World of Blues, a photo from Santa Cruz, South

Photographer's Note

Hiking the Perito Moreno Glacier was definitely the highlight of our trip to Patagonia. The icescapes are simply beautiful and they are so hard to compare with anything I know from the everyday’s life. I have skied Alpine glaciers many times before, but this here was a completely new experience. It was like being in a whole different foreign world, which has its own mountains and rivers and other unknown structures.
Unfortunately for safety reasons we could not move freely on the glacier so I could not compose the photos as I would really like. Without the presence of people the icescapes seem strange. They look like snow on any hill anywhere in the world. Just when you have a scale marker you can imagine the size of this place and the structures present there. Therefore I have two more photos attached here as workshop. Workshop 1 shows same view with my wife posing in front of it. It will at least give you an idea about the size of this water puddle. Workshop 2 shows a different whole in the glacier along the trail. I took it together with my shoes so that again it gives some idea about the scale. The second one is obviously much smaller. To have a better idea about the vastness of this place please have a look at my previous upload from this hike.

I was tempted to use the pseudo HDR here but I decided not to do that. The colors are thus very natural. The day was rather grey but still the blue tones were very intense in places.

ABOUT THE BLUE COLOR
We have already had a discussion with emka about the origin of the blue color of the glacier. The discussion promted us to search for the correct answer and these are the answers which we came up with:

The blue color (of ice) is often wrongly attributed to Rayleigh scattering. Rather, ice is blue for the same reason water is blue: it is a result of an overtone of an oxygen-hydrogen (O-H) bond stretch in water which absorbs light at the red end of the visible spectrum.

From the surface, snow and ice present a uniformly white face. This is because almost all of the visible light striking the snow or ice surface is reflected back, without any preference for a single color within the visible spectrum.
The situation is different for light that is not reflected, but penetrates or is transmitted into the snow. As this light travels into the snow or ice, the ice grains scatter a large amount of light.

Sources:
Why is ice blue
Why is water blue

dta, Hellas, Guenther, timecapturer, ManuMay, CLODO, CLODO, raszid62, Sonata11, hispic, s_lush, rodgerg, josepmarin, paololg, macjake, macjake, Graal, jhm, danos, delpeoples, kordinator, Kofman, Angshu, yeln, Charo, ikeharel, fritzi007 has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

serp2000 (29188) 2011-02-10 2:46

Witaj, Mariusz, my neighbour today,
I don't know. Impressive scene. I never seen this place on a photo. An interesting note and discussion.
Pozdrawiam!
Serghei

dta (51418) 2011-02-10 2:51

Hello Mariusz ,
A blue hole , but not the same than mine :) A stunning view of this impressive icy formation . The poor light and the grey sky provide a quite dramatic atmoshere .

Hellas (6505) 2011-02-10 4:21

Hi Mariusz!
An image that combines the unique blue color of water and the particular topography of the site.

Very good managment of light and PoV.

Regards,
Athanasios.

Guenther (10893) 2011-02-10 4:58

Hi Mariusz,

a great study of the hues of blue on the glacer. The colour of the puddle looks really incredible! Thankyou also for the very rich and interesting note and the two good and explaining workshops.

Have a nice day
Günther

timecapturer (30324) 2011-02-10 6:02

Hello Mriusz
another stunning and fascinating shot, wonderful blue hues and excellently chosen POV. The textures are amazing a great image. TFS

Brian D.

GiorDah (17) 2011-02-10 6:42

Geia sou Mariusz,
Looks like a photo from another planet!
I feel like I am almost there - even the chill.
Filika, Giorgos

ManuMay (33343) 2011-02-10 9:08

Witaj Mariusz!

Amazing blue colours from this wonderful place, a very nice view with good composition under a special sky...I´m surprised too for this blue water not freeze!!

Excellent capture, great colour tones!!

Have a nice day...

Manu

PS: And thanks too for your very good and useful note...

CLODO (24726) 2011-02-10 10:22

Hello Mariusz

deep blue lake at the surface of the glacier, makes me dream!
Kind regards
CLODO

jemaflor (68913) 2011-02-10 11:12

Hi M,
So beautiful blue color with all this ice, well taken with this vertical format, i like the result, tfs.

raszid62 (18200) 2011-02-10 14:29

Cze¶æ
Czysty nieska¿ony jasny b³êkit lodowca, ato oczko wodne wlodzie a¿ powala na kolana. Swoja drog± musia³e¶ tam chyba miec na butach raki, i pewnie ciep³e ubranko. Kolosalna kompozycja.
Pozdrawiam
Józek

Urs (11804) 2011-02-10 18:19

Hi Mariusz

Beautiful glacier with a very interesting comment about the blue color origin. Possibly in analog the blueish tint of the snow or ice was less a problem, in digital there are some issues with true color. Nonetheless an excellent POV with great DOF. Well done.

your observation about the fish trader in Klong Toey is correct, often the trader or peddler have some similarities with the goods they are selling. Of some you immediately can say they sell fish, or pork, or chicken, it sounds funny but it is true.

