Postcards From A Drive Around Iceland by Alpha Whiskey...

So I recently had some time to kill and I thought it might be rather fun to drive around Iceland in the autumn. I had been to this charming little island twice before but this time I was on my own, driving around its ring road in an SUV that was also my home for the duration of my trip.

My main aim was to see as much as possible in the limited time I had, which often meant I wasn't always fortunate enough to have the best light or indeed the best weather. Nevertheless, in less than 8 days I crammed in over two dozen waterfalls, glaciers, geysers, canyons, a volcano crater, humpback whales and the aurora borealis, the last of which was a stunning display that was worth the trip alone.

Iceland is, of course, a beautiful land unlike anywhere else, with contrasting landscapes, volatile weather and spectacular natural features. Much of the country was appropriately dressed for the season in autumnal hues, decorating the countless waterfalls, streams and mountains in a kaleidoscope of colour. It is certainly true that one cannot help but regularly stop at the sight of something unexpected and beautiful. I ended up seeing far more than my itinerary intended for me.

I may elaborate in a later post how I planned and executed my trip but for now I simply wanted to share a brief snapshot of some of the things I saw. And despite all that I did see it is still probably just the tip of the iceberg (so to speak).

I realise Iceland has been photographed to death and I may not have anything original to offer but this was a trip I wanted to do for myself and most of the images I captured please me. In the coming days and weeks I may expand on individual landmarks/locations. Rather bizarrely, the inclement weather towards the end of my trip became particularly severe whenever I visited a place I had been to before, and miraculously cleared up at places I was seeing for the first time. Spooky.

I must thank my good friend Brubaker for all his invaluable help kitting me out for vehicular camping and navigation. Without his help I would literally be lost, cold and powerless. He was due to join me on this adventure but his draconian employers would not free him from work.

I must also thank my good friend and fellow photographer Parrish who very generously lent me a set of ND and graduated filters, enabling me to capture some long exposures, particularly at the glacier lagoon.

Well, nearly 3000km and a supertanker of diesel later I had made it back to where I had started my journey at Kirkjufell in Snaefellsness, the most photographed mountain in Iceland. A small sense of accomplishment quietly crept under a stronger longing to finally get back home, light up a fat one and swig down a cold one. Job done.

Most of these shots were made with the E-M5 and Olympuses 12-40mm F/2.8 and 40-150mm F/2.8. I used the DSLR primarily for the auroras as the larger sensor was more capable at capturing them.

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Comments

Jose GonzalezOct 27, 2016 11:06 AM

One word: beautiful

ParrishOct 27, 2016 02:20 PM

Wow mate....... stunning collection of images, I'm so glad the trip was a success. Weather dependant yet still a collection to savour. Looks like you got extremely lucky with the weather and you took full advantage of this. I'm going to have to join you on one of these trips.....just to spoil your luck , seriously I'm chuffed for you mate.. brilliant set and a memory to treasure.

Alpha Whiskey PhotographyOct 27, 2016 03:46 PM

Thanks Parrish! Yep, we ought to do a grand trip one day. It would be awesome! :)