Portage Lake

Wow! I don't even know what to say.... Well, I will just say this is awesome! I like the blue and the light fall-off in the lower corners doesn't bother me at all. I like it with this image and it just adds to the very special feeling this has. I love the light and those lines in the ice are so cool looking. A new favorite for me!!

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

Stunning Velvia never ceases to amaze. Wish I could see this one a light table. Great composition leading the eye from foreground to background. The yellow blue contrast works very well here. I don't think that there is too much blue.

Most excellent Vance the picture really telescopes towards or away from you in a very dramatic fashion. The velvet blues and yellow / gold dairy ice cream cone mountains are a wonderful contrast of opposing hues. Perhaps the right side mountain is just a bit heavy and oppressive when compared to the lightness of the rest of the image but short of moving slightly left I am not sure you could change perspective much.

This is just beautiful. I love the blues in this image. If I had to make a suggestion, it would be one you had to have tried while out in the field, but wondering if you have any shots from a slightly lower angle for a bit more sky? I think that would give it a nice balance as I am primarily attracted to the ice within the water.

Vance,

WOW! This is just gorgeous! Gotta love that Velvia blue - but combined with the light of the warm yellows up top, this one just jumps right out at me.

I've been there! 1993! And have many 35mm images where Velvia just didn't pick up any detail in that triangular ridge on the right. But in the case of your image here, it just doesn't matter; that ridge isn't so big that it demands detail and the patches of snow are enough detail as it is. That's neither here nor there.

I LOVE this image! And like Kris, this must be something to behold on the light table.



Lon

This is simply gorgeous Vance! The golden light the cold blues..... and that reflection. I have got to get back Alaska with my family next time. They need to see this in person. As you know I was there in the early '80's. Looks like there was more ice in the lake. Is that the same peak in my Portage Glacier image? I think it is but a wide view. I love better the light and colors you have captured here.

Awesome image Vance, the blues might be a bit much but its up to interpretation and I think it works well with the mood created.

Absolutely incredible image Vance! The comp, light and color all work together to create a very strong image. I like the amount of blue and especially like the glowing highlights in the ice. Thanks for sharing the larger version.

Killer comp and color, Vance! Just an epic landscape image!

Stunning work , love the blue tones !

Absolutely stunning! This image defines pristine wilderness.

WOW, when I first saw this I was thinking Portage area. I've not been there in 40 years. This is as good as it gets from that area, Vance. Simply beautiful work overall.
Looks like a darn good stretch on the exposure latitude with the V-50 also without any ND used. When it's right, it's wonderful stuff. Too bad Fuji could not see the need for it any longer for all us 4x5 folks who use(d) Velvia 50 all these years.

Not much more I can say that hasn't already been said Vance. Love the dynamic perspective, and the yellow/blue contrast definitely works wonderfully. The large version is just fantastic. Stellar image!

Geeze that's sweet. Awesome.

aF

Stunning image with stunning light!!!! I love this vertical composition, it's just perfect!
Thanks for sharing
Joana

Cold, cold and colder. This does convey a message and well done

Not too much blue for me, I really like the combination of blue and gold. Ron

The lines in the fg ice give this a sense of motion that pulls me into the scene. Beautiful!

The composition here for me is simply awesome. Personally I think I'd like a tad less red cast in the highlights. You really nailed this one.

Awesome image man, love that velveeta blue!

really nice, love the comp and the complementary colors - understated yet powerful

Vance,

This is ridiculously beautiful. The icing, pun intended, on the cake is the small cloud cap on the left peak. Just outstanding in every regard.

An amazing image Vance. The blue is very cool and the comp is perfect.

I feel cold just looking at this shot! But, well worth the chill. This is fabulous.

Gorgeous scene, with great light and colors. Excellent!!!!!

Chris

Thank you everyone, very, very much for all the nice comments. The morning that I made this image was quite amazing for the wonderful light of course, but even more so for the wind, which always blows here, was absolutely still, for hours all morning.

Ian, I agree that the dark mountain on the right is heavy, but the arrangement of the ice, with that striated chunk in the middle, really worked for this composition. Moving right or left just didn't work for me at the time.

Eva, the distant mountain on the left hand side of the glacier I believe is the same one as in your images of Portage. I'm guessing that you must have made your images from a spot a good ways to the right (southeast) of my position. Hope you can get back to Alaska some time.

Lon, Paul, yes that Velvia was an amazing film. I was quite fortunate that the light this morning was such that the contrast of the film could handle even the sunlit snow on the peaks. Think Car Clifton once wrote that its a matter of timing sometimes, more than anything.

Thanks again, everyone.

Gorgeous image!!!

Wow, stellar image, Vance. Comp, color, and contrast hold me tight and won't let go. Really like how even the foreground piece of ice is catching some warm light on the tip protruding out of the water.

Where you been hiding this one Vance? Incredible image to say the least. Love the blues and the nice warm light on the peaks. You also picked up some of the warm light in the reflection which adds so much the the image. This is just to good. I love it!! This needs to be published so others can see.

Exquisite. The glow on the foreground ice is wonderful.

Great image Vance. You constantly show your skills at both the intimate and grand vistas. What is particularly compelling for me is how you aligned the shapes of the ice to mimic the peaks. very nice work, would be a pleasure to see as a large print.

What a beautiful scene. A real stunner, Vance.

Beautiful! I would love to see this one day! Love all the blue hues throughout the image. I also like how the ice leads your eyes to the mountains.

the bergs are a little too blue--otherwise this is sweeeeeeet!

Cool blue! The precise detail in the forground is remarkable. Nice strong, even light and color tones throughout the image.

Very COLD

The thing I really like is that you didn't give the sky that huge space

Its been a long time since there were icebergs like that in Portage Lake!

I took so long to comment on this one simply because I couldn't find words for it. Velvia seems to take on blue tones in low light conditions like this, but I think the blue tones is one thing that makes this photo special. I love the wide angle and close foreground. It's a jaw-dropping shot.

I had to look for this one because I wanted to tell how wonderful a shot it was. Great capture Vance. One of your best and I look forward to viewing your work again. Great job