On a first visit to Iceland, adapting to conditions that are challenging both physically and photographically is itself a challenge. The plan to reach Laekjavik Cliffs on a February afternoon was to climb up onto the headland, but the wind was too strong: climbing down onto the beach to shoot into the sun, which was already low in the sky, was the better option.
With a basalt stack just offshore shielding direct sunlight, deciding how best to expose the scene was the key issue. To the right, there was wonderful detail in the shadows of the cliffs, but the light reflecting off the surf as it hit the shore was close to clipping, if not clipping. This was testing even the wonderful dynamic range of the D850. I decided that, if there had to be a compromise, it was important to ensure that the detail in the shadows was captured.
Later, when editing, it was remarkable to note how well the D850 had coped with only minimal clipping in the surf, but with the detail in the shadows preserved. The issue was then to bring out this detail, together with the ocean spray rising on the cliffs.
Thinking back to the view when standing on the beach, braced against the wind with almost blinding sunlight, it was rewarding to know that the composition and exposure had captured the scene in a way that, after editing, the viewer was in a better position to enjoy the contrasts than when trying to hold the tripod firm and squint into the light!
