Magnificent shots of Iceland’s serene mountainscapes
Reader Tom Smith heads to Iceland to create a portfolio that is strong in style and breaks a few rules in the process
This set of images was taken during a very cold and windy trip to Iceland in April 2017. Iceland has always fascinated me – from its natural beauty to its interesting geology, so I jumped at the chance to visit. After renting a car in Keflavík I spent a week exploring the southeast coast, stopping at many famous waterfalls and volcanic features, as well as some of the lesser-known locations.
I took my first shot whilst on a long drive up the east coast. I wasn’t planning to stop, however I couldn’t resist getting out on the side of the road as we passed this stunning rock face [1]. The wind made it difficult to shoot handheld, but it ended up adding to the image – as it whipped up snow and cloud along the cliff edge. In an ideal scenario I would have taken the time to set up my tripod and maybe tried an exposure that lasted a couple of seconds to capture the movement of the cloud. I did try a landscape version
of the image as well, but in the end I preferred this portrait orientation.
Later in the day I noticed a second opportunity to shoot with the same theme as the first photograph [2].
I really think the cloud makes this shot; it added a sense that this was indeed a volcanic island. Again, this was a simple handheld shot, so I used a fast shutter speed of 1/250 sec, which was more than enough to freeze any camera movement on the 11-16mm f/2.8 lens I was using.
The final picture was taken at the famous Seljalandsfoss waterfall [3].
I wanted to try a different framing to most images I’d seen before. Instead of shooting it from directly in front or behind, I tried composing it from the side. I think the position of the sun and the rays of light cutting through the cliff edge make for an interesting shot. I used a narrow aperture of f/13 to create the sun star effect, whilst freezing the water with a shutter speed of 1/250 sec. It was difficult bringing out the detail in the foreground whilst shooting a backlit scene. The idea behind the composition was to include the parallel diagonal lines tracking from the top left to the bottom right of the frame. If I was to shoot this again, I would try to find something to make the foreground more interesting. That said, I like the rugged feel and muted colours of this shot. Iceland definitely lived up to my expectations!
N-photo says
Tom, your set of shots are strong and demonstrate a good awareness of personal shooting style and bold decisions to photograph using certain methods. You mention wanting to use your tripod more, instead of handholding, and that may be something to explore in further shooting, but it shouldn’t detract from the strength of these photos.
We notice that you’ve made bold decisions, and by that we’re referring to the vertical orientation you’ve chosen to shoot the landscape.
I wasn’t planning to stop, however I couldn’t resist getting out on the side of the road as we passed this stunning rock face
The simple, empty foregrounds also convey a sense of isolation that is easily overwhelmed with the severe weather
Now, for waterfalls this makes a lot of sense because the waterfalls, especially ones like Seljalandsfoss, are falling vertically over a large drop, meaning they’re narrow but tall.
The rest of the Icelandic landscape, however, is mostly vast in width, which a horizontal format would traditionally suit. Your vertical framing works extremely well though. Your first image sits the mountain in the centre of the frame, usually a no-no in terms of classical compositional rules, but the top and bottom of the mountain actually break along the upper and lower third lines [1], and so your central composition works.
Your second shot mimics the first in orientation, and they both have dark blue skies in common [2], brought about by use of a polarizer, which naturally darkens blue skies when perpendicular to the sun.
The simple, empty foregrounds also convey a sense of isolation that is easily overwhelmed with the severe weather changes typical of Iceland [3]. Overall, a good technical ability linked with strong stylistic choices make this a very tidy portfolio of work.