Iceland In August 2018, I had the opportunity to take ten days to "get lost" in Iceland. I had three goals for the trip - have an adventure, make aerial photographs, and spend time in the solitude of nature. I scheduled my trip for late summer, with the intent of allowing plenty of time for the warmer summer months to melt the winter snow and form beautiful tendrils of water meandering from the highlands towards the ocean. All I needed was a clear, or even overcast day to fly. However, it turned out to be one of the rainiest summers on record...
After spending the night in Reykjavik, I picked up the SUV that I would live in for the next 10 days. I configured my sleeping and work areas, bought groceries and gas cards, and headed out of town. I was planning on taking the ring road counterclockwise, but the aerial work that I wanted to do was in the south and the weather forecasted solid rain for the first three days. Not wanting to waste any time that could be spent taking photographs in other areas, I changed my route and headed north towards Brúárfoss, Strokkur Geysir, and Gullfoss Falls.
Brúárfoss. Even though I had seen photographs of this series of waterfalls, I was astounded by the teal-colored water.
Because the primary viewing area was crowded with hikers and buzzing with drones, I headed downriver to find a quiet spot to enjoy lunch and watch the river as it continued to spill over smaller falls.
Geysir I arrived at Strokkur Geysir just as the sun was setting. It's one of the most popular tourist attractions with busloads of tourists continuously arriving and departing throughout the day. Fortunately, as I was "camping", I was able to set my own timetable and stay long after the last bus departed.
Gullfoss After listening to the gentle rain on the roof of the SUV all night, I rose before dawn and drove to the famous Gullfoss waterfalls. I dashed to the falls in the pouring rain, knowing that this would be a great time to have the area all by myself (as well as be my only opportunity to visit). I wrapped my camera in a plastic bag, and I was able to grab a few shots before the camera and lens were too wet to continue without risking damage to the equipment.
Nýifoss My next stop involved a bit of a drive and I was quite nervous as I had been told it would be tricky negotiating the terrain during a hard rain. I didn't have any previous experience driving through rivers, but as they say: nothing ventured, nothing gained - and I really wanted to hike to the top of the waterfall, so I put the SUV in gear and off I went.
I drove as far as I could, crossing several small creeks before arriving at “the big one” (to me it was daunting, but I'm sure it would be easy for a more experienced driver.) I hadn’t seen another car the entire morning and was very hesitant to cross. But as fate would have it, I took a break for lunch and within 20 minutes, I saw car approaching from the other direction. Well, monkey see, monkey do - I watched what they did, copied their route, and voila, I made it! I stacked a few rocks to mark my return and was on my way.
It rained the entire hike, but as they say, there’s no bad weather, only bad clothing choices and fortunately, I had brought a heavy-duty waterproof jacket, pants, boots and camera pack/bag. The hike was lovely, and the water-saturated moss and algae was striking.
Kerlingarfjöll With more rain in the forecast, I decided to head into the highlands. While they may be vast, stark, and potentially unforgiving, they provided me with the solitude that I was looking for.
Time to Fly The weather report hinted that there might be a window of opportunity to make aerial photographs the next day, so I hightailed it out of the highlands to meet the pilot at his airfield. As some of you know, I’m afraid to fly but seriously, who can pass up an opportunity to photograph out of a small aircraft over the rivers of Iceland?!?
Sadly, the flight ended far too soon, but weather rules the sky. I hoped to find another window of opportunity to fly, but for now, I was happy to have seen Iceland from the air and headed east.
Vík I headed towards Dyrhólaey Lighthouse, arriving at sunset. This is a popular spot to watch puffins and I was fortunate to watch the few stragglers that hadn't started on their migration.
Reynisfjara Beach Up with the sun the next morning, I explored the basalt columns along Reynisfjara beach. Each column's unique form and character drew me in to study and document their ordered chaos.
I spent the morning trying to create unique images in a playground of line, shape, texture and color.
I think that one of the most fascinating aspects of photography is the variance of imagery that can be made in the same location due to the ever-changing quality and quantity of light, atmospheric conditions, and camera controls.
