The Way :: Iceland
The Way :: Iceland
“Now more than ever do I realize that I will never be content with a sedentary life, that I will always be haunted by thoughts of a sun-drenched elsewhere.” -Isabelle Eberhardt
(Or cloud-drenched, in this case. ☝🏻)
I miss traveling. I miss taking photos worth editing. My inner gypsy is getting restless.
Dashed :: Iceland
I’ve not taken a poll, I’ll admit. However, I suspect most photographers who set foot in Iceland want to see Vestrahorn. Sure, it may not fit into the itinerary…it’s a car rental and six hours from Reykjavik, after all. But that doesn’t mean they don’t *want* to see it. It’s friggen majestic.
I’m no exception. Vestrahorn was on my radar, so despite the absurd driving time and car rental and the gas station/food/bathroom/waterfall and glacier lagoon stop logistics, I was going. Unfortunately, I brought the extreme wind and sideways hail with me. But damn it, my friend Melissa and I drove all that way and we were going to photograph it.
We bundled into our rain clothes -some for us, some for our camera bodies-and stepped into the tempest. The wind howled, and ripped at our clothes and I spent more time wiping my lens dry than actually shooting. Hunker, wait for a lull, wipe the lens, wipe it a second time for good measure, focus, shoot, repeat. But, you know, with more hunkering. And more numb fingers.
In the end, I let this photo sit in the archives for years because…well, truthfully, because hypothermia may have done long term brain damage and affected my judgement. Oh, and also because I thought I hadn’t gotten anything worth editing. Especially not worth editing the raindrops out.
But hey, we can’t be right all of the time, I guess. So I present to you, several years later, my dashed hopes for a sunset at Vestrahorn! Or maybe it was sunrise. I can’t remember.
It’s been quite some time since I remembered to update my website….2020 has messed up all of my schedules and habits! I’ve been better, slightly, about posting on my instagram account. You can follow me here.
Black Sand :: Iceland
“The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.” Vincent Van Gogh
I found out recently that one of my students passed away while out exploring his new home. It came as quite the shock for a lot of us that knew him, both in terms of a lost friend, and as a reminder of our own mortality and the risks associated with our passion – landscape photography.
My heart goes out to his loved ones. I hope you find comfort in the joyful memories you made together. ❤️
This shot is from a notoriously dangerous beach in Iceland, with warning signs that often go ignored or misunderstood by tourists. Reynisfjara beach has particularly dangerous waves due to the location and steepness of the continental shelf.
Eye spy, with my little eye, my photo on the cover of the newest Light and Landscape magazine! 😊
If you have an iOS (iPhone or iPad) you can download the app for free through the App Store. Make sure to check out the newest article about the benefits and pitfalls of tourism and landscape photography!
Fire and Ice :: Iceland
On this most recent trip to Iceland, I learned that Icelanders have a phrase that roughly translates to “It’ll all work out” because the weather is so unpredictable and makes keeping plans difficult. That flexible, positive attitude is one of the many things I’ve come to appreciate during my visits there. It’s also pretty spot on for how Landscape photography goes. Haha
While trying to take this series of shots, I got soaked by a big wave because passing tourists asked me to take a photo of them which distracted me, I got crowded by 103733672829 other tripods when they saw what I was on to, I was distracted again by some photographer forcibly moving a boulder sized chunk of glacier to a spot more to his liking which was at the edge of my original composition (ummmm? thanks dude?) and my battery died. But in the end, it all worked out. 😊
Big thanks to David Pasillas for his input on this edit! This shot is three blended exposures, some luck and a little bit of magic pixie dust.
A Sliver of Hope :: Iceland
When we start out as landscape photographers, most of us probably don’t go into it realizing the weight of the responsibilities that come with it. You see, these days, every like, and double tap and +1 you get represents a responsibility to be a leader.
Part of that means being a good steward and protecting our collective “office”, the planet. There is a lot of debate about what exactly that means, but it benefits all of us -photographers and non- to embrace things like Leave No Trace, and to actively work to conserve our wild spaces.
The second part of this is to be a role model. Whether you like it or not, what you do and say makes an impact, and by choosing to break rules or ignore courtesy, you’re green-lighting that behavior for others. This shot is a particularly memorable example of how one person’s sense of entitlement/elitism, can ruin an experience. Last October Melissa and I decided to detour to see this beautiful canyon despite the rain. It involved a moderate, if somewhat slippery hike up to the first lookout. I had just set my tripod up and begun focusing my camera when a…let’s call him “gentleman”…. walked up and demanded I move so he could take a cell phone snap. I explained I had just set up my composition, and would be just a moment. Rather than wait politely, he put his arm directly into my frame, then crowded me on a slippery cliff-edge, to intimidate me into moving. If you know my friend Melissa, you know she doesn’t put up with rudeness and used it as a teachable moment to remind the gentleman of his manners. Lol
The outdoors are for everyone to enjoy and simple consideration and courtesy can go a long way towards helping everyone fall in love with (and subsequently see the value in protecting) nature.
Triumphant :: Iceland
“Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown.” -Gaby Besora
Sometimes the best photos are made by being open to what presents itself. Melissa and I both researched a few things before the trip, but I tried not to have too many expectations about what shots I wanted to have. This is one of the photos I was able to create despite not having researched this peninsula ahead of time. Once you’re standing here, it’s an obvious subject to shoot, of course….but I’m certain that if I had seen other people’s shots ahead of time I would not have framed and balanced this shot the way that I did.
When we all start out as photographers, it’s normal to “comp stomp” (aka just copy someone else’s vision) but as you progress as a photographer and an artist it becomes more important to capture your own interpretation of a scene and express your own vision.
The journey of a photographer is one of lifelong growth, and as you progress, you’ll go through stages. You’ll grow your technical skills, you’ll grow your creative skills, and ultimately, you’ll likely embrace your inner artist. You’ll find it’s more important to create images that speak to you, or of your experiences, or communicate a message. That’s is when you find your art is the most fulfilling, and suddenly, all of the hard work you’ve put into getting there seems more than worth it. 😊
Friður :: Iceland
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“I don’t know what’s in the stars
Never heard it from above, the world isn’t ours
But I know what’s in my heart
If you ain’t mine I’ll be torn apart
I don’t know who’s gonna kiss you when I’m gone
So I’m gonna love you now, like it’s all I have
I know it’ll kill me when it’s over
I don’t wanna think about it, I want you to love me now…”
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Shoutout to David Pasillas for the second pair of eyes on this edit. Shoutout to Iceland for being so dang purty! 🇮🇸
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Taken with a Nikon d810, 14-24mm, one exposure/focus point for background, one for foreground with a Lee Big Stop filter, all hanging out on a Manfrotto Tripod. 😊
This year, I chose my “best of” based on the memories I was lucky enough to have made. It was a year of great trips (courtesy of some flight credits I had to use up before they expired) and I am beyond thankful I was able to see England, Northern Ireland and Ireland, Chincoteague ponies, Great Sand Dunes in Colorado, the many nights I spent under the stars with friends, the eclipse, the Adirondacks and Iceland (northern light, heeellllooo). I am grateful for these opportunities and for having good friends to make these memories with. ❤
2017 had its difficult parts, and I am definitely hoping 2018 shows improvement in some areas…but I am thankful. Cheers to a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year!
Looking for other bloggers, book reviewers (if you can read, you're in!) and photographers who want to join forces to save the world! (Or something like that.)
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