Cindy Bilinsky
October 2021 - Eben Ice Caves
About the Image(s)
I used the Canon Mark IV with the Canon F24-70mm f2.8 lens. This image was shot at 2.3 sec with 6 bracketed shots and processed through Photomatix Pro 6. f14, ISO 200 and 24mm.
This image is of Eben's Ice Cave at Hiawatha National Forest and was taken March of this year . The is my second attempt at getting back there and it proved to be a challenging hike. We set out just before first light and it started snowing with predictions of about 5-6 inches. The first part of the hike is 1/2 mile across a farmer's open field with already about 4 inches of snow on the ground. Then you enter the Hiawatha National Forest that starts out on a winding hiking trail and then turns into some treacherous terrain with icy hills and crossing creeks. The hike in the forest is about another 3/4 of a mile; however, we hiked past the cave another 1/2 mile and we were busting through drifts that at times were knee high and all the way up to our waist. We finally found the caves which require pretty aggressive ice cleats as you have to climb up a steep ioy hill and drop down into the valley with the cave.
This shot was taken from inside the cave which has an ice floor and ice curtain coming down from what is a waterfall in the summer. The green color of the ice is from iron oxide leaching from the soil into the water and the light refracts the yellows of the iron oxide into green. Michigan's Upper Peninsula is known for its iron ore deposits.
This round’s discussion is now closed!
10 comments posted
My only suggestion to to crop at least a third of the green curtain from the left side. There is so much of it that it becomes dominate and leaves the cave itself as an after thought. Reducing it retains the drama of the scene and allows the viewer to wander through the actual cave before seeking the entrance that is visually highlighted. The HDR processing worked quite nicely and it was a good idea to use it.
This is the best image you have shared thus far. Posted: 10/16/2021 13:13:21
Thank you for your feedback. This was probably one of the most challenging hikes I have done and well worth the effort. I will play around with cropping some of the ice curtain out of the image. Posted: 10/31/2021 20:12:52
Thank you for your comments. I will work on cropping the ice curtain down and see what I come up with. I have many more images from this hike and may share a few more in the coming months. Posted: 10/31/2021 20:14:59
What a story! The hike up there with your camera gear sounds treacherous! Bravo! The image is well exposed and leads my eye to the back of the cave. What is confusing to my eye is the green curtain. You explained it well that the green color comes from the soil, but it is confusing in that that color green says "spring" or "summer." So to my eye the green is the color of the outside foliage being reflected through the curtain. I'd almost tempt you to consider changing the color to a light blue to connote a wintry feeling.
Posted: 10/20/2021 08:44:45
I appreciate your thoughts regarding the color of the ice. I believe the fact that the ice is green is the primary appeal of this ice cave and would be less inclined to change the color of the ice. As a matter of fact the area is heavily populated with evergreen trees and if the ice were translucent enough it would be highly likely the green would shine through the ice all winter long. I am intrigued with your perception of the color conveying spring or summer. Posted: 10/31/2021 20:21:59
Thank you for your comments. It does get cold here and the weather can create a lot of challenges. When I was able to get to the ice caves it was actually my second attempt as the first time I didn't have aggressive enough equipment to get down into the cave. Posted: 10/31/2021 20:25:10
Thank you for your feedback. It was such a beautiful area to explore. I hope to capture more winter landscape images this season. It might be interesting to note I really do not like the cold so my passion rules. Posted: 10/31/2021 20:28:28