I took a small group to Iceland this past winter for a workshop along the island's south coast. Winter photography can be a unique and exhilarating experience, especially when the weather cooperates. Iceland is known for its weather and its sometimes ferocious winds that can sweep along the landscape. We enjoyed cold and clear conditions during the week we were there, which made for ideal photography conditions.
This morning, we drove to the Fjallsarlon glacial lagoon, which is a hotbed of activity in the summer. In winter, we were the only ones there! Sunrise occurs late in the morning, and we arrived in plenty of time to capture the best light. A short hike from the parking lot to the edge of the lagoon warmed us up, and then we put on our ice cleats and ventured out onto the ice. Our cleats squeaked with each step, and our breath trailed behind us in the cold. After about 1/4 of a mile, we came up to a collection of icebergs frozen in the water. These made for fantastic foreground subjects with the distant glacier and mountains behind.
For this particular picture, I intended to have the foreground ice play a more prominent role in the composition, so I got low and close to it to fill a good portion of the frame yet still include enough of the mountains and glacier to be of visual interest. In addition, the low angle of the sun slowly rising behind me cast a beautiful pink glow across the landscape, which was the ideal light for a picture like this.
We spent a couple of hours on the ice shooting grand landscapes, intimate scenes, focus stacks and whatever else we wanted to do. The pleasure of being by ourselves in such a beautiful location was priceless – that I came away with a nice image is a bonus!
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Dimitri Vasileiou • Editor