So I'm back at my university for my second semester of my Master's program, but just a little more than a week ago, I was going around southern Iceland with friends and family. We had an amazing time and I took some awesome photos. It has really helped reinvigorated my photography. If you get the chance to go to Iceland, GO! (Just pack your own food. It is hella expensive over there)
Here are some of my favorite photos and some stories behind them:
This is Gunnuhver, a steam vent in one of the geothermal areas of Iceland. Geothermal areas have always interested me, so I was so happy to stop by so many. This vent was letting out a massive amount of steam. So much that if you walked through it, you'd get pretty damp (speaking from personal experience). I took many HDR shots of the area and it think it really brought out the texture of the steam and landscape.
Glanni Falls and Paradise Hollow were a quick stop on the way back to our first lodge. We were quite surprised of the view we got and Paradise Hollow was still stunning, even in the shade from the setting sun. There were no exact direction to Paradise Hollow other than follow the trail (It branched a few times), so I used Pokemon Go to find a body of water and walked our way to it.
This is from an area known as Thingvellir. It is a highly historic area, especially for the formation of Iceland's initial governing laws. This is the river that leads to the wishing well (the other side of the bridge I was standing on). Yes, the water was that color blue. And so clear you could see the coins glistening in the pool.
Surpise! More geothermal features. Strokkur erupts around every 7 minutes. It is a quick burst with maybe a smaller burst following. It is right by Geysir, the geyser that gave these features their namesake. I decided to try an HDR shot with the eruption just to see how it would turn out and I was shocked by the result. I clicked the shutter right and it erupted and it came out so clean. None of the other geysers in the area erupted while we were there.
This is Gullfoss, one of the largest waterfalls in Europe. It was also one of my biggest challenges. It was already windy during our time there, but the mist and current from the falls made it incredibly hard to get a good shot. My tripod nearly was blown over a few time. Holding the camera also was difficult since it was at risk of getting wet. I'm quite proud of the result.
This is from a basalt cave along
Reynisfjara, a black sand beach. The column-like basalt formations offered plenty of natural abstract shots. This was from the "ceiling" of the cave (mainly where I took shelter from being pelted by pebbles picked up by the wind). The HDR really brings out the shape and texture of the basalt.
This is Solfar, a sculpture in the capital of Iceland, Reykjavik. It is a wonderful subject and it was a shame we didn't have the time to stay until sunset to really get a cooler shot. I still love the symmetry regardless.
Lastly there were the turf houses. I didn't get many photos of these simply because there were not a lot of pull-over areas near the houses. I think they are cool and can certainly serve as a unique subject for landscape and architectural photographers.