(wind howling) (waves crashing) We've got the little micro four thirds Oly out, and I want to try and get a macro photo of the ice before the sun goes away. We are back at the glacial lagoon at Jokulsarlon. But we are going down to the beach now where the icebergs wash out to sea, and then back up onto the shore. Really cool. A lot of people, it's a very touristy spot, but our goal is to get a really close up photo of the ice, so it doesn't matter if there's people everywhere, so long as they're not blocking the light, that's the only thing. If we can get some light, it is disappearing fast now over the horizon, but we wanna get just a little bit that can penetrate the ice, and help us reveal all of the kind of air bubbles, and strange formations that are captured within the iceberg. Which is really crazy, because if you think about it, that is ancient air, that is something that could be a thousand year old air just trapped in this iceberg, about to be released back into the world. ...

And the fact that icebergs are here is pretty sad, but the fact that we can see these air bubbles re-released, is pretty insane. Looking at the surface of the ice, and working out whether the macro lens will be able to shoot inside at all, or if it's gonna be just blurry on the surface then we're not gonna be able to see the air bubbles at all, which kind of defeats the purpose of the shot. So I think this iceberg is not the one for what we're trying to do, but luckily there is like a thousand, so I'm sure there is one that's good. Here we go. (waves crashing) Yes. This shall be the one. So we have the micro four thirds Olympus with the macro lens. Basically I have to use a tripod because the plane of focus is so close, and I can't get a really fast shutter speed, so any movement is basically just gonna cause blur, and I would rather be on a tripod with stability, and control for such a strange abstract photo like this one, and you really never know what you're gonna get. So let's see See the magic. Even though we are so close to the subject, literally just a few centimeters from what we're looking at, we can still apply framing devices, and use composition as a tool to create some further impact in our image. For example, I've found this line where a stream has trickled down and frozen on the surface. If I can find it. Wow it's tough. Yes. I can actually use this to find an interesting shape along maybe the rule of thirds, or some centralized subject to create some sort of compelling shot. Centering things is always a nice thing I find, and it helps me to isolate my subject, which is something that I really use a lot, (camera shutter clicking) I use it probably in every photo. I'm really striving to isolate whatever it is that I'm shooting. Isolating your subject helps to obviously enhance the story of whatever it is they're doing. Of course, maybe the story requires the background, so maybe you can unify that whole sequence, by isolating your subject and the background, and using sky as a sense of balance. But I'm always looking on that note, to find some kind of calm and collected visual weight in my photo. And that means minimal minimalism, or minimalist style of of composing, applying that to my shot, and neutral space. This is something that I can I can do even with a macro photo, is find neutral space using blur, or out of focus areas, finding my subject, putting him either in the center, or moving him to the side and then we can get the shot. (camera shutter clicking) I've gone off the tripod just to give it a try, because it's easier to move around. Once I find the exact frame then I might set the tripod up, and go for a longer exposure on that. (calm music) So one of the things that just being here right now has made me think about, is finding a sense of calmness, a sense of peace in a place that is really overwhelming. There's so many pieces of ice here, there's so many people, there's crazy waves, it can be a little bit mentally overstimulating, and it can be hard to know what to shoot. So for me, just moving in and thinking a little bit abstractly for a second, I'm moving in on the ice with this macro lens, and trying to find some kind of minimal frame focusing really just on color and shape. And the story behind it is that this is an iceberg, and people are gonna of course ask straight away what it is. So if you can try and apply the idea of making some sort of calm image into a shot like this, you're not only gonna get something that's very unique, but something that you can look at yourself, and use it as a tool to relax and share with your friends, and also maybe give them something that makes them calm. I just like things that are calm. So that's what I'm trying to achieve. It doesn't get any better here, I've never seen it with snow and black sand. So usually it's all black and there's some ice cubes, which is pretty unique, but with the snow on top of that, like Ben said it can get overwhelming. So you don't know what to shoot, 'cause it's like mountain there up and low waves, it's like an all you can buffet. So the tripod was a big failure, it's just too big for this situation. So I'm making a makeshift tripod, just because it is getting a little bit darker now, and I've swapped over to the higher resolution mode in this camera. So I need it to be really still. I'm struggling to get the perfect frame with this ad hoc rock tripod set up, but we will succeed, there's always a way. (calm music) (waves crashing) I've been twice down a couple times, and I've never seen a day like today. From my experience, it's mostly like cloudy, you only see like one mountain, and they got fresh snow recently, so everything's like perfectly soft and smooth, plus the winter which makes that really soft light most of the day, it's just epic, (laughs) it's paradise. (laughs) Swap cameras now, back on the Sony and the 20 millimeter 1.4, and I was feeling a little bit mixed about the results down on the macro shot. So I don't wanna leave with just that, so I want to add a little bit of a dynamic collection here. So I see this one iceberg that is really very clear, and I think if I can use the 20 millimeter to create some sort of blurred foreground, I can really push the isolating subject method that I've been talking about on this particular iceberg. So let's see how it goes. (calm music) (camera shutter clicking) (camera shutter clicking) (calm music) (camera shutter clicking)

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Benjamin Hardman

Five years ago, Benjamin embarked on his first photographic mission in an Arctic winter climate. Ever since, Benjamin’s passion for the cold has grown to lead him in search of the North’s most obscure landscapes.

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topics covered in this class

Adventure & Sports Outdoor Post-Processing Aerial & Drone

Ratings and Reviews

Matt Grandbois

Very Informative & Awe Inspiring Both Benjamin and Alex have played huge roles in my photographic style development over the years and it is great to hear first hand exactly what inspires and drives Ben to keep pushing his creative boundaries. Personally, I love his minimalist approach and it was super insightful to watch him explain how he developed that style and how he actively produces photographs in a cohesive manner. 10/10 recommend this workshop to anyone looking for a very unique and profound perspective with the intent of expanding your creative horizons.

Janelle Dransfield

Moving to Iceland now...? Loved this workshop! I really liked the way the modules are split up, and the way you watch Benjamin go out on location for a shot, then immediately sit down and watch his editing process for that specific shot. So much editing to learn too, since he doesn't use presets! The workbook is also super thorough, so printing it out allowed me to pay close attention and just add little notes here and there. The Iceland road guide is also SO helpful and in depth. Can't wait to use it. Also loved that Ben talked about printing your own work. Would be cool to maybe see something from Wildist in the future that goes even more into depth on that (calibrating your own printer, working with a print shop, dropship sites, etc.) Awesome course. Thanks, Hardman.

Alec Brown

First Workshop The first workshop I have ever purchased. I've always been hesitant to invest in a workshop, however this went above and beyond my expectations. Fluid in progression, great insight and a super relaxed learning curve full of information. I feel this has prepared me to take my own personal photographic journey to the next level. Executed to perfection. Nice work guys! 10/10 recommended.

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Capturing Glacial Detail

Capturing Glacial Detail

Lesson Info

12. Capturing Glacial Detail

Lessons

Series Hello & Introducing Benjamin Hardman

Coffee with Alex - Benjamin's Story

Benjamin's Workshop Introduction

High-Resolution Setup

Lightweight Gear Setup

Backpack Breakdown

Aerial Photography

Gear & Clothing

Research & Preparation

Seals of Glacier Lagoon

Editing: Adobe Lightroom Basics