Abstracts from a glacier

[Mike Buckley]

These photos are abstract details of the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland's Skaftafell National Park. I captured them using a rented Nikon 300mm f/4 AF-S lens. I liked the lens so much that within one week of returning home, I bought a used lens that is the same except that it is a discontinued model without the focusing motor built into the lens: Nikkor 300mm f/4 AF ED


#1



#2



#3

[pnodrog]

Looks like a nice lens to be using. The second shot for some unknown reason grabs me quite a lot more than the other two. Not sure why but maybe the top left shape acts as a point of interest and I think the composition of the tones seems to work better.

[Donald]

Truly an amazing landscape.

The one difficulty I have with these is that I have no reference point that gives me a sense of scale, other than you saying these are details. So, I assume we're looking a close-ups. But if you hadn't said that, I could convince myself I was looking down at a distant mountain range.

[Mike Buckley]

Donald: There is intentionally no reference point or sense of scale because I want them to be abstracts.

Even I don't know how large each section in the image is. Though I was there, I have enough experience with seeing large objects such as mountains that I know it's difficult at least for me to know how big they are. I just now asked my wife if she could describe how big they are and she also has no idea. Sorry that we're no help!

[Mike Buckley]

Paul: I also like the second one best but for a different reason than yours. I like how the slope of the middle section goes against the grain of the the other sections.

Having said that, I envision these as a set being presented in the order that I'm showing them here. If I were to print and hang them, I would need to think about perhaps printing all of them the same size.

[Sergio M.]

Mike, as envisioned they work very well.

Serge

[Donald]

Donald: There is intentionally no reference point or sense of scale because I want them to be abstracts.

Point taken. My comments were not very constructive or helpful.

And as abstracts, they work - particularly, for me, the first one. Strange as it may seem, the 2nd and 3rd retain a sense of reality for me (don't know why), whereas the first one is truly abstract in my mind

[Mike Buckley]

Glad you like them, Serge!

Donald, to your point that two of them retain a sense of reality for you but you don't know why: That for me is one of the appealing aspects of some abstracts. Sometimes we see reality that doesn't exist or are at least reminded of reality that exists elsewhere. Sometimes we don't see the reality that does exist. Very intriguing when that happens!

[Karm Redland]

I really like the second photo. Lines are less predictable and the dark spot (top left) introduces some tension (I don't know if this is a meaningful term in photography) into the picture.

Karm

[Mike Buckley]

tension (I don't know if this is a meaningful term in photography)

Definitely meaningful in any visual expression including photography