Landscape Photo Competition 2014 No 1 : Entry Number 347

Just stunning. My first impression upon seeing this photograph was that the subject of ice on black sand wasn’t very original. Those famous Icelandic beaches are amongst the world’s most sought after locations after all, and many beautiful photographs have been taken there. I did though put it directly into the final selection basket because it is technically so beautiful. Later, during a very close inspection of all the final images, when the smallest of details can mean win or lose , the fantastic technical qualities of this photograph became so apparent. This is as good as they get. The composition is beautiful, balanced, peaceful and perfect. The exposure is filtered, whites and blacks cleverly respected, whilst the aperture and shutter speed have been beautifully balanced to create this amazingly real oceanic atmosphere. The aperture has brought sharpness all the way into the corners, the shutter speed has given a perfect dose of life-giving movement to the sea, the power of the waves still visible, the surf drawing important lines. I have mentioned the importance of neutral density grad filters in landscape photography in several of my critiques this round, (see critiques), and here we see the beautifully toned sky and the top bottom exposure balance which can be obtained with them. You have, after the perfect photo session, gone on to very subtly develop your photograph, maintaining the cool tones, adding that little punch, that slight vignette… Congratulations, this can be the only winner this round.

First off, thank you so much! This is a huge honor to take first place, especially considering the outstanding images from all the others in the winners circle. I made this photo last September on Jökulsárlón Beach while assisting Bruce Percy on one of his fantastic photo tours. Every morning we pulled up to this beach, we were greeted with an entirely different scene. Depending on the tides and winds, you could have tiny jewel sized chunks of ice, up to huge cobalt blue icebergs the size of trucks. Needless to say, the subject matter here is dynamic, varied, and captivating. Nikon D800, Zeiss 21mm lens, Lee filter system ~ 2 stop hard nd grad, Gitzo Mountaineer tripod, Achratech Ultimate Ballhead and most importantly: Knee high water proof neoprene boots made by Bogs, with these amazing boots, I was able to get dangerously far out into the surf, be warm and dry, as well as have the thick neoprene shield my shins from all the icebergs slamming against my legs.