The first two images were taken on the fragile Arctic tundra in the scientific community located in Ny Ålesund, some 600 miles from the North Pole, whilst the third image was taken on board ship as we sailed, very slowly, through the protected Magdalene Fjord, the furthest North I've been. For practical reasons, given that speed was of the essence, this picture involved simple setting up, framing, meter readings, focussing and exposure. I used the slowest setting I thought I could get away with, taking the vibration of the ship into consideration, namely 1/30th of a second.
Ny Ålesund
Nikkor 180/f5.6 lens on Velvia 50
Schneider 120 Apo lens on Velvia 50
Magdalene Fjord
Schneider 120 Apo lens on Velvia 50
Album: http://www.apug.org/forums/members/thin ... lbard.html
If you want to go outside the towns you must have a guide armed with a rifle, as this is essential to protect you should any polar bears approach, as they can easily kill you. I found Velvia 100 takes as colourful pictures as Velvia 50. If you get the opportunity to sail round the Magdalene Fjord, I can strongly recommend it. Most of the ice floes will have melted by July, as they had last year. When I went three years ago, in early June, the baby icebergs were stunning. I sailed with Fred Olsen, whose ships are skippered by ex-Royal Norwegian Navy officers and are therefore able to get you in less accessible fjords.
, and deliberately go on cruises to cold places to evade the warm British Summers (I loathe hot weather), hence my focus on Scandinavia. With limited mobility, cruises do offer the best way to travel to otherwise inaccessible places, for me. Hurtigruten are also a good, cost effective way to explore Norway, though I haven't personally cruised with them yet. Also they don't go as far north as Svalbald. When I was at Longyearbyen in 2007 one of the Russian vessels sailed too close to the glacier and part collapsed on their deck, with subsequent injuries. The glacier looks very stable but they do have a habit of chunks breaking off and falling into the sea, suddenly, though they usually make a distinctive sound prior to becoming dislodged.
