Abstract nominee

Overall, glacial ice is melting all over the world. Formed over decades, centuries, and millenia, this sliding ice has been squeezed, pushed, carved, and fractured. As the individual snowflakes are pressed into glacial ice and density increases, only blue light can reflect out from this nearly impenetrable substance. Once it has calved from the glacial face into the ocean it takes on many different shapes, textures, and shades of blue. This series encapsulates just a few of the myriad styles of ice that one can experience when observing this ephemeral substance.
These images come from icebergs calved from glaciers in Alaska, Greenland, and Antarctica in 2025 and 2026.

Born and educated in Western Pennsylvania, Kelly has always loved the outdoors and all the creatures that make it their home. Curious and creative, her interests ranged from science to art. Kelly majored in Art History at Allegheny College where she took photography and developed a passion that combined her love of nature, exploring and composition. After college, photography became a focal part of Kelly's life driving her to search for larger mountains and new horizons. While living in Colorado, she journeyed throughout the west, developing her enthusiasm for North American wildlife and the ecosystems that support it. Kelly has served as a Naturalist at sea in Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, Australia, and New Zealand for many years. Currently, Kelly is delighted to be a Naturalist for Lindblad National Geographic Expeditions where she leads hikes, activities and speaks about the natural history, wildlife, & ecosystems of the area in which they are travelling. She is a member of several prestigious art associations and shows and sells her photography.