Sometimes things go wrong in the field. Many times, the first reaction is to trash the images as soon as we get home. However, it just may happen just a mistake turns into a piece of art.
Ole Jørgen Liodden experienced just that during an expedition to Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. He shot a polar bear flowing on a sheet of ice from the expedition ship. To take those kinds of air/sea split photos, you attach the camera to a poll and dip it in the water. Specifically, this time it was a 2.5-meter long pole to get the angle right.
Ole Jørgen explains to DIYP: “With the swell and difficult conditions, it was impossible to hold the UW-camera in perfect split position all the time, and sometimes a wave destroyed the composition and exposure I wanted.”
Many times, a wave will either tilt the camera, block the view, or the added water will mess with the “right” exposure. Waves have ruined quite a few images for professionals and amateurs alike. However, there are exceptions from this waves-ruin-everything rule.
Ole Jørgen explains: “Sometimes such ‘accidents’ can make different and unexpected images like this one.”
The image was shot with the Sony a7r III with the Sony 135 f/1.8 at f/2.5.
The moral of this story: It is not wise to judge a mistake too hasty, and that we should examine the image closer on our computer before we thrash it.
Ole Jørgen is one of Norway’s most renowned wildlife photographers. His work is internationally recognized, and he has written several books about wildlife and nature photography. You can see more of Ole Jørgen’s images on his website or follow him on Facebook and Instagram. The image is shared with permission.
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