It's been a couple months, and for some reason, I have been blocked trying to write about my most recent experiences in Iceland. Part of the reason for this was that three weeks on the tail of Iceland, we enjoyed a two week odyssey in Canada along the St Lawrence Seaway followed by a photography workshop with Freeman Patterson and Andre Gallant in St Martins, New Brunswick. These were the first two photo shoots since my eye surgery in late 2016, early 2017. Both were extremely fulfilling and I will write about the St Martins experience in a later blog; here, I will tell you a bit about Iceland and my post processing so far.

First, if you have not visited Iceland, you must go. My friend, Mark Alberhasky, had been after me for a couple of years to visit and now, I finally understand! Great people, great food, and spectacular scenery, what could be more motivating? For my next visit, I think I would rent a car and stay at the wonderful B&B type lodges scattered along the highways, frequently in beautiful locations. I can see Mark smiling as I write this: Thanks, Mark and PhotoZoneTours for making it possible! I have been on a few terrific tours with Mark and fellow guide, Layne Kennedy; both fabulous photographers and teachers (note links to their respective websites), but this tour was one of the best... so far!

When I landed in Iceland at the Keflavik airport, it was pissing rain. I brooded on dark thoughts during the seemingly endless bus ride into Reykjavik, the capital city. Then it dawned on me that maybe the moody weather reflected something of the ambiance of Iceland; my outlook brightened and I found that this realization turned out to be a recurring theme. After a three hour nap in my comfortable hotel, I walked around Reykjavik, snapping photos an evening before the rest of the crowd arrived. A Russian four-masted schooner was in port and very interesting to see. The architecture in town stood out for some reason; Icelanders are not afraid of bright colors on their houses or places of business! Did I mention beer? Viking IPA, try it, you'll like it! Hungry, I found a seaside shack, which served a lovely lobster and fish stew. Sated, knowing the tour would be great (running out of superlatives!), I strolled back to the hotel for the night, but not without sampling some more Viking IPA. Jetlag is a funny thing.

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast (I love the European plan!), I again wandered around the city, this time with blue skies. Such was the Icelandic weather, clear as a bell one moment, cloudy and dark the next; it made for interesting photography. One of my most favorite photographs is rather fine art-ish, but it shows the gentle features of the afternoon light at this high latitude; see below. Click on the images to see larger versions.

Reykjavik-Afternoon-Shadow-Reflection

On from Reykjavik, we headed to the Western Fjords where cliffs, black churches, myriad waterfalls, fjords, and strange mountains awaited us. I was eagerly anticipating capturing some waterfalls , but I must confess, by the end of the trip, I'd had enough waterfalls, at least for the meantime. Here, I show one of my favorites:

Kirkjufellsfoss Magic

And another, taken at a different location, of course; more can be found on my website.

Waterfall at Foss Farm

The geological formations of Iceland are truly fascinating. Foreboding mountain peaks and unfamiliar topography could be discovered in every direction. The light and soft colors were often sublime. Sometimes the sun would shine, sometimes we'd catch a fleeting flash of sunset, and sometimes words didn't exist to portray what I was feeling. Some examples:

Mt Stapafell Near Bárðar Snæfellsáss

On Mt Stapafell, legend has it that elves inhabit the area and magic occurs at the top of the peak. Not sure whether the mountain guards a statue of Bárðr, part human, part giant, part troll, at the base of the mountain or the other way round. A bit eerie.

Columnar basalt formations are evident throughout Iceland. Caused by rapid cooling and crystallization of volcanic rock, the hexagonal geometry can be seen edge on in great columns or, end on creating interesting patterns; both forms are shown here and confront the extremes of the North Atlantic:

Basaltic Bastions of Iceland

An iconic peak to the north of Kirkjufellsfoss, is loosely translated "Church Mountain" and broods over the town of Grundarfjörður. While we were out late, shooting the waterfalls, we happened to catch a beam from the setting sun bathing the slopes of Kirkjufell in rosy light.

Sunset on the Kirkjufell

And that brings us to the end of this episode. I slept deeply that night, full of a profound satisfaction that perhaps I had captured what may have been a few of my best photographs to date. I hope each speaks to you with at least some morsel of the delicious moods I experienced in each moment.

Night Falls on Grundarfjörður