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Crashing Down

glacier
glacier

Watching a glacier calve is the most incredible sight and sound.  It’s an art to position yourself so you can catch a glacier as it calves.  Once you are positioned you need to keep your camera to your eye to make sure you are ready to catch it.  My technique is to get a zodiac in place and pick out the front of a glacier that may calve.  Then holding the camera to your eye sweep left and right until it happens.  If you wait until you hear it is too late.  The noise is like an explosion and the sight is something to behold.  This glacier was in the arctic circle in Svalbard.

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Glacier Calving

Iceberg Calving, Arctic
Iceberg Calving, Arctic

Sometimes you are at the right spot at the right time.  This was one of those cases.  A week ago while cruising around in front of a glacier we could see a lot of calving going on. This is when chucks of ice break off of a glacier and form icebergs.  It sounds like thunder.  It causes giant splashes and huge wave.  The trick is predicting where it might happen and being ready.  Luck was with me as I caught this giant calving at the right moment.  The motor drive was purring at 5 frames a second.  I love this shot as you can see the giant ice chucks breaking off as well as hundreds of birds that took flight when it happened.  Click on the image and look at the large version. CLICK on the image to see larger version Click again to see even bigger.