Glacier Photography in Alaska: 18 Scenes Worth Chasing

Alaska is home to some of the most photogenic ice on Earth—but not all glacier photos are created equal. Some are about sheer scale. Others capture motion, texture, or a fleeting trick of light. A few happen by luck. Most take planning. This guide breaks down 18 distinct Alaska glacier photography scenes you can chase across Alaska—from glowing blue melt pools to abstract aerials, grounded icebergs to collapsing towers of ice.

Some of these shots you can get on a day cruise or a short hike. Others require a helicopter, joining a glacier photo tour, or showing up at the exact right moment when light, weather, and tide all line up. Whether you’re carrying a DSLR or a smartphone, this article shows you what’s possible—and how to go after it.
We’ve structured this around three main vantage points:
• From a Boat
• From a Fixed-Wing Flightseeing Tour
• From a Helicopter

Each scene includes what to look for, where to get it, and tips for getting the shot. We’ve also included photos from both professionals and travelers—real images made in real conditions. If you’re serious about glacier photography, this list is your starting point.

From a Boat – Up Close and On the Water

Alaska’s tidewater glaciers tower straight out of the sea. From a boat or kayak, you’re close enough to hear the glacier shift, see ice crash into the ocean, or frame wildlife and watercraft for scale. These are the shots of power, proximity, and reflection.

Scale Shot – Glacier Walls and Human Scale

What you’re seeing:

David Arment captured this shot in front of Aialak Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Parks. Tidewater glaciers (where the glacier ends in the sea) are immense. It’s hard to grasp the scale. If you’re on a boat tour and you see an airplane or birds flying near the glacier, you start to understand just how massive these ice walls really are. One of the classic glacier photos is to capture a boat or kayaker in the foreground. That’s when the scale hits you.

In most places, it’s unlikely there will be another boat or kayak in the scene. But if you do see it, get the shot. In Southcentral Alaska, one of the most reliable places for this is on a day cruise or private boat charter out of Whittier to Blackstone Glacier. Another good option is Aialik Glacier in Kenai Fjords. If you stay at Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge, they offer day kayaking trips to the glacier. You can also reach Aialik on a day tour from Seward. Contact Liquid Adventures, Kenai Fjords Tours (they recommend their Captain’s Choice tour for photography!), Major Marine Tours, or Expeditions Northwest to discuss tour options.

This type of shot is also really easy to get on multi-day cruises with Discovery Voyages from Whittier or UnCruise Adventures in Southeast, Alaska.

Tips for getting the shot:

• Use Foreground for Scale: Look for boats, kayaks, or even birds to show how massive the glacier really is. Without that reference, it’s hard for people to grasp the size.

• Choose the Right Lens: A 70–200mm lens works great for bringing the glacier and your subject into a tight, dramatic frame.

• Keep Things Steady: You won’t be setting up a tripod on a boat, so rely on image stabilization and shoot at 1/500s or faster to stay sharp. “I took this this photo from the back of the boat where things were more stable”, said the photographer David.

• Polarizing Filters. Lisa Merril, a photography guide with Uncruise Adventures recommends “circular polarizing filters when photographing at sea since they intensify reflections by removing sheen from water surfaces, and saturate colors. We highly recommend them to anyone who uses dSLR or mirrorless cameras.”

Calving Shot – Catching the Fall

Kelly Gordon had the right timing with this shot at Twin Sawyer Glacier in Tracy Arm, near Juneau. Tidewater glaciers are constantly advancing. As they march into the sea, ice at the front breaks off and crashes into the water. This process is called calving. It’s fast, loud, and powerful—one of the most dramatic things you can witness in Alaska.

You’ll often get a warning. Just before a big calving event, you may hear deep, low rumblings coming from within the glacier. That sound means the ice is shifting—things are collapsing or moving inside. But sound travels slower than light, and you’re not as close to the glacier as it looks. So if you’re watching, you’ll see the ice fall a second or two before you hear the boom. That’s your window to catch the shot.

When things are quiet, there’s usually nothing imminent. But if one piece calves, another might follow. The glacier’s unstable in that moment, so don’t look away.

In Southcentral Alaska, two of the most active calving glaciers near Anchorage are Surprise Glacier in Harriman Fjord and Harvard Glacier in College Fjord. Harvard is farther out and, on a clear day, is visible on the 26 Glacier Cruise from Whittier. Both can also be seen on private charters from Whittier, such as with Lazy Otter Charters—Surprise being the closer and more affordable option. In Southeast Alaska, South Sawyer Glacier is known for its awesome calving action. Small ship cruises like UnCruise Adventures can often get you close.

