Photos of a Paddleboarder Gliding Through Alaskan Glaciers

Paddling Tranquility is a new project by photographers Toby Harriman and Jussi Ruottinen of Planet Unicorn, who trekked to remote Alaskan glaciers to capture gorgeous photos of a paddleboarder navigating through a landscape of ice.

The idea for this project was born back in 2017, when Harriman and his friend Kyle flew out to Inner Lake George next to Knik Glacier, found an old canoe, and shot photos of Kyle paddling through broken ice.

“Ever since then, I have always wanted to keep exploring remote glacier areas and keep creating abstract, adventurous aerials and stories,” Harriman says. Especially considering places and scenes like these won’t be around much longer the ways things are going.

For a first adventure, the team backpacked with an inflatable paddleboard and 50 pounds (22.7kg) of camera gear 3 miles out in search of a glacier pool.

“After a 1-mile backtrack after going the wrong way, we finally found the route and set eyes on the most beautiful glacier lake we have ever seen,” Harriman writes.

For a second expedition, the trio got dropped off by helicopter at Bear Glacier.

“I have flown over this area a few times over the years, so getting dropped off to hang out for the day was definitely a dream that finally happened,” Harriman writes. “We paddled around for hours listening to the glacier calve in the distance and the icebergs flip over in front of us. It was an incredible experience and one of the most surreal moments we have experienced in a while.”

Here’s a 6-minute short film shot during these expeditions:

You can purchase fine art prints of these photos from Planet Unicorn.


Image credits: Aerial photos and short film by Toby Harriman. Ground-level photos by Jussi Ruottinen. All photos used with permission.

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