Ice, and More Ice

[Tom Robbins]

Asher's recent photo of an ice fall taken at Boulder got my old wheels spinning. Ice falls make great landscape subjects, but they can also serve as intimate subjects as well. I suspect temperature plays a role in how close is too close - melting ice has less detail than when it is way below zero, for example.

Enough preamble; a photo taken Christmas day at 4 degrees below zero F -

This is the intersection of icicles growing from above, and an ice mound growing from a canyon pool below. The total height of the falls was around 60 feet, but this small area caught my eye. The colors are subtle - perhaps too much so. Comments are very much appreciated.

Canon 5D and 180mm macro.

Thanks,

Tom

 

[Asher Kelman]

Hi Tom,

Yes, ice can be so impressive and still the subtle hues are there. Had you emphasized that, the effect would be gone. These have such a lot of beauty triggered in us: crystal chandeliers and fine society with maids and man-servants for every whim, overflowing sinks with foam bubbles, overlays of petticoats and frilly lace, engagement rings in a jewelry store of course the transient frozen waterfalls that mesmerize us.

Thanks for sharing. Are there siblings?

Asher

 

[Mark Doodeman]

Did you use any type of lighting other than the ambient light?

 

[Tom Robbins]

Hi Asher,

Thanks much for your comments. Yes, there are many siblings, but they're mostly just variations on the theme.

Mark,

Only ambient light was used. The ice had different thicknesses, and this was the main reason for the subtle change in colors. I've found that flash can be very tricky to use due to specular highlights. Cross polarization might help with this, but have trouble thinking to experiment when standing on ice and the temperature is below zero Fahrenheit . This might be a great way of increasing contrast, however.

Tom

 

[Asher Kelman]

Maybe just a circular polarizer might help?

 

[Tom Robbins]

Asher,

A circular polarizer alone with the available light would have only reduced the light through the lens by almost two stops. The available light was bouncing off the canyon walls, and by the time it refracted through and reflected from the ice, it essentially had no polarization.

On the other hand, if the light source were polarized - by placing polarized film in front of the flash output, for example - then the circular polarizer at the lens could be adjusted so that it was at right angles to that of the light source. This effectively reduces specular reflections. The degree of reduction depends upon the surface of the subject. It is tough to reduce specular reflection with ice and glass, for example, but it works amazingly well with dewy flowers.

I've got a couple examples illustrating this, if you're interested.

Tom

 

[Holly Cawfield]

Tom, once again I find myself looking at one of your images with as much an eye to learn as appreciation. This is so very beautiful and quite a spark to the imagination for it immediately made me think of supplicants crowding into an ice cathedral. The light in the lower half flows so glowingly but with a subtle grace.

A question: did you use a ND grad filter for this?

 

[Tom Robbins]

Hi Holly,

Thank you!

No filters were used. Ambient light was coming from the right, and consisted of sunshine filtering through thin clouds, and then bouncing off sandstone canyon walls. It's hard to imagine a more gentle source of light. The back of the ice falls was toward the left. The result was sort of a half lit portrait of the ice column.

These conditions are typical at the Illinois River canyons. Most of them open to the river toward the north, and the water/ice falls are located at the heads of the canyons. Even on a clear day, the sun cannot reach into these areas, so available light is always indirect during the winter months.

Tom

 

[Rachel Foster]

This is worthy of study! I like!

 

[Tom Robbins]

Thanks Rachel,

Temperatures were below zero this weekend, and finding ice to photograph has become an obsession. Do you suppose some sort of twelve step recovery program for this condition exists?

The above is but a small section (about three feet from top to bottom) of an extremely large column of ice taken yesterday morning at an Illinois River canyon. The variety of shapes and subtle variations in color caught my eye.

Tom

 

[Rachel Foster]

I don't know, Tim, but if you find one, send me the info. I've been trying for this shot for over a year. I'm getting closer.

 

[Asher Kelman]

We can discuss controlling the specular reflections, here.

 

[Tom Robbins]

Hey Rachel,

How many frames did it take to capture the little drop in action?

Tom

 

[Rachel Foster]

Don't ask! But I will say the 5dII was spectacular.