Fox Glacier Climb Photo

Photographer’s Note

In 2005 I was lucky enough to tour New Zealand twice; once in January and then again in September. The second time was with my school on a ski tour to Mt. Hutt and Cardrona skifields. Also on the itinerary was a visit to Fox Glacier, where we climbed up onto the ice to explore the frozen formations. About 200 metres up was this sight – 4 climbers scaling an ice cliff.

The colours were a little bit washed out as the sky was (as usual on the west coast) cloudy but there was still a little morning light to balance the brightness in the FG. As you climb up the glacier you face the east and as this was a mid morning walk, the light was directly in front causing some overexposure. This is why I have chosen to present this scene in black and white form. I think it also brings out more of the ice texture.

The Facts:

• Known as Te Moeka o Tuawe by the local Maori population
• Named after NZ Prime Minister Sir William Fox
• Extends to altitude of 2,600 metres
• 13 km long
• Downward flow of ice at speeds of 1 to 4 metres per day
• 250,000 visitors annually
• Only 10,000 years ago, the glacier extended to the sea!

It was great fun to clamber over with the crampon ice shoes and picks. The whole time the glacier creaks and groans as if it were alive. Occasionally a piece of ice will break off from the face and create a thunderous sound echoing down the valley. Incredible place!

pastadog, ChrisJ, Floydian, johnfreeman, AROBN54, chpp, MLINES, ViktorVaughn, kiwi_explorer, Merline, cherryripe, melmcree, trekks, jusninasirun, zeca, robertosalguero, InasiaJones, casperduppy, Wanda1, Signal-Womb, Clairedelune has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

sagitarian (353) 2008-01-30 0:57 [Comment]

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pastadog (12821) 2008-01-30 1:00

Hi Matthew, really a good idea to present this in B&W, it emphasizes the lines and textures, and it gives a feeling of old shot, those now used to check global warming. I like the depth, with the path into the glacier, and the guy up there, suggesting a route around and up that ice "cliff". Thanks for sharing, Daniel.

ChrisJ (70125) 2008-01-30 1:16

Hi Matthew

A superb tonal range with good sharpness & light contrasts. The tourists add scale. The U shape adds good lead in lines, to the composition. Tfs!

vjmite (1531) 2008-01-30 2:18

Hi Matthew,

Sometimes an ordinary colour photo can make a great black and white photo. This one has the feel of those 1930s climbing photos - a hard look, with plenty of contrast, but no overexposure. Note how the trail of dark rocks (moraine) has melted into the ice because the rocks absorb heat from the sun, and then conduct it into the ice.

Vince

Floydian (30970) 2008-01-30 4:20

Hello Matthew,
First i thought that a b&w would not be the right choice but looking longer to it i must chance my mind because i saw all kind of details which make the contrast in the b&w even stronger as they should be in colour in think. Your composition and framing is very good, just as the touch by including some humans in the picture, brings scaling and nice focuspoints. The 4.3 looks not ideal but i see the compact camera, that explains a lot.
Regards, Henk

johnfreeman (2220) 2008-01-30 5:12

Hello Matthew,
I think this works very well in B&W. I like the way the rocks form a curved line leading into the picture, I think that really makes it compositionally. The ice texture, particularly on the left, is also very appealing. Looks like a fun place to climb!
One thing I've noticed is that it looks a little oversharpened, particularly around the top climber and the top edge of the ice, though it might be my screen.
Cheers
John

AROBN54 (10735) 2008-01-30 6:28

Hi, Matt,
great lines and textures in this shot and I think you chose well to make it B&W. It looks like a kind of strange skate board park. The line of dark rocks lead in nicely and it has really goood depth. Nice sense of scale with the climbers
included. Maybe just a tad oversharpened, as mentioned, but still a really well done shot. Thanks and kindest regards,
Shelly

chpp (3972) 2008-01-30 6:52

Hi Matt
spectacular B&W image. I love the details in the ice and the the different shades the dirt brings. very nice POv with good perspectiv. IT's good that you add people so we cna have an idea of sizes
great shot
cheers
chris

Cormac (26449) 2008-01-30 8:22

Good shot Matthew! The people in the landscape really make this work, as they give this some life and also make it easier for us to place ourselves there. It's quite an interesting composition too, with the swooping lines of the glacier on the left and to a lesser extent on the right, and the rockpile at the bottom. I would like to see this in colour, because the glacier ice is usually a very nice blue, but this looks good also. Nice work!

rgarrigus (0) 2008-01-30 9:28

Hi Matthew,

Great note. You sure have done some cool things in your life. I like this image and find the B&W to be compelling. There is a nice flow of the lines to that group of people at the base but the person at the top keeps my eye moving up and around the photo.

Nice!

Bob G.

MLINES (10870) 2008-01-30 12:10

Hi Matt. Very original and powerful composition of this well known glacier in the South Island. I like the u-curve and the presence of moraine in the base. The notes are excellent. TFS. Murray.

ViktorVaughn (1517) 2008-01-30 18:48

Great shot Matthew. The B&W does work here, though I wouldn't have minded seeing this area in colour! You can really see the height of the glacier since you included the people for scale.

Excellent shot.

Regards,
David

Ann75 (0) 2008-01-30 19:49

Hi Matthew,

Great photo and a strong composition! I love the fact that you included some people, it really gives a good idea on the size. The black and white works well and creates some nice contrasts! Excellent work, Matthew!

Greetings,
Ann

PS: Interesting note as well!

toto (18703) 2008-01-31 0:29

Belle photo de ces homme sur la glace de ce glacier, première fois que je vois cette glace de si près,le NB me semble bien choisit pour ce genre de photo, cela nos montre bien les aspects de cette glace craquelée et le noir et le blanc sont bien marqués.
Merci du partage.

