15888)
  • [2007-12-07 10:09]

Hi James,
Fantastic formation of the melting iceberg and the blue colour is so mesmerizing. Wonderfully captured and the black BG enhances the beauty. Great lighting and exposure. Excellent POV to portray this scene and very nicely composed. Kudos.
TFS.
Sumon

* Sorry, have been a bit irregular, hope to come out of my present predicament soon.

  • Great 
  • hester Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1464 W: 18 N: 2950] (10828)
  • [2007-12-07 12:57]

ohhhh this is like a work of art. It is just glorious. I love that blue against the black. Wonderful work James

TFS

Karan

Hi James, very great shot of this iceberg. It's the colour that does if for me. Well, that and the texture, and your timing was good all around to give us a great dark sky. Composition is great. Okay, it wasn't just the colour that did it for me.

Thanks, John

What a ephemerous shape, melting and changing. You never see the same ice. Interesting blues on a dark background. How much time we have to appreciate the old blues in the ice?

Hi James,
OK, now I fully understand you note. The resemblance with the rock shape is pretty close. Its funny to see that nature can create these similar shapes in a completely different part of the world. I like the wonderful blue color of the ice and the extreemly black BG. It must have been pretty difficult to expose this photo correctly.
TFS,
Niek

  • Great 
  • anel Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1115 W: 0 N: 1829] (7816)
  • [2007-12-11 6:54]

hello James,
Amazing and most beautiful picture. Even if this picture reminds us of a great ecological problem, I have to say that reading your note, I really would once visit this area. Patagonia always made me dream!
Thanks for this interesting posting
Anne

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