Tips for getting the shot:

• Keep your camera on the glacier face. If you’re not already framed, you’ll miss it.

• Use burst mode. Calving unfolds over 1–2 seconds, and you’ll want options.

• Use a shutter speed of 1/1000s or faster to freeze the fall and splash. There is usually plenty of light bouncing of the ice, so you can shoot a high shutter speed without having to increase your ISO.

• A 100–400mm lens helps reach across the bay and capture detail.

• Watch for signs: shifting ice, small collapses, or birds flying off can signal a bigger event is coming. Also pay attention to your captain and onboard guides who are trained to recognize the signals of potential calving.

• Stay ready after the first calving—follow-ups are common.

Wide Shot – Ice in Its Landscape

What you’re seeing:

Bob Baglini made this image of John Hopkins Glacier on a cruise in Glacier Bay National Park (a glacier that is often skipped due to harbor seal pupping season in May and June). He shows how a glacier isn’t just a wall of ice—it’s part of a much larger landscape system. It begins high in the mountains, gathering snowfall that compacts into ice, then flows downhill over time. A wide shot puts the glacier in context. You see the ice in relation to the surrounding peaks, the valley it carved, and often the bay it flows into. Baglini was aboard the MV Wilderness Adventurer with UnCruise Adventures, “As we progressed up into the inlet, I witnessed perhaps the most spectacular sight I have ever seen; the Johns Hopkins Glacier with Mounts Wilber and Oval on the right and the Fairweather range as the backdrop.”

This kind of photo doesn’t rely on action or human presence. It’s about showing the glacier as part of the terrain. On calm days, the surface of the water can act like a mirror, doubling the scale and adding stillness to the image. As Baglini described it, “the water was calm so our Captain shut the engines down and we just drifted... there was virtually no-one talking. It was as if we were witnessing a glimpse of Heaven.” The conditions for photographing the glacier were ideal—perfect lighting, a stationary boat, and no passengers walking about.

You can get this shot from virtually any tidewater glacier in Alaska on a day cruise, kayaking trip, or private boat charter. The Glacier Bay Day Cruise in Glacier Bay National Park that departs from Gustavus is a great option for capturing this type of scene. The day cruise often visits Margerie or Grand Pacific Glacier. Harvard Glacier in College Fjord in Prince William Sound is another great opportunity for this type of scene, and can be viewed with Phillips 26 Glacier Cruise or Lazy Otter Charters. Or, from Seward, cruise to Northwestern Glacier with Major Marine Tours or Kenai Fjords Tours. Other options include a multi-day cruise with UnCruise or Discovery Voyages.

Tips for getting the shot:

• Look for symmetry—if the water is still, include the reflection for added depth.

• Choose your composition carefully: try placing the glacier low in the frame to emphasize the mountains, or center it for balance.

• Use f/8 to f/11 to keep everything sharp from foreground to background.

• Don’t zoom in too much—the power of this shot is in the space and stillness.

• These types of landscape shots are taken tens of miles away because these glaciers are massive. Don't hesitate to step outside while the boat is commuting to get these great landscape shots.

Ice Patterns from a Distance – Texture in Motion

What you’re seeing:

As glaciers flow downhill, they stretch, compress, and crack under their own weight. These stresses leave visible patterns—serrated ridges, deep crevasses, wave-like folds, or repeating textures across the surface. Some of the most interesting shots come when you isolate a section of the glacier and focus just on the pattern, rather than the whole thing. Look for repeating forms with one element that breaks the rhythm—that contrast is what makes the shot.

From a distance, these textures can feel abstract or geometric. But they’re not random—they’re shaped by how fast the glacier is moving, what’s happening underneath it, and how the ice is deforming as it flows. When you frame them right, these shots tell a quieter story about the glacier’s structure and momentum.

Where to get it:

Some of the best angles are from land or water, using a long lens. Day cruises in places like Prince William Sound, Kenai Fjords, or Glacier Bay give you long views across the surface of tidewater glaciers, where you can isolate texture and shape. ATV tours to the base of Knik Glacier; glacier trekking in Seward, McCarthy, or the Matanuska Glacier; and helicopter tours offer a similar vantage, especially when you climb a moraine or ridge that overlooks the ice. Glacial lakes such as Bear Glacier Lagoon or Grewingk Glacier Lake also work—icebergs often collect along one shoreline, and with the right angle, you can zoom in and pick out patterns without having to be directly on the ice.

