Tag: iceland

Blue Diamond on the Beach

Diamond Beach in Iceland offers endless photographic opportunities. In this post we enjoy the intense blue hues of glacier ice.

It’s time for another post to cover more of Diamond Beach in Iceland. It’s been a while since I published on this topic (Diamond in the Rough). This is just one of those locations, where I could photograph for days and never be done! Diamond Beach is a paradise for photographers who enjoy discovering shapes in nature with a leaning towards Black&White.

Here’s the image that I decided to take a closer look at…

Blue Diamond

This chunk of glacier ice was pretty close to the waterline and likely to be picked up by the incoming tide. What caught my eye was its color. Glacier ice has an intense blue color due to its density with very few air bubbles. As a result, longer wavelengths of light are absorbed and shorter ones are reflected.

Just a chip of the old glacier, it will travel until it is dissipated into the Atlantic Ocean.

Wednesday Window – pt 12

We explore an aspect of Iceland’s renowned Harpa Concert Hall and Convention Centre in Reykjavik; a truly inspiring visual gem!

In this episode we’re going back to Iceland and a specific building in Reykjavik that is a photographer’s dream. The Harpa Concert Hall and Convention Centre is an amazing and award-winning structure by the city’s waterfront. The shapes that are created through this amazing glass-clad environment are eye-catching both from the outside and the interior.

Today, we take a look from the exterior…

Harpa Windows

A myriad of windows adorn the facade, which becomes even more interesting at night, as colors play across them (might be a future post). Just imagine the approach that was taken to construct such an outer shell. From any angle, there are visual stimuli that interest many photographers and will keep us coming back to experience the views under different light and weather conditions.

This is my mid-week contribution to the Monday Window thread, a creation of Ludwig Keck. To read more about Ludwig, check this page.

Seljalandsfoss Summer Beauty

Let’s take a look ahead toward warmer days with Seljalandsfoss in August.

I think that many of us in the northern hemisphere are looking forward to the somewhat milder days of spring and summer that lie ahead. At this point, winter feels like it has outstayed its welcome! Therefore, after several days of posts that featured snow, I’m switching to a warmer sight.

Imagine a warm, albeit breezy, August afternoon…

Seljalandsfoss Summer Spray

Seljalandsfoss is certainly one of the popular waterfall stops on any Iceland trip. It is located conveniently just off Route 1 (the ring road) and has plenty of parking for visitors. As a result, it is nearly impossible to photograph the waterfall without being overrun by visitors. Even in this shot, there are two people visible; unlike Waldo they are not clad in white with red stripes.

Nevertheless it is a magnificent sight to behold and wonderful site to visit. At some time in the future, I am planning on photographing Seljalandsfoss just before sunset. A truly special photograph can be captured from behind the waterfall…

Snaefellsnes Sunset

Photography in Iceland during winter offers advantages. One of these is that dramatic sunsets and sunrises are more easily available.

A possible advantage of photography in Iceland during winter is that you don’t have to stay up late to catch a sunset. Similarly, there was no need to get up early for a spectacular sunrise! Shooting days in February are a lot shorter than those in July or August! With the Sun a bit lower in the sky, the hours in the day are all amazing.

Here’s a shot that I captured as sunset was getting closer…

Snaefellsnes Sunset

We had been doing some photography around the black church in Budir, and it didn’t quite satisfy my inner eye. There were definitely some good shots among those, but nothing that pulled together the sense of drama that I wanted. So I went exploring across the snowfield to the west of the church.

This is one of the landscapes that I found. The light raking across the snow-covered field and already long shadows piqued my interest. This image stimulates not only the visual cortex, but also works its magic on my limbic system. There’s something with a bit of mystery here. That includes the footprints in the snow…

iPhone Friday

A chilly morning in Iceland just over a year ago made the perfect time to photograph Kirkjufell mountain at sunrise.

From last week’s warmth of Mumbai, India, we go to a chilly February morning in Iceland. This was just over a year ago, as my partner in crime, George Fellner, and I went to photograph the sun rising on Kirkjufell mountain. We scoped out the location on the previous day, so we had a good idea where we wanted to be. As Kirkjufell mountain is highly photogenic, there were several other photographers in situ.

Despite the competition, we found a pretty good vantage point…

Kirkjufell on Ice

We spent a good hour photographing majestic Kirkjufell in various stages of being illuminated. During this time, the ice flow provided a wonderfully muted reflection. That certainly increased the appeal of this vista for me. I love reflections, especially when they are a bit more subtle, such as in this image.

It was a good photo harvest during a chilly morning!

An Icy Waterfall

A visit to Skogafoss, a stunning waterfall in any season and just purely majestic in the frozen landscape.

