John Hopkins Inlet

John Hopkins Inlet offers one of Alaska's most dramatic glacier compositions, where the massive blue-white face of Johns Hopkins Glacier calves directly into a fjord framed by towering peaks on either side. You are shooting from a boat, so positioning yourself at mid-inlet gives you the full panoramic sweep of the glacier terminus with the surrounding mountains providing natural depth. A telephoto lens in the 100-400mm range lets you isolate the glacier face and capture calving details, while a wider lens at 24-70mm works well for grand landscape shots that include the reflective water in the foreground. Overcast days are surprisingly ideal here, as soft diffused light eliminates harsh shadows on the ice and brings out the deep blues within the glacier. Aim to arrive in the morning when calmer winds keep the water glassy. Be aware that boat captains must maintain a safe distance from the glacier face due to calving hazards. (Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, United States)