Tips for getting the shot:

• Use a telephoto lens (100–400mm or more) to isolate sections of the glacier surface.

• Look for repeating patterns—then frame the spot where something breaks that pattern.

• Shoot from a stable platform if possible. Even slight movement will blur detail at long focal lengths.

• Consider converting to black and white in post if the light is flat—this can enhance contrast and make the structure pop.

Ice Detail Shot on the Ground – Ancient Ice, Up Close

What you’re seeing:

Glacier ice forms over time as layers of snow compact and squeeze out air. What’s left is dense, ancient ice that can be clear, blue, or full of embedded bubbles and fracture lines. Up close, it can look like glass, stone, or something entirely abstract.

These shots aren’t about the glacier as a whole—they’re about texture, density, and light. Some ice will be rough and chalky. Other spots will be smooth and polished from meltwater. What makes these shots work is contrast: sharp edges against soft light, deep blues against white crust, or fine cracks that catch the sun just right.

Where to get it:

You’ll find this kind of ice on glacier hikes, or where broken chunks collect—on beaches, in melt pools, or near calving zones (at a safe distance). Matanuska, Exit, and Root Glaciers are good options for guided walks. Bear Glacier Lagoon and Spencer Glacier also offer access to grounded ice.

Tips for getting the shot:

• Use a Tripod: A tripod helps with precise framing and keeps everything sharp—especially important if you’re shooting at smaller apertures or in lower light.

• Get Close—Really Close: You might be just a couple feet away. Use a macro lens if you have one to capture fine textures like bubbles, cracks, and layering.

• Watch Your Edges: Once you’ve focused, re-check your corners. If the ice curves away or you’re not shooting straight on, the edges of your frame can fall out of focus fast.

• Find the Shade: Sunlight can bounce off the surface and block your view into the ice. Shade or indirect light lets you see the clarity and structure inside.

• Avoid Auto Exposure: Auto settings tend to blow out the bright parts. Dial down exposure manually to hold detail in the highlights.

Icebergs on Ground – Beached Giants

What you’re seeing:

After breaking off from a glacier, icebergs sometimes drift into shallow bays or onto beaches, especially in calm conditions or with a falling tide. When the water recedes or the ice gets pushed by wind, some of these chunks get left behind—temporarily stranded on gravel, sand, or silt flats.

Unlike glacier hikes, you don’t need to be roped up or walk on ice to get close. These grounded bergs give you full access to the shape, texture, and color of the ice from all sides. Many are melting and reshaping by the hour. What makes these shots work is the unexpected setting: raw glacier ice sitting quietly on land.

Where to get it:

In Southcentral Alaska, Bear Glacier Lagoon is a reliable spot to find grounded icebergs, often reached by jet boat or kayak out of Seward. In spring, you can sometimes find them at Spencer Lake as well. If you’re serious about photographing icebergs, consider a cruise with Discovery Voyages in Prince William Sound or chartering Lazy Otter Charters to go to Black Sand Beach, Harriman, or other spots in Prince William Sound.

Tips for getting the shot:

• Get low. Shooting from near ground level makes the ice feel more monumental and lets you use the background better.

• Use the surrounding terrain. Pebbles, grass, or shoreline debris can add texture and contrast.

• Pay attention to the light. Icebergs often glow when backlit—especially in early morning or evening.

• Shoot with both wide and mid-length lenses. Wide for context, tighter for detail and shape.

• Avoid midday sun. Overhead light flattens the contours and blows out the edges.

• If there’s a sheen of water on the sediment or a shallow pool in front of the iceberg, get the shot—it may be gone in minutes. If the tide’s going out, that water will vanish. If it’s coming in, the foreground may soon be too deep to use.

Floating Icebergs – Form, Light, and Drift

What you’re seeing:

When a tidewater glacier calves, the broken chunks drift out into bays, fjords, or lakes. Some are the size of a car, others as big as buildings. What you see above the surface is just a fraction—usually around 10% of the total mass. The rest is underwater.

As they melt, icebergs roll, crack, and reshape. Some become arches, towers, or slabs. Others turn milky white or glow deep blue. The motion is slow, but constant. These shots are about form, light, and reflection. Calm water adds mood. Open space emphasizes isolation. And when the shape is just right, the photo tells its own story.