Another day for a visit to the stunning landscape brought to you by Iceland. I know that I have said it myself, as it seems impossible to look anywhere and not see a waterfall. Waterfalls are a key feature of the Icelandic vista and many of them are just simply stunning to behold!

Here is today’s waterfall…

Skogafoss Winter Wonderland

Skogafoss is a phenomenal waterfall in its own right, and it’s easily accessible with a short walk from ample parking. After arriving in Vik on our first day in Iceland, we went for a short afternoon exploration; given the overnight flight, a short nap had been restorative, so our energy was back.

February weather was a bit overcast, but I could see some potential sunlight, so we stopped at Skogafoss. With micro-spikes on shoes, tripods at the ready and cameras in hand we approached the waterfall. We were rewarded with some light from the sky behind us, which provided warmth across the frozen landscape.

Yes, the drawback to accessibility is that there is nearly always a crowd, so I used them to provide a sense of scale. Also, look up high on the rocks to the right of the waterfall, where there is an observation platform!

This image is certainly one of those classic captures (at least it is in my collection).

Shades of Blue

From 2015, a highlight of the Myvatn region with a vista of stunning blue waters.

Welcome back to Iceland! This time, I’m taking you back to my trip in 2015, when I spent just four days in this lovely country. Clearly not long enough, but I made good use of this stopover on my return from the Netherlands. As a matter of course, I tend to prefer the less touristy locations in any country. I find that it’s much more enjoyable to not have to hurry from location to location. It’s great to kick back and breathe in the scenery and get a sense of the overall atmosphere.

Here’s one of my wonderful encounters from that visit…

Shades of Blue

This location is in the Myvatn region just before one gets to the fumaroles in Hverir (cf. Otherworldly post). It is stunning to see the shades of blue in the water that are the result of the silica deposits.

In reworking this capture, I have taken a much subtler approach than I did in a previous treatment. You can see the older image by going back to my 2019 Myvatn Geothermal Area post.

I’ll be curious to hear your thoughts on the rather different treatments.

Late Evening Light

Warm light and extended photography hours are a real benefit of arctic summer evenings.

Of course, one of the distinct advantages of being near the arctic circle during Summer is the amount of shooting time. During my August 2022 trip, we definitely took advantage of the late hours to get some gorgeous, warm light.

This is one of those images from later in the evening…

Ingjaldshólskirkja

I took this photo around 9:30pm, as we were exploring the area on the Snaefellsnes peninsula. This church is located in Ingjaldshóll, which has a rather interesting history.

There are indications that Christopher Columbus stayed at Ingjaldhóll during the winter of 1477-1478. He sought to learn from the experience of the Icelanders in preparation of his eventual voyage to America (as it was later known). In the church, there is a painting of Columbus speaking with a priest during his stay at Ingjaldshóll. Of course, the Vikings took a very different approach in their voyages.

Another tidbit of information: the church is the oldest concrete church in Iceland; it was built in 1903.

A Touch of the Timeless

We visit Búðir on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula in Iceland, showcasing the historic Búðakirkja.

In this installment of my series of Iceland posts, we’re going back to a location on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. The location is the town of Búðir. Búðir is a small hamlet in Búðahraun lava fields in Staðarsveit, which is in the western region of Iceland, on the westernmost tip of the Snaefellsnes peninsula. It goes without saying that the ocean features large!

Here’s a look at the lovely black church in Búðir…

Búðakirkja

This church was built in starting in 1701 and consecrated in 1703. The original church did not have the current appearance, as it was a small turf church. Due to economic conditions and rough weather, the church was abolished in 1816.

Due to the efforts of Steinunn Sveinsdóttir, a local widow, the church was rebuilt in 1848 and consecrated once again in 1851. Steinunn died in 1854 at the age of 77 and is buried in the church cemetery.

If you like to see some additional images of this lovely black church, visit a post from a couple of years ago: Snæfellsnes Peninsula – part 1.

Close-up of a Glacier

Tuesday, so we focus on the stunning landscapes of Iceland. The Vatnajökull glacier shares some its detail.

For the foreseeable future, I will dedicate my Tuesday posts to the landscape of Iceland. This magnificent country stimulates my photographic curiosity and spark at every twist and turn. It is almost impossible to not be at a location where there is some stunning subject to capture. Among these subjects, I am always enchanted by the immense glaciers.

I decided to rework one of the detail shots of Vatnajökull…

Close-up photograph of Vatnajökull glacier in Iceland.
Vatnajökull Detail

The Vatnajökull glacier is the largest in Iceland and covers approximately 7,700 square kilometers. In this image, I took a section of the image below and treated it to highlight the delicate structure of the glacier.

Vatnajokull glacier in Iceland
Vatnajokull Glacier

This shot is from my August 2022 visit to Iceland and shows a bit of green. In future posts, I will feature some of the shots from February of 2024, which show a very different aspect of this powerful glacier.