I find the ice formations, and particularly how they play with the sunlight, to be absolutely beautiful. (Dad, don’t you agree that if Georgia O’Keeffe ever made it here, she would have a field day?!)
We have been fortunate enough to have some night flights, which are perfect for showcasing the beauty of the ice because of the low-angle sunlight. Even the most subtle of features come to life. It’s really a treat just to ride back in the helicopter and stare out the window. The closest thing I can liken it to is a parade, where you sit on the curb and wait for all of the floats to go by. Sitting in the helo is like sitting on the curb, and watching the individual ice features drift by, which so clearly stand out among the vast expanse of flat ice, is like watching all the floats in a parade pass by. It’s stunning. This photograph is from a night flight. I put it in not only because I think it is beautiful, but also because I think it is a good example of how the low-angle light can really define a normally understated feature.