Where to get it:

One of the most photogenic places to shoot floating icebergs is Bear Glacier Lagoon, accessed by jet boat or kayak from Seward. Grewingk Glacier Lake in Kachemak Bay State Park is another excellent option, reached by boat and a short hike from Homer. Valdez Glacier Lake has icebergs that can be seen on a kayaking tour with Anadyr Adventures. You’ll also find good iceberg scenes at Spencer Lake on a guided float with Chugach Adventures or Lake George which can be reached on a flightseeing tour from Anchorage or Palmer.

In a multi-day setting, UnCruise Adventures makes this possible via kayak and skiff tours. Getting off and on the ship is fast and easy thanks to their EZ Dock floating launch platform. Including a skiff, kayaks, or even the ship near a glacier helps provide a sense of scale. Getting eye-level with seals on ice is another bonus of a kayak or skiff tour near glaciers. They even offer a photography specific itinerary.

Tips for getting the shot:

• Keep your shutter speed at 1/500s or faster—icebergs drift more than you think, and so do boats.

• Shoot low to the waterline if possible. This increases reflection and gives the ice more visual weight.

• Watch for light shining through thinner parts of the ice—those spots often glow.

• Overcast light works well for revealing texture and color without harsh shadows.

• Be ready for quick changes. If a shape catches your eye, shoot immediately—it may rotate before you get a second chance.

Ice Cave – Light from Within

What you’re seeing:

Ice caves form when meltwater cuts tunnels through or under a glacier. In winter and early spring, after water flow slows and temperatures drop, some of these tunnels stabilize and become accessible. Inside, the walls are made of solid glacier ice—often layered, compressed, and partially translucent. When light filters in, the ice glows blue from how it absorbs and scatters light.

These caves constantly change. Some collapse in a few days, others last a season. Most form low on the glacier near the terminus, where meltwater exits. Some caves are dry inside; others are flowing with water or blocked by icefalls. They’re not permanent and should never be entered without a guide who knows current conditions.

Where to get it:

Good places to find them include Matanuska Glacier in late winter or early spring (guided only), Spencer Glacier via snowmachine or fat bike tours, and the Root Glacier in Wrangell St. Elias National Park on a guided tour with St. Elias Alpine Guides.

Tips for getting the shot:

• Bring a Tripod: Light levels inside caves are low. Even in the middle of the day, you’ll often need multi-second exposures to do the scene justice.

• Bracket Your Shots: The contrast between a glowing entrance and the dark interior can be extreme. Bracketing or HDR gives you flexibility in post.

• Use a Wide Lens: A 14–24mm or similar wide-angle lens helps you capture the full sweep of the chamber—walls, ceiling, and floor.

• Set Custom White Balance: Auto won’t cut it. Manually dial in your white balance to keep the subtle glacier blues from getting lost or turning gray.

• Work the Edges: Some of the best light and texture is where the ice curves near the entrance. Don’t just aim for the middle of the cave.

• Never Go In Without a Guide: Ice caves can collapse without warning, even in cold weather. Only enter with someone who knows the cave and the current conditions.

Ice as Sculpture – Nature’s Impossible Shapes

What you’re seeing:

When glaciers calve near moraines, massive towers or icebergs can end up stranded on shore. They melt unevenly and collapse in on themselves. What’s left can look like it was carved on purpose—blades, spires, fins, arches, or twisting forms that seem too delicate to last. The appeal is in the form—the sense that nature has sculpted something you couldn’t invent if you tried.

Where to get it:

These formations are rare and hard to find. Glaciers that have pulled back onto their moraines, like the side of Harriman Glacier in Prince William Sound, are a good candidate. So are certain beaches in Prince William Sound. Jökulhlaups—sudden glacier lake drainage events—can leave dramatic ice formations behind at places like Strandline Lake or Blockade Lake, both within an hour helicopter flight from Anchorage. Another spot that’s produced results in recent years is the side of Lake George Glacier, also accessible by helicopter from Anchorage. But there’s no guarantee. These features change quickly, and some years they don’t form at all.

Tips for getting the shot:

• Shoot Fast: These forms are delicate and can collapse or shift without warning. Don’t waste time—work the scene quickly and efficiently.

• Use Side Light: Early morning or late evening light brings out curves and texture. Midday light tends to flatten everything.

