Tag: jokulsarlon

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.

Diamond in the Rough

Another image from Diamond Beach in Iceland, where ice and sand juxtapose.

In last week’s post about Diamond Beach (Diamond Beach Abstract), I spoke of the impact of the seasons on the display of rough diamonds. There may not be a lot of opportunities in Winter to get the sun glistening through the ice. That does open up the possibility of a different mood presented in each image. During my visit in February of 2024, there was beautiful subdued lighting on the beach.

Here’s another image from that day…

Diamond in the Rough

Even with muted sunlight, this large diamond has an internal glisten to it. As it stands against the black sands of the beach, it shows Nature’s presence. Albeit it a small piece of the glacier, the ice is filled with beauty.

In particular, I find the structure and contrast between ice and sand fascinating. The experience in Winter is worth it, especially as there are few, if any, distractions!

Diamond Beach Abstract

Iceland’s Diamond Beach is renowned for its stunning ice formations. Winter’s weather conditions provide for a different, more subdued expression.

Iceland’s Diamond Beach (Breiðamerkursandur) is a truly photogenic location, well known for its glistening ice. Segments of ice break off from Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and wash back ashore, creating a photographer’s dreamscape! Of course, the conditions have to be right for this. During the Summer season, there will be plenty of ice escaping from the glacier, but Winter is a different story.

In February of 2024, I visited that area for some different exploration…

Diamond Beach in the Rough

With an overcast sky, my objective became to create some different images from the stunning, sparkly photographs of Summer. Among some of the spectacular ice formations, I found this understated little sculpt. The combination of the black sand and its scratched translucence provides a sense of modern, abstract sculpture.

There are more impressive ice structures that I photographed on that day, but this one still speaks to me. Of course, it speaks with a soft, subtle voice of beauty that ones was…