Amitiés Thomas
Je reviens.

kiwi_explorer (12195) 2008-01-31 2:21

Hi Matthew,
Wow ... superb B&W rendition. The well defined lines and textures in this compo is just outstanding. I like how the rocks created a 'leading line' ... very appealing. The climbers also had their role to gave scale of dimension. Well captured and composed. Excellent result! tfs
Cheers,
Renier

Merline (6574) 2008-01-31 10:57

Hi Matthew,
what a great idea to convert this in b/w. The rendering of the textures is superb. Wonderful place and great composition with those pieces of dark rocks in the foreground, the slopes in white and then again the darker one...the inclusion of people is great for giving an idea of the scale and life, it has a very intemporal look. Bravo!

TFS
Michèle

cherryripe (18931) 2008-01-31 12:38

Hi Matt
The contrasts are superb here and I really like the rocks in amongst the ice in the foreground. The climbers create excellent focal points and show the scale of the glacier. I vaguely remember walking on Franz Josef glacier when I was 8. Didn't get to Fox though.
Regards
Nikki

melmcree (2261) 2008-01-31 13:57

Hi Matt,

I had no idea New Zealand had glaciers and I'm starting to think I'm the only one on TE that hasn't been on one yet!

I think your choice is wise to present this one in B&W as it does show the texture of the ice well. I also use B&W when the picture doesn't work well in color. Rarely do I do I take a shot with the intention of using b&w, I'm just a sucker for color.

To include the people really help to give a sense of scale and that is a nice touch.

Well done,

Mel

tomszat (1135) 2008-01-31 14:53

Superb picture Matthew! Love the composition, the natural lines that lead the eye through the scene and good there are human figures as well to show the scale. My only concern would be the ice which (on my screen) looks a bit too grey. It might be just my screen so please ignore it if so, but if not I would just slightly work on curves in Photoshop to make it a little bit more white, let it stand out more, giving the picture a little bit more contrast for even bigger impact. I love the picture anyway, well done!!

trekks (14262) 2008-01-31 17:35

I must say you seem to know Australia and NZ well, Matt and your photo picks always showing interesting aspects of places. This one is no exception and it shows a great view of glaciers in nice B&W, not unlike glaciers I saw in Rockies of Canada years ago. Nature at its best.

Thanks for sharing, Bill

jusninasirun (10185) 2008-01-31 19:37

Hello Matthew,

Well presented in bw. The contrast of this valley-like rock is brilliant exposing all the details and size. The perspective is excellent with the inclusion of humsn figures.

Regards,
Jusni

zeca (20026) 2008-01-31 19:53

Hi Matthew!
I like the textures a lot. The view is beautiful and I think that your choice of b&w is very good. Well taken!
Regards,
Zeca

robertosalguero (110) 2008-01-31 21:47

Hello Matt,

Glaciers are beautiful and dangerous places. It has been a while since I last stepped on ice like this one and I really miss it. You managed to capture the essence of mountaineering here and framed it very well. Too bad glaciers are disappearing quickly. Some of our glaciers here are retreating so fast than in less than a century several will gone. Unless we have another ice age of course :-)

Roberto

InasiaJones (20060) 2008-01-31 23:23

Hi Matthew,

All these great contrasts and details provide a perfect scene to be converted in B&W. The different layers in the glacier make me think of a giant marbled ice cream bucket... There's so many textures to look at and appreciate. The man standing on top in dark clothing against the white sky is a good catch.

Your note is highly interesting, particularly concerning the "living" manifestation of the glacier.

Have a great weekend!

André

Wanda1 (10923) 2008-02-02 21:15

Hi Matthew,
This must have been an incredible sight to be standing right there. The shot has nice depth and the people give a good sense of the large scale of the glacier. I think that black and white was a good choice and I like the contrast between the ice and the black rock. Great textures too.
Regards
Wanda

PJE (19417) 2008-02-03 12:01

Hello Matthew. The included hikers in the glacier really adds a dimension of vastness in this photo. Excellent highlights in black and white rendered as well. Must be awfully slippery and impossible to climb without proper equipment. Good capture in this frame. Thanks for sharing!

Signal-Womb (11685) 2008-02-04 16:05

Hi Matthew, that's a great shot and your B&W treatment works very well here. There is a great quality to this ice with its texture and dark form. Composition is also excellent, well done..

batalay (20858) 2008-02-04 20:04

Hello Matthew,

Having reviewed your photo on the beach, I thought I would comment on this one as well. This one, set in the glacier field serves as a nice counterpoint to the other, and it too is in b&w, very appropriate. You were not even seventeen, I believe when you took this image, and already showing the good painterly eye. Very good composition, and a good comprehensive note.

Warm regards,
Bulent

Clairedelune (4885) 2008-02-05 18:50

Are you sure it is Earth Matthew? :))
A good framing for this photo. It is well balanced, with the different elements that make the photo. The different textures are beautifully mixing together. And I really like the human presence, since it gives the scale of the place, especially the person on the top, with the sky as the background.
I did not see the original, in colors, but I don't miss it one bit.
A good one Matthew.
Claire

euryan (8345) 2008-02-07 13:09

Hi Matt,
Beautiful composition. I really like the way you use people in your photographs. They are usually smaller and help complement or add interest to an already interesting landscape. The person on top of the ice really draws our attention and I like how the curve and lines in the ice guide our eyes between the person up top and the people down below. Great shot.
Take care,
Ryan

g_panakia (3980) 2008-09-30 6:33

excellent shot matthew!!!
B&W highlights all the details and the "scenery" looks very impressive!
rgds,
georgia