• Try Multiple Lenses: A wide-angle lens shows the ice in its environment. A telephoto lets you isolate the most interesting shapes.

• Get Low: If you can safely get below the sculpture, frame it against sky or water. That separation helps define the shape and gives the shot more impact.

• Skip the Fill Flash: Flash flattens ice and kills its natural glow. Use available light.

• Shoot from Several Angles: A sculpture can look ordinary from one side and extraordinary from another. Move around—you often won’t know the best angle until you see it.

From a Fixed-Wing Plane – Big Picture Perspectives

Flightseeing tours give you the scale. From the air, you see how glaciers twist through valleys, crack under pressure, and merge with others across vast mountain landscapes. These images are about geography, flow, and the glacier as part of something bigger.

Many fixed-wing flightseeing companies, including Wrangell Mountain Air, Rust’s Flying Service, and Regal Air offer custom flightseeing charters or photography specific tours.

Wide Aerial of Tidewater or Lakebound Glacier – The Glacier’s Full Path

What you’re seeing:

While on a flightseeing tour near Anchorage, AJ Krat captured this scene of the several mile wide face of Knik Glacier. It shows the classic aerial perspective of a glacier flowing into a body of water—looking straight down the length of a glacier, often from thousands of feet elevation. From this height, you can see the entire flow: how the glacier twists and bends through the mountains, where it begins, and where it ends. Medial moraines (dark lines formed by rock and debris) act like fingerprints, showing how tributary glaciers merged together over time. The shot is big-picture—it’s about scale and geography, not texture or detail. Tidewater glaciers end in the ocean, and the closer you get to the terminus, the more broken and chaotic the surface becomes. From above, you see how it’s all moving at different speeds—compressing in places, stretching in others.

The photographer Kratt recalled “ it was a very bright sunny day, so angles, shadows, lighting & avoiding the Rotors were factors all in play when capturing the image.”

Where to get it:

You can get this kind of shot on a flightseeing tour from Anchorage into Prince William Sound, or from Southeast Alaska over tidewater glaciers near Juneau, Gustavus, or Yakutat. It helps if your pilot is willing to fly close along the glacier face or down the middle of the ice.

Tips for getting the shot:

• Use a Fast Shutter: Set your shutter speed to at least 1/1000s to freeze motion and overcome any vibration from the plane.

• Choose a Midrange Aperture: f/5.6 to f/8 gives you enough depth of field without slowing your shutter too much.

• Keep the Lens Near the Glass: Don’t let it touch the window (it’ll vibrate), but get close to avoid reflections.

• Wear Dark Clothing: It reduces reflections in the glass, especially if you’re shooting across your own lap.

• Watch the Glacier’s Lines: Frame along the flow of the glacier or use medial moraines to draw the eye through the shot.

• Stay Alert to Light Changes: The glacier’s surface is constantly shifting from white to shadow to reflective ice—adjust exposure as you go.

Wide Aerial of Alpine Glacier – Frozen River in a Granite Gorge

What you’re seeing:

This is Ruth Glacier—one of the most dramatic alpine glaciers in the world. It winds through a mile-deep granite gorge in Denali National Park, flanked by sheer rock walls and distant peaks. You’re still seeing the surface structure—the compression zones, the lateral moraines—but the real impact is how the glacier sits in the landscape. It’s a frozen river of ice, flowing through one of the most vertical and awe-inspiring valleys on earth.

Where to get it:

You can see this on a flightseeing tour out of Talkeetna. Most of the Talkeetna operators offering Denali flights include Ruth Glacier on their route. While you can get dramatic shots of long alpine glaciers in other parts of Alaska—like in Wrangell–St. Elias National Park, where they flow through vast, open terrain—Ruth is among the most dramatic anywhere.

Tips for getting the shot:

• Shoot at 1/1000s or Faster: You may be flying lower than you think, and the terrain comes up fast. Use a fast shutter to keep details sharp.

• Use a Moderate Focal Length: A 35–85mm equivalent works well to show the glacier in context without flattening the curves or exaggerating distance.

• Follow the Terrain: Frame to show how the glacier flows through the valley—include ridgelines or cliffs for scale and structure.

• Expose for the Highlights: Snow and ice blow out easily. Watch your histogram and underexpose slightly to keep texture in the whites.

• Time It for Side Light: Morning or evening flights give you angled light that reveals texture in the ice and rock.