That’s why Tom goes to Iceland
Iceland’s harsh weather conditions open it up to a world of unique photo opportunities
Ialways tell people who come on my Iceland workshops to be prepared for adverse weather. The conditions are not only hard on equipment, but hard on the body. I’ve been in sub-zero white-outs where you can’t see more than a few feet, sandblasted by volcanic ash in gale-force winds, and even fallen through a snow hole in an ice cave. So you’re probably wondering why I subject myself to conditions like this? Because there are times when you experience amazing, once-in-a-lifetime conditions that make it all worthwhile. I’ll always remember the year we were surprised with a week of glorious conditions – and not just climactic, but with the Northern Lights, too.
This particular year the solar cycle was nearing its peak, so the aurora activity was higher than usual. 27 February 2014 will always be ingrained in my memory, as it produced one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Just as we sat down to dinner that evening, someone ran into the restaurant announcing: “The lights are on!” I’ve never seen a restaurant clear so quickly.
The aurora forecast was for a seven on the Kp-index – a global geometric storm index with a scale of zero to nine. It was spectacular. As well as the more common green glow, caused by oxygen molecules being excited by charged particles in the solar wind at around 60 miles up, we could also clearly see the much rarer red; caused by oxygencharged-particle collisions at roughly 200 miles up. The beauty of experiencing an aurora is it changes shape by the minute and you never know what might appear next.
When this angry face looming over a farmhouse appeared on my display, I couldn’t believe it. As I exposed the next frame, it had transformed into a totally different shape. A high ISO of 3200 allowed a brief exposure of 8 secs at f/2.8, as the lights were constantly morphing. This image has been used by publications around the world. Lonely Planet magazine ran a feature of my work on Iceland and tweeted the angry aurora image with mixed reactions.
There were comments saying it was ‘Photoshopped’ or faked. I think when people see something that looks unbelievable, it’s easier to dismiss it as being manipulated, especially in this age of digital photography where so many images are constructed on the computer.
Cold as ice
On my last trip to Iceland, in 2015, we experienced such a mixture of incredible conditions that I felt it was a fitting way to bring my journey of this unique island to an end, for now… We did have our share of horrendous weather, though; I would go as far to say that I haven’t experienced anything like it in the past five years I had been going there. Icelanders are strong and resilient people, being descendants of Vikings, and even they said it was a tough winter. We had 80mph winds (with gusts over 100mph), along with snow blizzards that would make a polar bear run for shelter. I know Iceland in the winter can be a challenge and this, to some extent, is what makes us better photographers. Working in difficult conditions makes you more aware of the capabilities of your equipment and how to get the most from it to ensure the best images.
When I took my small group of photographers into an ice cave, our guide told us to only walk where other people had walked, so we didn’t fall through any snow holes. I had been in this same cave the previous year, but the
ceiling had collapsed, which allowed more light in. I climbed up on the ice sheet that was the ceiling, just to get a different perspective. When I finished, I jumped down on the well-trodden snow, but felt one leg continue on through.
I was up to my thigh with one leg and the other splayed out on the snow in a position that I was not used to assuming. It looked like an Olympic hurdler in mid-jump – with the addition of a 12 kilo backpack to add extra leverage against my leg. My guys pulled me out, but to this day my knee is a painful reminder of that experience.
Working in difficult conditions makes you more aware of the capabilities of your equipment and how to get the most from it