Warm regards
urs

Sonata11 (28331) 2011-02-10 18:44

Witaj Mariusz,
niesamowite zdjecie tego lodowca wraz ze slicznym blekitnym oczkiem. Samo cudo natury. Piekne zdjecie. Moje gratulacje.
Bardzo mi sie podoba.
Serdecznie pozdrawiam,
Barbara

hispic (9619) 2011-02-10 19:23

Hi Mariusz!
Nice capture of attractive swimming pool on the glacier. This blue looks a little bit gloomy when seeing from your work as usual.
i have experienced that a blue hole appeared when the snow was poked by the skiing stock in Canada.
Best wishes, Hisashi

bukitgolfb301 (30065) 2011-02-11 0:58

Hi my dear Mariusz

This is another very fantastic nature shot.
Marvelous and amazing indeed.
Nice presentation for delight slight color!!!
The composition is also well considered and organized. Thanks for sharing with your finest posting, have a good last day of a week and best regards,

Takero from a Sleety Tokyo

lousat (57626) 2011-02-11 2:09

Hi Mariusz,very impressive perspcetive from this low point of view,a scenary from the last day of the world..ehehe...fantastic quality and the perfect work in PP as usual...and as i like!Thanks for share,have a nice day,Luciano

rodgerg (55767) 2011-02-11 4:26

Witaj Mariusz,

Very curious palce and interesting shot. Beautiful vertical composition too with harmony and contrast in the colors. Superb blue which arise very well.
Best regards,
Roger

s_lush (15588) 2011-02-11 5:06

Hello Mariusz,
This colorful picture, along with the two other ones in the workshop, are very good illustrations of the exciting story about your hiking the glacier and about such an interesting natural phenomenon as its blue color. This post can be considered as an informative, interesting and well-illustrated research paper. Perfectly good job!
Best regards,
Sergiy

josepmarin (55027) 2011-02-11 5:45

Hi Mariusz,
what a magnificent chromatic contrast in this capture! The whiteness of the ice and the blue tonalities inside its cracks, and specially in the water of the puddle in the middle of the glacier, do a very showy photo in spite of the cloudy day.
By one of the complementary photos we can see clearly the size of the puddle, thanks to the good reference created by your wife.
A very interesting and very graphical work, beautifully executed.
Friendly regards,
Josep

SWEETFREEDOM (18415) 2011-02-11 7:26

Hi Mariusz,
wonderful the color of the water and amazing the surrounding landscape. a real wonder!
regards
Alessandro

Silvio1953 (98129) 2011-02-11 9:28

Ciao Mariusz, fantastic icecape with amazing colors, beautiful light and splendid clarity, very well done my friend, have a good week end, ciao Silvio

paololg (31442) 2011-02-11 12:11

Ciao dear Mariusz,
I have read with interest your notes and seen the ws. Really impressive the blue hole, almost attractive and hypnotic. The color of the ice is incredibly beautiful, it is curious to observe that is the same color of some tropical seas. Probably is a chemical matter and of refraction, as you tell in the notes. Excellent reportage from Patagonia, captured with yours usual perfect photographic quality. BRAVO!
Ciao, have a nice weekend!
Paolo

macjake (39227) 2011-02-11 12:26

Hi Mariusz
yes, interesting note about the color of ice and snow, i never knew that....thanks for the info.
you're right about the advantage of having scale, size perspective, that would have helped out alot.
but still, how could anyone not admire this nature, this pristine glacier with its teardrop blue centre.
educational and visually stimulating.
cheers
craig

vasilpro (40192) 2011-02-11 15:45

Hello Mariusz,
Excellent POV, interesting frozen landscape, lovely light and color tones, wonderful vertical composition.
Have a nice weekend, Vasilis.

AKITA (15125) 2011-02-11 21:59

dear Mariusz,
the blue color is splendid here whether the physical reason is clear or not,
more important thing is human instinctive and psychological sensation for the blue, in my feeling,
anyway, this mysterious blue tone is so attractive in ice space here,
thank you for your excellent shot,
Akihisa

Graal (88886) 2011-02-11 23:29

Czesc,
niezwykle odcienie blekitu, jakby z domieszka zieleni na tym lodowcu. Fajny WS i informacje w notce z linkami. Ania urocza, niezwykle obuwie ma z tym kolcami.
Milego WE zycze.
Aleksander

emka (58140) 2011-02-11 23:45

Witaj,

Z takiego czy innego powodu tan błękit lodowców jest fantastyczny i dla mnie był olbrzymim zaskoczeniem. I chociaż powinnam to dobrze rozumieć, to tak naprawdę nie jestemm pewna jak to jest :)). Fajne zdjęcie.

Pozdrawiam

Małgorzata

jhm (122444) 2011-02-12 0:34

Witaj Mariusz,

Impressive the blue color in the opening of the mountain, this almost a fairy-tale.
Nice winter landscape and mountain image.
Sharpness and clarity are fantastic.
Perfect captured and good composed, good presentation too. TFS.

