Svalbald

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Thingy
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Svalbald

Post by Thingy » Fri Jan 08, 2010 6:36 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

I spent a few days last July (2009) cruising round the Norwegian fjords again and for the second time visited Spitsbergen, the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, but this time took my Ebony and several lenses plus a number of different types of Fuji QL film to try out. The trip resulted in 35 large format and four 6x12cm images, several of which were taken in Svalbard. Three examples are below (which I have posted in APUG).

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
Image

Schneider 120 Apo lens on Velvia 50
Image

Magdalene Fjord

Schneider 120 Apo lens on Velvia 50
Image


Album: http://www.apug.org/forums/members/thin ... lbard.html
Love is an Ebony mounted with a Cooke PS945.......

SteveH
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Re: Svalbald

Post by SteveH » Sun Jan 10, 2010 3:12 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Nice stuff Steve, we're off to Svalbard in July. Any tips?

Steve
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Thingy
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Re: Svalbald

Post by Thingy » Sun Jan 10, 2010 7:44 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

SteveH wrote:Nice stuff Steve, we're off to Svalbard in July. Any tips?

Steve
Hi Steve

Take lots of warm clothing..... :mrgreen: 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.

Do respect the areas that are out of bounds as the arctic tundra is a fragile ecosystem. If you get to Ny Ålesund, the arctic foxes live under the raised wooden houses (hytte) and the fox cubs appear, if you are patient, and lucky. If you are taking your LF camera, you need to work quickly, or you'll end up as I did, with them scurrying off just as you're focussing on them under the darkcloth! :evil: :roll:

The images below, taken in the Magdalene Fjord, which I took with an Olympus E-1 DSLR, are from the June 2007 trip.

Image

Image

PS: You have the same initials as me!

Steve Hammett
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SteveH
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Re: Svalbald

Post by SteveH » Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:03 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Thanks Steve,

I doubt I'll be taking LF this time; I was aware of the issues with the cold (we went to the antarctic in 2007). This time, as last time, we will be on a small Russian ice strengthened ship with 48 passengers - last time I came back with about 2500 shots on a mix of film and digital! Still sorting them out now... My wife and I both love the cold places.

Thanks for the tips on safety and bears; we won't be spending much time on land other than for shore trips but I know what you mean about bears - we have been very close to Kodiaks and blacks in Alaska and Canada, but not polars. Did you see any and were they threatening?

I know its not LF, but here are a few images....

Image

Image

Image

Image

We have more in common than you think... I was raised in Deptford, my wife comes from Charlton, my mum lives in Swanley, my brother lives in Dartford, my best friends live in West Wickham, my brother in law lives in Farnborough (the one in Kent), my sister in law lives in Sutton and we moved here (the Cotswolds) from Dartford 15 years ago. We have you surrounded.

All the best


Steve
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Thingy
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Re: Svalbald

Post by Thingy » Mon Jan 11, 2010 5:32 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Hi Steve

Lovely photographs!

On both occasions I have been to Svalbard I have been lucky with the weather. In fact in June 2007 it was so warm in Ny Ålesund that I wore shorts! This year they had heavy snow the week before we arrived and it was colder. I would recommend taking your LF camera too, as the pictures I got from film are superior to my digital ones, in resolution. They are also more satisfying. The main downside is the curious fellow passengers who can't believe that people still use film, let alone view cameras. I took several LF photographs on board, though admittedly with the 45SU it is very easy to quickly set up and focus - one of its attractions to me.

I too love the cold :D :P , 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.

If you ever go on the same cruise as me, you are welcome to share my LF lenses, if your camera takes Ebony/Linhof boards. I hope we can meet up sometime. Does your wife like photography too?

Steve
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Re: Svalbald

Post by SteveH » Sun Aug 01, 2010 4:45 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Hi Steve,

I just re-read your last post and realised I owed you a reply! :oops:

Just got back from Svalbard and we had a fantastic time, but more of that when I've sorted out the 3500 images.

I did not LF it (obviously as I'm still solvent) but went Pentxx dxgxxxl as (a) my luggage allowance would not have taken the strain (b) there was not going to be the time to use it as this was an explorer cruise not a photo trip, and (c) polar bears are too quick and too far away. That said the photo ops were fantastic.

Kath is not a photographer but is slowly moving that way, and I think she has a better eye than me. Thanks for the offer of lenses etc; I use an MPP; would be good to meet up sometime and swap stories. My best friend lives in West Wickham and we lived in Dartford until 1995 so we are often down your way.

All the best

Steve
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Re: Svalbald

Post by joolsb » Sun Aug 01, 2010 7:50 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

f you are taking your LF camera, you need to work quickly, or you'll end up as I did, with them scurrying off just as you're focussing on them under the darkcloth!
Have you considered liberally coating a plank of wood with super glue and then placing a suitably tasty morsel nearby?

Just a thougt. :twisted: :mrgreen:

Nice pics, btw.

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Re: Svalbald

Post by Thingy » Mon Aug 02, 2010 2:35 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

joolsb wrote:
f you are taking your LF camera, you need to work quickly, or you'll end up as I did, with them scurrying off just as you're focussing on them under the darkcloth!
Have you considered liberally coating a plank of wood with super glue and then placing a suitably tasty morsel nearby?

Just a thougt. :twisted: :mrgreen:

Nice pics, btw.
You only normally find suitable planks of wood on pusser's war canoes: they are affectionally known as Crushers! :twisted:
Love is an Ebony mounted with a Cooke PS945.......

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Re: Svalbald

Post by Andrew Plume » Fri Aug 06, 2010 10:35 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

fwiw (and from memory) there's a guy who posts (on the Large Format Photography Forum) some outstanding b&w photos, mainly internal shots of buildings in Svalbad - he's resident there for most of the year

it's well worth taking a look, his work is of a very high standard

regards

andrew

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