MikePDX

Mike, you are absolutely right about the strong blue cast to these shots.  I don't know where it came from.  They all look much different when viewed in Lightroom, but the exported jpeg file is ...

On our expedition into the Arctic around Svalbard Norway, one of the interesting activities was the Polar Plunge. To set the stage, air temperatures were around 5-8 degrees Celsius (about 40-45 ...

It was just last week that I was arguing against the tall skinny crop.  It generates in me a sense of discomfort.  And here you go, Don, with a photo that really benefits from such a crop.  In ...

I agree with just about all that has been said so far on this image.  For me its the color version that resonates best.  And it's because of the gentle fade from green to blue as we look from near ...

There are only two permanent communities of any size at all in Svalbard. This one, Barentsburg, is a Russian coal mining town and is the smaller of the two at about 200 inhabitants. It seems to be ...

You have succeeded in delivering another fine image here.  It is a perfect example of an image where the extreme aspect ratio works to enhance rather than detract. I wish there was something more ...

Very effective.  I, too, am guessing that you rotated the camera somehow.  The exif shows a 1 second exposure.  It makes a very striking image against the dead black background. I only wish there ...

That is indeed the mountains of Svalbard in the background.  The north shore of the island of Spitzbergen, to be precise, with the sea ice pack drifted up against it.  Our location was north of ...

I like just about everything about this image.  I say "just about" because in my humble opinion, the tall/narrow crop doesn't work.  Such an aspect ratio generally makes me uneasy.  If "uneasy" ...

I'm sitting here in Portland Oregon in near 100 degree F (36 C) temperatures realizing that less than a month ago I was in the polar ice cap... So, something a bit different from me this week - a ...

We should always follow our photographic passion, and I hope my comment wasn't construed otherwise - only to say how hard it is for me to offer meaningful comments. For what it's worth, here is ...

This image is a reminder of how wonderful it is that we all see things differently.  in this situation, my first inclination would have been to zoom in on the details of the barnacle-encrusted ...

Fascinating.  It certainly captured my attention - so it succeeded from that standpoint.  I can't decide if I like it or not.  But I'd really like to hear the story behind it.

Nicely framed, as usual. I'm the sort of person who wants to be able to see the end of a project.  So if I were this guy, I'd be thinking "I've landed in a green version of Dante's Inferno!"

Monty, I've done many (probably thousands) of shots like this of railroad subjects.  I tend to call them "record shots" as they document a particular piece of equipment at a particular point in ...

I agree with the comments about contrast and sharpening adjustments - update below.   But, for me there is another question related to the composition itself.  And it boils down to a couple of issues:

Here is an image I'm struggling with a bit.  I liked it more at first look than I do now after spending some time with it.  The composition just seems off.  Thoughts?  Suggestions? Iceberg I ...

For two days we had been searching the pack ice for signs of polar bears. The weather was perfect - sunny skies, light wind, and 5 degrees Celsius. We spotted walrus, seals, blue whales, and minke ...

Last week I showed this Polar Bear photo while suggesting there might be a few more. :) I thought it might be helpful to set the stage for this week's series. These shots were all taken in Svalbard ...

Thanks for all the comments.  I chose this particular shot specifically because he was looking directly at us, and I liked the reflection. @Scott:  No narwhals.  I think they live further west ...