Nice weekend,
John.

mauro61 (52527) 2011-02-12 0:37

ciao Mariusz,
la resa è fantastica sembra di essere su un altro pianeta...
Semplicemente unica, bravo
maurizio

sacimar (25957) 2011-02-12 11:56

Hello Mariusz,

impressive place and excellent pictures, I like this world of blues, the blue tones create an interesting composition, well done,

Best regards,

Sergio

mesutilgim (67960) 2011-02-13 0:17

Hello Mariusz,
I don't have any idea why, but looking to that capture I believed I was hearing a jazz music from far distances !
Nice capture, nice story.
TFS and have a nice Sunday
Best regards
MESUT ILGIM

danos (73974) 2011-02-13 10:12

Witaj Mariusz,
rare shot with the blue of the water to make the scene even more attractive.I like the bluish colour tints of the glacier as the WS we can see the reality and the magic of the approaching in this area of our beautiful world.Thanks for the presentation,as you were there to show us so beautiful photos.

Have a good week,danos

Fis2 (73100) 2011-02-13 10:48

Witaj Mariusz!
Bardzo interesujace miejsce.
Cala robote w tym kadrze zrobila kolorystyka.
Pozdrawiam
Krzysztof

delpeoples (44904) 2011-02-14 0:27

Wow Mariusz

Congratulations on this spectacular photo. It's amazing. So masterfully composed and executed. The colours, the sharpness, the perspective all flawless. Not much more I can say but admire it.

TFS and I wish you a beautiful day
Lisa

kordinator (13411) 2011-02-14 0:46

Hello Mariusz
Lovely place you captured.
Fascinating shot, wonderful blue hues and excellently chosen point of view.
Impressive scene.
Lovely two photos in the workshop.
Great job.
Best regards
Saša

holmertz (26932) 2011-02-14 7:57

Hello Mariusz,
A very interesting natural phenomenon that has created marvellous colours and fantastic shapes. The workshops are essential to understand the dimensions and are good photos n their own way.
Kind regards,
Gert

Waylim (22355) 2011-02-14 23:29

Hi M,
the water look so pure you can drink from it. Which we kind of did with the ice in our drink after the glacier hike. I didn't do Perito Morena Glacier walk, I did the Viedmar Glacier Instead, though I did hike down to the lake at Perito. It was such memorable trip I will never foget. This is a lovely shot with good detail, the colors are as I remember it. Great job. thanks.
Way

Ricx (13435) 2011-02-15 2:14

Mauriusz,

What a wonderful trip- sounds just stunning - I can hear the passion in your words.. It must have been amazing just to be up there and enjoy the amazing structures.

a fascinating note and excellent reserach into the colour blue of ice and water,

I look forward to following your other images..
I have just come back from Australia and it was a very different temp - 43 degrees in Sydney -- and the desert would have been hotter.

Have a great day Rich

Angshu (51174) 2011-02-17 4:47

Hello Mariusz!
What more can I say about these marvels of nature! The Workshop 2 is quite mind boggling!...the picture which attracts me most (even with the shoes). Good articles on the colour blue...thanks!
Best,
Angshu

yeln (11502) 2011-02-23 23:22

witaj M.
po krajši odsotnosti sem zopet tukaj. opravičujem se, da nisem takoj odgovoril na kritiko.
zelo zanimiva in lepa pokrajina, ki nudi obilo dobrih motivov za fotografiranje. lepo delo my friend!!! tfs!
lep dan, vojko

npecanhuk (53901) 2011-02-24 4:10

Hi Mariusz!
Great title! Magnificent icy location! Wonderful picture!
Highlights are the colors, vertical format, chosen pov and composition!
I love it!
TFS - congrats,
Best regards,
Neyvan

Charo (51174) 2011-03-10 17:44

Witaj Mariusz,
To jest zimne i niegościnne, ale to naprawdę jest cud natury.
Rejestrować wspaniałe i bardzo dobre szczegóły i kolory.
Pozdrawiam,
Charo

sacavem (18572) 2011-03-26 13:56

Olá Mariusz,

Great shot and composition, I like it.
Then the Argentina's flag takes the colors of the ice.Splendid picture, I like it this type images.Sharpness and clarity are perfect, also real colors.

Cumprimentos,
Filipe

kiks (11373) 2011-11-19 14:53

Beautiful this puddel. Before looking at the ws i was asking myzelf how big it was. In fact is smaller that i though. I love the feeling of depth and the colors.Best regadrs
KIKs

ikeharel (37316) 2012-02-16 8:10

This picture prove that ice is blue - not white, Mariusz, only a "broken" ray can creat such a wonderful phenomena.
Fine shot, great glacier stroll's.
Ike

fritzi007 (7580) 2012-11-14 14:28

Hallo Mariusz,
ein Foto der Sonderklasse, dieses blau, unglaublich schön!
Viele Grüße
Wolfgang