Svalbard
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A view of one of the very many impressive glaciers you can see around Svalbard. The remoteness of the archipelago located in the very high arctic region is an opportunity to view starkn and jagged hills and intertwined with the beauty of glaciers. You may get an idea of this glacier's size by comparing it to the approaching zodiac on the left.
Svalbard, Norway
From Wikipedia:
"The Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) is a small subspecies or species of reindeer found on the Svalbard archipelago of Norway. Males average 65–90 kg (143–198 lb) in weight, females 53–70 kg (117–154 lb), while for other reindeer generally body mass is 159–182 kg (351–401 lb) for males and 80–120 kg (180–260 lb) for females
The species is endemic to the islands of Svalbard, where it has lived for at least 5,000 years and has become well adapted to the harsh climate, being found on nearly all non-glaciated areas of the archipelago. By 1925 they had almost gone extinct due to over-hunting in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Over recent decades, their population has increased. As of 2019, the total population across the archipelago is approximately 22,000. They are the only large grazing mammal in the European High Arctic, and this makes them exceptional for studies concerning the introduction of pollutants to changing ecosystems. During the short Arctic summer, Svalbard reindeer feed on a lush tundra vegetation of vascular plants, including grasses, herbs, sedges and deciduous shrubs in the lowland plains and valleys, to accumulate fat for the winter. The fur of Svalbard reindeer contains elements and chemicals picked up from the vegetation they digest. They are relatively sedentary, and are thus highly vulnerable to changes in local conditions.
Compared to other reindeer, they are short-legged and have a small, rounded head. Their fur is also lighter in color and thicker during winter. The thickness of the coat contributes to the short-legged appearance and makes even starved animals appear fat in the winter. The males develop large antlers during the period from April to July and shed the velvet during August–September. Males lose their antlers in early winter. Females develop antlers starting in June and they are usually retained for a whole year. "
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Back in the Arctic. Back at work. Some diving operations. The mountains around Longyearbyen in the background.
Of all the amazing subjects on offer in Svalbard, it was the blue icebergs that most captured my imagination. They reminded me of the slot canyons in the American west. They have the same sculptural quality and startling luminosity. They were difficult to photograph from a moving zodiac, not least because our group was constantly heading off in search of seals and seabirds, seemingly oblivious to the astonishing beauty of the ice.
Nikon Z7, 100-400/4.5-5.6 VR S. Original photograph copyright © Simon Miles. Not to be used without permission. Thanks for looking.
One of the weird things about visiting Svalbard is how little time you spend ashore. Landing is strictly controlled and of course weather dependent. We did make landfall a few times during our time among the islands. But even then we were usually following a specified route with few opportunities to stop. There was only one evening when I had some time to explore the shoreline and make this long exposure of the ocean. It felt good to have my feet on dry (well, OK, wet) land, even if only briefly.
Nikon Z7, 24-70/2.8 S. Original photograph copyright © Simon Miles. Not to be used without permission. Thanks for looking.
Here's another long 65:24 pano taken from the deck of the ship late in the evening when the light was at its best. As a social hermit from Devon stuck on a ship with over a hundred passengers, it was a pleasant surprise to find I had the outer decks almost to myself at this time of day. Well worth staying up for.
Nikon Z7, 24-70/2.8 S. Original photograph copyright © Simon Miles. Not to be used without permission. Thanks for looking.
One of a series of long 65:24 panos I shot from the deck of the ship. The landscape, of course, was constantly changing as we sailed around the Svalbard archipelago. But we were fortunate with the weather too, as cloud built and broke constantly over the mountains. This particular view struck me as quite foreboding and I found myself thinking, not for the first time, of the epic mountain landscapes of the Lord of the Rings. I enjoy the steely blues and greys of this scene, with just a hint of diffuse light behind the low hanging clouds wreathed around the mountain tops.
Nikon Z7, 24-70/2.8 S. Original photograph copyright © Simon Miles. Not to be used without permission. Thanks for looking.
Smeerenburgbreen is a glacier in Albert I Land at Spitsbergen, Svalbard. The large glacier debouching into the head of Smeerenburgfjorden.
I've always thought of a fogbow as a rare meteorological phenomenon. It turns out they aren't that uncommon in the Arctic. Photographing them, however, proved to be the devil's own job, particularly from the deck of a moving ship. Try as I might, I couldn't align the foreground pack ice with the fogbow quite how I wanted. This was as close as I got to a pleasing composition.
Nikon Z7, 24-70/2.8 S. Original photograph copyright © Simon Miles. Not to be used without permission. Thanks for looking.
I'm not sure how many more images I'll post from my trip to the Arctic. I'm very much in favour of edited/curated portfolios vs dumping everything online and leaving the viewer to decide what's worth looking at. However, I did want to share one more image of the extraordinary Arctic ice. This one immediately made me think of Superman's Fortress of Solitude, which makes for a pretty cool title, if nothing else. Have a great weekend everyone.
Nikon Z7, 100-400/4.5-5.6 VR S. Original photograph copyright © Simon Miles. Not to be used without permission. Thanks for looking.
Here's another of what I'm calling my animate landscapes. Although in this case it's more of a seascape. Sea mist and fog are common in the Arctic and create lovely soft conditions for photography.
Nikon Z7, 100-400/4.5-5.6 VR S. Original photograph copyright © Simon Miles. Not to be used without permission. Thanks for looking.
The one thing I knew I wanted to photograph in the Arctic was the ice. I also knew I would need a long lens for the kind of abstract studies I wanted to make. Somewhat reluctantly, given its size, weight and cost, I decided I would have to invest in Nikon's new 100-400mm lens. Fortunately, the lens earned its keep, proving invaluable for composing at distance from a moving ship or boat - even if it wasn't really long enough for the Arctic wildlife. I made numerous studies of the blue ice, which I found utterly captivating.
Nikon Z7, 100-400/4.5-5.6 VR S. Original photograph copyright © Simon Miles. Not to be used without permission. Thanks for looking.
Having said several times I'm no wildlife photographer, I did make the attempt during my time in Svalbard. So here are a few of my bird photographs, such as they are. The 100-400mm lens I had with me wasn't long enough most of the time, without significant cropping. But every now and then I was able to capture an 'animate landscape' when a bird, usually a kittiwake, would perch photogenically on an interesting section of ice. I loved the diagonal lines here and waited for the bird to look back into the frame before firing off... one exposure. I know, I know, I should have exposed a burst of a hundred frames. Old dogs and new tricks...
Nikon Z7, 100-400/4.5-5.6 VR S. Original photograph copyright © Simon Miles. Not to be used without permission. Thanks for looking.