I'm not sure how this image can have only two comments but that sure is funny, Just a glitch in the system. @ anna. this is Up Helly A A fun assignment for me that takes place at midnight. Very cold. After getting this shot a few times I made my way to the fire. I bit warmer. It takes place the last night if January. I'll be there 2011 again. the Shadowed figure are people holding torches. they are moving. The fire trail in the foreground is close to me. It's in the picture to give the image more depth. cropping it out makes the shot typical. Being typical is not my cup of tea. BUt may for some that make the comment.

http://gouk.about.com/od/whatsoninjanuary/qt/uphellyaa.htm

http://www.shetlandtourism.com/pages/up_helly_aa.htm

http://www.shetlandtourism.com/pages/uha1999/1999_up_helly_aa_evening.htm

Great context, thanks for sharing. You might be right about the foreground bit...but don't agree with any statement about this being typical...so rich and beautiful!!

Thanks, wings, for sharing those web pages! Interesting reading. I've nener heard of this tradition before. :)
Now I know why I see an animal in the flames! It's the ship. :)

This is spectacular. Is it a blend of two or more images?

i hope to do this one day. sounds like a good time.

@george I'll be there 2011 , you can come along. look into flights on BA.com From Heathrow to ..If you are hard nails it's a turn around flight get up that day , shoot that night , stay awake and catch the bus intown at 5 am in the morning and goto Inverness or where ever. DOn't hope let me kn ow . Mabe we can plan a better run at it. the mountain top has a kind of valler. so you can stand where I did and shoot time exposures or do things like double and tripple and multi fals pops with a slow shutter in the artic wind. .

@george From here its always good to fly south to London again and drive down to Avebury ot just shoot to Spain and warm up a bit. :))

i lived in england as a lad. did "time" in boarding school. been up to aviemore skiing but not as far north as up helly aa. also lived in spain. was there again with family during 2010 world cup. when i came to live in the u.s. i had culture shock. man i'd love to go to in january but the next trip will be to take my kids on the road for a month or two next summer. vw bus. like the one in this shot.

http://weeklyshot.org/theme/daily-life/response/8/

yeah!

i appreciate your gracious offer :)