The Lava Fields I headed east, along the south coast of the island, taking time to stop and photograph the lush, moss-covered lava fields on my way.
I decided to stretch my legs by taking a hike off the beaten path in Kirkjubæjarklaustur and happened upon a lovely view of a farm.
To my delight, the weather forecast suggested an opportunity for another flight. I quickly turned my SUV around and headed back towards the airstrip.
This time we were able to fly over the colorful rhyolite mountains in the highlands. Then, we followed several tributaries, and ended with a pass over Eyjafjallajökull glacier.
Svínafellsjökull With the weather forecasting rain for the rest of the week, I backtracked along the Ring Road with a bit more urgency, stopping for a short walk along the glacier to view the layered ridges of ice across the lagoon.
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon The lagoon was absolutely packed with visitors when I arrived mid-afternoon, so I walked along the water's edge photographing small pieces of ice until the crowds thinned.
The Ring Road It took great restraint not to stop at every alluring vista, but sometimes the landscape was just too stunning to pass up.
I can’t imagine making this journey in the snow and ice, but it was definitely worth venturing forth in the rain!
Litlanesfoss and Hengifoss After a relaxing night listening to more rain dance on the roof, I started the climb to see these stunning waterfalls and basalt columns. Fortunately, the rain subsided halfway up the hill revealing a magnificent view.
Rjúkandafoss Grateful for the relatively long days in August, I was able to stop and photograph this gorgeous waterfall.
The Road to Mývatn Driving through this desolate landscape, it wasn't difficult to imagine that I had somehow been transported to another planet.
Walking upstream revealed impressive views of Selfoss.
At last, I happened upon some sheep that didn’t run away! In fact, they seemed quite curious and posed for several photographs.
Krafla I had been looking forward to hiking through the lava fields with their steaming vents and bubbling mud pots. Needless to say, the area didn't disappoint.
Thinking that I was alone, imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon the scene below. I couldn't resist making a photograph while I wondered if I was in the middle of a dream.
The gamut of colors found in the bubbling pools of mud throughout the area were a marvelous contrast to the stark, muted lava fields.
Krafla Crator The steam seen beyond this magnificently colored crater is part of the nearby Krafla power plant which harness the geothermal energy in the area for electricity production.
One of the things I love about photography is that it enables us to see things that are invisible to the naked eye. These bubbling mud pots burst with such force that you can’t experience subtle dance without stopping time with a fast shutter speed.
Aldeyjarfoss When I was planning my trip, I thought that by this point in my itinerary I would have tired of waterfalls, but that was definitely not the case. Each location that I visited was so unique and so striking that I found myself thinking, on a daily basis, about moving to Iceland!
The rock formations were remarkable, and the purity and color of the water was stunning - especially how it turned from blue at the top of the falls to green at the pool below.
Goðafoss This is another very popular location for visitors. Thankful once again for making the choice to "SUV-camp", I waited until the busses left for the day to wander down to the waterfall.
Fortunately, I was also able to return to the falls the next morning to explore them in almost complete solitude.
Hofsós Next, I ventured to the north to see the glorious Stađarbjargavík basalt formations.
Kálfshamarsvík Also in the north of Iceland, this now deserted fishing cove is home to a lighthouse, gorgeous rock formations, and little jellies in the water.
Látrabjarg Sea Cliffs Sadly, I arrived too late in the season to view any puffin at the largest sea-bird cliff in Europe. Regardless, the drive through the Westfjords was magnificent and well worth the time.
Gerðuberg Cliffs I wanted to visit one last basalt rock formation on the western peninsula, so I headed towards these magnificent cliffs.
To my surprise, I stumbled upon a volcanic area dappled with colorful moss.
What an adventure! I want to express my extreme gratitude to my good friend Einar Erlendsson from Focus in Nature. He arranged my aerial photography flights, helped secure the perfect vehicle, designed an ideal itinerary, and provided me with tips and tricks which enabled me to get the most out of my visit. If you're thinking of making a trip to Iceland to photograph, I would highly recommend that you reach out to him.
ÞETTA REDDAST