We are just back from an EPIC trip to Lake Baikal. It was an absolute pleasure and great craic to spend 9 days freezing with an amazing group of photographers. The journey was intense and rewarding in equal measure and hopefully, you agree the photographic rewards have been amazing. So much more to edit but here’s a little sample.
And then there was light. Heavy snowfall all morning made any chance of light seem so slim. But that’s Lake Baikal for you. Special moment. Nikon d850, 24 – 70 2.8
6 Nights spent lakeside and travelling on the lake throughout the day in a photographic icy paradise, plus 2 nights in Irkutsk. Best ExploreLight adventure to date. 100% effort. 100% amazing reward. Drop us an email if you are interested in joining us next year and we will brief you further !!
Special thanks as always for the continued support and their amazing filters system..
Sometimes you just need to pull off roadside. Traveling from Irkutsk to Lake Baikal the frosted trees were everywhere. Wow does that frozen frost transform the landscape?. We were on a tight schedule to make sunset but I managed to shoot this image on a brief roadside interlude. What spellbinding textures.Adjacent to our accommodation in Barguzin on the edge of Lake Baikal was a stunning forest with some fresh morning snow. The sunrise shoot was done and a wee bit of breakfast taken. A hop and a skip from my front door and these were the scenes. Nikon d850 24mm TSForces beath the ice create cracks and ice hummocks like these guys are pushed to the surface. Blue and glistening its all pretty magic really. We had some fresh snow and some minimal skies which just helped to show these beautiful sculptures in all their glory. Nikon d850, 24 – 70 2.8After an immense dump of snow the Holy Nose, lake Baikal was clean landscape personified. Circling little foreground pieces of ice to avoid footprints was the order of the day. I’m not sure if it’s possible to fully communicate how perfect the expanse of Lake Baikal looked with fresh snow. The clean empty space was just overwhelming. Hopefully, this image goes even a small way to convey the feeling.We were the first to arrive at the Holy Nose Baikal after the fresh snow. Its hard to communicate just how clean and expansive this space is. Breathtaking nothingness. Hopefully this goes a small way to showing how stunningly beautiful this location was. Lee .9 medium GND, Nikon d850 24 – 70The road markings of lake Baikal. The trees serve as marking points so drivers can navigate their way across the lake. Very much inspired by Mr. Muldowney. Lee Filters .6 medium, Nikon d850 24mm TSHave you ever seen frozen waves covered in fresh snow? As Lake Baikal goes into full freeze during the winter the waves hitting the shoreline freeze on impact leaving unusual patterns on the beach. A fresh snowstorm just added to the already surreal environment.Set in the pristine waters of Lake Baikal, the island of Olkhon has been the centre of Buryat Shamanism for centuries. The offerings were draped on the lower section of the tree as it towered above the frozen lake below. A hint of the milky way in the distance was the perfect foil.Sections of snow shaped like white puddles frozen in the upper layer of Lake Baikal. Extraordinary patterns for foreground interest and stunningly beautiful. Following a busy day crossing the Big Sea we were delighted to be treated to some colorful sky too. What a day of adventure..6 medium Grad Lee Filters, Nikon d850 14 – 24The towering rock formation at Ogoy Island Lake Baikal is a sight to behold. Surrounded by amazing ice patterns its one of those locations where everything just lines up. Unfortunately, this perfect symmetry also makes fellow photographers and tourists alike to line up too. Nevertheless, a must-visit location when in town.Methane bubbles create incredible textures and patterns in the ice surface of Baikal. It had actually snowed the morning this image was made but we took some boiling water with us to clear the layer of snow from the surface and reveal the magic below. Nikon d850 105 mm Macro
