Margerie Glacier: A Flickering Portrait of Nature’s Fury
In the remote wilderness of Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park, a behemoth of ice and rock stirs beneath the surface. Margerie Glacier, a majestic and ancient giant, stretches over 21 miles in length and two miles in width, its calving face a breathtaking spectacle of nature’s power. And I was lucky enough to capture its majesty on 35mm film.
As I stood at the glacier’s edge, the crisp Alaskan air bit at my face, and the sound of rushing water and creaking ice filled my ears. I gazed out at the glacier’s terminus, where towering ice cliffs rose from the sea like giant sentinels. The sun was high overhead, casting a warm glow over the frozen landscape.
I snapped my first frame, the camera’s shutter clicking away as I framed the shot. The sound of the shutter released a small burst of air, and the image etched itself onto the film. I clicked away, the clicks echoing across the glacier’s face like a staccato beat. Each frame a snapshot in time, a fleeting moment of beauty.
As I shot, the glacier began to stir. Calving, it’s called – when a chunk of ice breaks off and crashes into the water below. I watched, mesmerized, as a massive iceberg tumbled into the sea. The sound was deafening – a roar that shook the very earth beneath my feet. I clicked the shutter faster, trying to capture the drama unfolding before me.
And then, the sun began to dip, casting long shadows across the glacier’s face. The light, soft and golden, highlighted the intricate patterns of glacial blue and white. I snapped away, trying to bottle up the magic of this fleeting moment. Each frame a reminder of the ephemeral nature of beauty – something to be cherished, but never held onto.
As the sun dipped lower, the glacier’s face transformed. Shadows deepened, and the ice took on a deep blue hue. I shot on, the film running out of frames as the light continued to fade. The camera’s viewfinder went dark, and I packed up my gear, reluctant to leave this frozen wonderland.
But as I gazed back at the glacier, now bathed in the soft glow of twilight, I knew that these images – captured on 35mm film – would remain with me forever. Flickering embers of a moment in time, a reminder of the power and beauty of Margerie Glacier.
Technical Details:
- Camera: Leica M6
- Film: Kodak Portra 400
- Lens: Leica 50mm f/2 Summicron
- Shutter Speed: 1/125s to 1/250s
- Aperture: f/8 to f/11
- ISO: 400
- Format: 35mm film
- Size: 3130×2075 pixels
Download image Margerie Glacier, Alaska on 35mm Film [OC] [3130×2075] by jakeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy