DIY Photography

Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Photographer Spends Four Months Each Year Capturing Awesome Shots of Siberia’s Lake Baikal

Apr 5, 2015 by Liron Samuels 2 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

01

Lake Baikal, located in Southern Siberia, is the largest, deepest, oldest and among the clearest lakes in the world.

Judging by Alexey Trofimov’s photos it is also one of the most attractive.

Every winter when the lake freezes, the crystal clear water forms spectacular slabs of turquoise ice, making the UNESCO World Heritage Site all the more special.

Alexey, a landscape photographer, lives in Eastern Siberia approximately 700 kilometers northwest of Lake Baikal where he likes to spend almost for months each year on photo expeditions.

Late autumn and winter are Alexey’s favorite seasons and he spends 7-8 hours covering the distance between his house and the lake, splitting his time between north (Severobaykalsk), central (Olkhon Island) and South (Kultuk) Baikal.

Each expedition lasts a week or so before the cold-loving photographer heads home to process his photos and prepare for his next trip.

08

“I have different places on the lake, where there are interesting natural events in different seasons,” Alexey told DIYP. “The most interesting and unusual ice is in the north of the island Olkhon”. He added that on some days he will travel 10-15 kilometers searching for interesting shots of “beautiful ridges and cracks in combination with rocks and coastline”.

Alexey tries to work in places where there are no other people but sometimes he meets “the same madmen photographers like me. Many of them – my friends and acquaintances”. There are [also] tourists who make the journey across the ice of Lake Baikal walking, skiing, skating, dog sledding”, he added.

The-ice-here-has-taken-on-a-blue-hue-in-the-light1

“Baikal has magical properties”, said Alexey and further explained his love for the place:

“I love wild and unique beauty of Lake Baikal and Olkhon Island. Transparent ice, pierced by hundreds of cracks, ice ridges and gaps. Fantastic sunrises and sunsets with the skies painted in different colors, from pink to blood-red and stones covered with bizarre pattern of ice.

The ice is in constant motion, unnoticed by the human eye. This movement is sensed hearing. Baikal hoots, pops, shoots. Sometimes it freezes and becomes completely silent. Sometimes the wind blows with a whistle; here on the lake it is very strong. For a man [visiting] for the first time it’s unusual, and also for me, every time it’s new. You cannot get used to. It’s magic.

It is difficult to relax on the lake during winter. You walk through the transparent ice, and you realize that you above water 500-600 m deep. Baikal [can] hardly be called peaceful. You can love it with all your heart, but it does not like anyone. Life on the lake is harsh and difficult. But, oddly enough, I feel comfortable there. The main thing – there comes a calm soul. A sense of balance”.

The-photographer-describes-this-as-a-crystal-wave

Alexey either travels alone or with his old friend Nicolas Demin, with whom he also travelled to Mongolia, Altai Mountains, Khakassia and China. Nicolas serves as the expedition’s producer and driver.

Canon DSLRs, a 10-24mm, 50mm and 70-200mm lenses are Alexey’s tools of the trade, as well as an occasional ND filter and a tripod in low-light situations.

Concluding the interview Alexey said he gets 5-10 keepers each expedition, with one wonderful picture per day. “I like my pictures, because I put soul in them and a lot of effort and risk”.

An-ominous-looking-crack-in-the-ice1

[via Laughing Squid]

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

I Walked on Frozen Baikal, The Deepest and Oldest Lake on Earth, to Capture Its Otherworldly Beauty Photographer spends two years capturing intimate moments of dinnertime across the USA Photographer spends ten years capturing intimate portraits of big cats Photographer Spends 12 Months Creating a ‘Never-Ending’ Panoramic Story

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: Alexey Trofimov, Extreme, Ice, Lake Baikal, landscape photography

About Liron Samuels

Liron Samuels is a wildlife and commercial photographer based in Israel.

When he isn't waking up at 4am to take photos of nature, he stays awake until 4am taking photos of the night skies or time lapses.

You can see more of his work on his website or follow him on Facebook.

« Building A DIY Brushless Camera Gimbal From Scraps
Four Anonymous Photography Quotes To Brighten Up Your Monday »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • Sony’s ZV-E1 is a cut-down FX3 in a vlogging form factor
  • Watch: How good (or bad) is an $8.50 tripod?
  • How to light and photograph Lego building interiors
  • Lighting Setup: How to light your portraits with £50 LED tubes
  • Review: Insta360 announces its first gimbal – The AI-tracking Insta360 Flow

Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy