Reykjavik is the charming capital of Iceland, a city replete with both history and modernity, and flanked by Mount Elsa on one side and the wilderness on the other. It is a walkable city, with many distinct landmarks, such as the towering Hallgrimskirkja and Perlan (The Pearl). The new concert/conference building stuck out a little on the water’s edge, but it is a magnificent building to photograph, especially at dusk when the multitude of glistening colours stand out against the cobalt blue dusk. Inside was a small exhibition about the history of religion in Iceland, and the woman in charge was kind enough to show me around and translate everything into English. I also took in Hofdi House, an utterly unassuming but incredibly significant little house that staged the beginning of the end of the Cold War when President Reagan and Secretary Gorbachev met there in October 1986. I briefly popped into the National Gallery too, but was surprised to find only one room with art in it. No wonder it was free entry! The city centre is small but quaint, and the streets are relatively tidy and clean. In fact, during the months of June and July, the teenagers are invited to spend time cleaning litter and planting trees, something that obviously fosters a sense of community spirit and social responsibility. I cannot imagine that happening in the UK! There are plenty of places to eat, especially if you like seafood (I don’t), and I even tried some whale meat (strictly speaking that’s a mammal, so I don’t think of it as seafood). It is somewhat ironic that the harbour hosts both ships for hunting whales (which I’m against) and for taking tourists out to spot them. There are a few other churches, although none as photogenic as Hallgrimskirkja. The Catholic Cathedral stood out, and was reasonable impressive lit up at dusk. While walking back from The Pearl, I was fortunate enough to catch sight of a beautiful rainbow forming over the city. Anyway, enjoy the photos.
Jul 05, 2012Jul 05, 2012Alpha Whiskey PhotographyReykjavik is the charming capital of Iceland, a city replete
with both history and modernity, and flanked by Mount Elsa on one side and the
wilderness on the other. It is a walkable city, with many distinct landmarks,
such as the towering Hallgrimskirkja and Perlan (The Pearl). The new
concert/conference building stuck out a little on the water’s edge, but it is a
magnificent building to photograph, especially at dusk when the multitude of
glistening colours stand out against the cobalt blue dusk. Inside was a small
exhibition about the history of religion in Iceland, and the woman in charge
was kind enough to show me around and translate everything into English. I also
took in Hofdi House, an utterly unassuming but incredibly significant little
house that staged the beginning of the end of the Cold War when President Reagan
and Secretary Gorbachev met there in October 1986. I briefly popped into the
National Gallery too, but was surprised to find only one room with art in it.
No wonder it was free entry!
The city centre is small but quaint, and the streets are
relatively tidy and clean. In fact, during the months of June and July, the
teenagers are invited to spend time cleaning litter and planting trees,
something that obviously fosters a sense of community spirit and social
responsibility. I cannot imagine that happening in the UK! There are plenty of
places to eat, especially if you like seafood (I don’t), and I even tried some
whale meat (strictly speaking that’s a mammal, so I don’t think of it as seafood).
It is somewhat ironic that the harbour hosts both ships for hunting whales
(which I’m against) and for taking tourists out to spot them. There are a few
other churches, although none as photogenic as Hallgrimskirkja. The Catholic
Cathedral stood out, and was reasonable impressive lit up at dusk.
While walking back from The Pearl, I was fortunate enough to
catch sight of a beautiful rainbow forming over the city.
Anyway, enjoy the photos.
Hallgrimskirkja Church with statue of Leifr Ericson in front of it looking towards America.
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Inside Hallgrimskirkja.
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Solfar, a sculpture of a Viking ship.
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Sunrise over the city pond.
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Catholic Cathedral at dusk.
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Perlan (The Pearl).
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Viking mannequin inside Perlan.
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View from Perlan, with Mount Elsa in the distance.
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Stjornarradid, a government building.
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Reykjavik harbour. I used a 10 stop ND grad filter and shot this from inside the Concert Hall Building.
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Hofdi House.
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The Concert/Conference Hall.
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City Hall with avian life all around it. The swirls in the water are caused by swans moving into the shot during the long exposure.
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City Pond.
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Rainbow over Reykjavik.
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