The Return (w/ wierd alt version)

I think this is outstanding. Initially, it was a bit difficult to discern what world I was looking at. I like the blue lighting and the waterflow beneath the ice.

This is pretty awesome, Kent. Very original. I might have to come visit these ice caves myself! I'm very intrigued by the possibilities here. Of course I wish there wasn't so much dirt on the ice, but that's a pretty minor point you can't do anything about. The luminous glow of the ice is fascinating and adds a mysterious mood. The flowing water is a real bonus. I could spend a whole day inside here!

Great shot - disorienting, but beautiful.

I love the mood and the fact that you can't help but explore it to understand it more. Great colors.

I might be cheating throwing two images into one post, but I felt like this version was really interesting. I set the white balance to make the running water completely neutral, and the gray rocks neutral, and so on. I was wondering, if our vision could compensate for the intense blue light in the cave, the way it does for some other color casts, what would everything look like? Well, this image gave me some idea, and I thought I would share it here. I would probably never try to sell it or use it in publication because it's so far from what anybody sees in a real visit to the caves. Since there aren't many people to call me on it, I could make the ice have many different shades of blue (and I sometimes do), but I try to be as honest as possible in my interpretations (other than this; temp:29000 tint:150 WB settings in LR).

Marc - I can't even count how many days I've spent all day here. Anytime anybody would be interested in visiting, feel free to contact me. Concerning the dirt on the ice, sometimes I hate it, and other times (like this one) I actually prefer to have it there because it really is a part of the landscape. I was interested to here how much it bothered other photographers though, so thanks.

The bumps on that ice are really interesting to look at, great shot. I like both versions, although maybe somewhere inbetween the two that you posted would work?

Thanks everyone for your comments. Matt, the shapes in the ice are all concave. I don't know if you meant otherwise, but if you did, it must be an optical illusion. In case anyone else is seeing the same, I thought I should share.

More on the color: I've probably already taken this (the original post) as close to neutralizing the color cast as I would ever care to go. With auto white-balance set in the camera, the colors come out suffocatingly (not a real word) blue, but when you're down there, the colors are also that way. It's so intense, that the blue channel can be clipped in the highlights at the same place the other channels are blocking in shadows.

I like the blue original one but the neutral one is pretty amazing. I don't know about selling it but just as something nice to look at, I prefer it.

- Dan.

Kent- This is really neat. Disconcerting to look at, almost, as you have to try kind of hard to get your bearings. And it really does look like convex, rather than concave, curves in the ice. I figured that they probably should be concave even before I saw your reply, and I'm still not sure I that's what my mind thinks they are!!!
The color looks more "aqua" than what I'd expect, although I must admit I haven't been inside any glaciers, and it could well be my monitor, too. The dirt usually doesn't bother me, like in this, but sometimes it breaks up the smoothness in an irritating way.

Kent: Both of these images are just terrific. Marvelous subject and a fine caputre of a truly unique moment. 2 Thumbls up! >=))>

I'm seriously speechless, Kent. This is stunning. I've got to visit these ice caves some day. This has Editor's Pick written all over it.

Thank you Bret, and I hope many of you do have an opportunity to explore the insides of a glacier someday. Sadly, this particular cave is rapidly disappearing, and its dynamic has changed drastically since I took this photograph last spring. It hasn't necessarily changed for the worse; it's just different, and that's part of the magic. I've never seen a cave quite like this one, which has been entertaining more and more visitors every year, but I did explore some new caves near the end of the summer that may evolve into the spectacle this one has been.

Kent, what an original image. love the shapes of the ice and flow of the water. also the broken bits of wood add very well to the comp, as they look like plants in a alien landscape. wow!
georg

I thought I didn't like the blue one, then I saw the white one, and I like that, then I started liking the blue one as well. I'd love to see a middle version with the blue ice, but cleaner whites in the water.

Cheers & great shot, Kent.

I love the colour and organic shape of the ice, never mind the dirt it gives the photo an older more romatic feel.

Weird indeed, but I love it! Very original! And I like this version much better than the 'original', the blue colours just 'fit' this image perfectly.

Yin, yang light and dark mirrored shapes. Abstract but recognizable, cool but inviting - this is really a powerful and appealing image. Wonderful! Darwin

Awesome shot! Are they really concave? They look like "bumps" to me, I just can't seem to see it the other way! I like the original color the best. Although I like the other, the pinkish tone just does not look natural to me. Perhaps a completely B&W version?

Fantastic Kent. The lighting is just incredible here! I could sit here and look at this for a long, long time.

>>"This has Editor's Pick written all over it"

This is the fourth different image someone has said that about this week. It's been a great week over here!

Kent .....this is simply an Awesome image.

Awesome, Kent.

I love that amazing blue glow in the ice. A very surreal and fascinating image. I'd love to see a print of it one of these days.

Guy

This is so cool Kent , I really like the blue one best kinda reminds me of a black light , does it give you that sensation while you are in there?

Kent,

I can't go any longer without commenting. I keep coming back to this unreal, awesome image. I also can't see the bubbles as being concave, what an illusion! I also don't mind the dirt as that adds a little realism and helps put a story to the image - glaciation. Everything about this image is amazing. And then you post the nuetral one - I think I like that even better, perhaps because it's a little lighter.

In either case, this is Exceptional!

Lon

Both versions are awesome and unique. Nice find and hope to see more like this. This would be a fabulous print.

I'm honestly surprised by the positive response to this photo, even though I'm obviously happy to agree that it really is special. It was basically overlooked in a series of photos from the same outing until a few days ago. Partly I wasn't sure if I would be able to get away with the bits of wood, and in other images I was able to crop the wood out and make a more pleasing composition. This is the only one from the series that worked best, compositionally, in full-frame, so I started to like it.

More on the "Neutral Version" because it keeps coming up: I like it too, but it is only legitimate as "photo-art". To me, it's almost equivalent to pasting a breaching wale into a glacial lake with a dropped in sunset in the back. Anything even a little more neutral than the original post, falls into the category of a serious stretch. Everyone is tempting me to try some interpretations from under the glacier as photo-art though. Thanks to all of you for your feedback.

Kent, I prefer the alt version even though this is more realistic teh 2nd one just gives a more surreal feel to that wonderful light and texture

I knew this was gonna nail it! very cool!

Congratulations on the EP, Kent. What a fabulous image. I find the blue in the glacial ice to be just mesmerizing. The strip of bright, almost metallic ice along the top of the rocks and flowing water is just fantastic and draws my eye to just the right place to begin my ice cave adventure. Well, and the stream with cascade-- wow.

Congratulations on a very well deserved EP Kent. A truly unique landscape you have perfectly captured. Looks like something from a sci-fi movie! Out of this world.

Very unique capture. Congrats.

Unusual and outstanding. Congrats on the EP!

Best,

Jose

I want to spend all day in this too! Excellent Kent, I really like this, even the strong blues intrigue me. Then looking at your other shot too, really cannot decide. But it's surreal, and that is very appealing to me!

Awesome, fascinating photo!

i really like the ice it just looks so cool (no pun intended )