A Photographer’s Trip To Briksdal Glacier

Briksdal Valley View, Norway

Taken across Briksdal from the glacier Brisdalsbreen. Some dramatic weather added to the mystical mode of this photo. Taken with a Pentax 645, 200 mm lens on transparency film. This is a very beautiful location near Stryn through Oldesdalen in Norway. One of my all time favorites even though it is very difficult to pick a favorite among so many, especially in Norway that provides a new beauty experience around every corner.
As the weather always changes in the mountains, I allotted for a few days there to increase the chance of some good light and weather. As the clouds were moving over the mountains with not much rain where I was shooting, I turned to capture the atmosphere and mystical ambiance with this photo. White skies are usually not for large vistas so I used a telephoto lens to isolate and hone in on the mountainside with some clouds and the waterfall. The angled foliage covered ridge in the foreground gives some depth and the diagonal help gives it some visual tension and interest.

Briksdalsbreen, Norway

Turning 180˚from the photo and hiking up a bit on the North side of the Icefall glacier Briksdalsbreen, I made this composition of a small water stream coming down from the ice. Taken with a Toyo Filed View Camera, 210 mm lens using a 6 x 12 cm. roll film back. The soft overcast light helped to bring out the deep blue and details of the ice without harsh contrast and shadows. Cropping somewhat tight focusing on the water stream and the texture of the ice making for a simpler expression. You can see that the visual opportunities in a place like this are endless.
Briksdalsbreen icefall glacier drops down from Jostedalsbreen, the largest glacier on the European mainland.

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Briksdalbreen

This Black and White photograph was taken looking back at the icefall glacier from close to the top of the waterfall to the right in the frame of the first photo.

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Oldedalen, Norway

This photo looking down Oldesdalen was taken about 90˚ turning left from the previous photo of the icefall glacier of Briksdalsbreen. You can see that even though you feel that you are out in the wild mountains, the valley is inhabited with houses, farms, and farmed fields. This is very typical for Norway with a very vibrant and cultured countryside in the valleys with wilderness and mountain backcountry available very close.

At one point exploring this area, I was standing on a large boulder in Oldesdalen, the valley in the last photo, counting over 20 waterfalls from one vantage point, the one in the first photo above being the smallest of them.

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Bonnie At Briksdal Glacier, Elevated View

A photo of my wife standing up high to the right of the waterfall in the first photo looking back at the glacier. The detail photo of the water stream is taken near the bottom of the icefall to the left in this photo just below the darker debris area. This photo has poor quality as it was taken with a point and shoot simpler camera and film, I included it anyway as it gives a good reference to the location and the area.