Blog
A blog about photography and travel.
South Iceland
Short weekend trip to South Iceland
My brother and I had a spare weekend, so of course we wanted to go and take some photos. Unfortunately the weather forecast was not great, but we decided to take a chance on the south coast. We stopped at the usual places on our way east to Fosshótel Núpar, where we stayed for the night, and then drove back to Reykjavík. For myself, I had only one destination on the agenda: the two waterfalls in Djúpá. These are fairly close to the ring road (but not visible from there), although it’s not obvious how to get to them. Hint: park before the old bridge over Djúpá (63°56'55.7"N 17°39'17.2"W) and walk northeast from there.
Kvernárfoss
Kvernárfoss is just east of Skógarfoss, hidden in a short canyon. Very easy to get to and much less visited than its more famous neighbor.
GFX50R + GF80 @ 63°31'43.3"N 19°28'49.1"W
Dyrhólaey
Home to one of the best view-to-effort ratios. Drive to the top and admire the endless coastline to the west , Reynisfjara, Reynisfjall and Reynisdrangar to the east, and Mýrdalsjökull glacier to the north. Straight south, on the other side of the world with no land in between, is the Antarctic. There’s a picturesque lighthouse, and of course Tóin, the gigantic stone arch.
GFX50R + GF80 @ 63°24'10.9" N 19°7'47.5" W
Reynisdrangar
At the east edge of Reynisfjara (Black Sand Beach for the tourists) there are three ancient volcanic crater plugs being continuously battered by the seas. The middle one is variously called Háidrangur (High rock) or Skessudrangur (Troll rock, of the female type).
GFX50R + GF100-200 @ 63°24'9" N 19°2'25.2" W
Arnardrangur
Just south of Hjörleifshöfði there are a couple of big rocks sitting calmly in the sand. Their origin is uncertain but perhaps the massive glacier floods from when Katla erupts have carried them down the sand? The larger one is called Arnardrangur (Eagle’s rock).
GFX50R + GF100-200 @ 63°24'45.7" N 18°44'50.8" W
Gufufoss in Djúpá
The name of this waterfall (gufa = steam) refers to the large amounts of spray and mist it throws up. It’s quite magnificent in good water, such as we had,
GFX50R + GF32-64 @ 63°57'29.6" N 17°38'26.3" W
Bassi in Djúpá
Just below Gufufoss there is a second waterfall with the unusual name of Bassi (bass?, like in a deep voice). It’s difficult to photograph, but the setting is spectacular with beautiful basalt columns flanking the west side.
GFX50R + GF80 @ 63°57'12.7" N 17°38'11.7" W
Ireland
A roadtrip with an optimistic plan
To finish off my vacation, and due to a temporary frost in the relationship with my employer, I decided, on short notice, to take a trip to Ireland. I’ve been to Northern Ireland a few times, for work, but never really been to Ireland proper.
I booked a flight and a car, and accommodation one day at a time. The rough idea was to drive around Ireland and photograph the lighthouses on the coast. This turned out to be wildly optimistic, both because of the size of the island and the fact that the lighthouses are not generally accessible. I thought I could walk right up to them like in Iceland, but it turns out that they are mostly closed off to the public and therefore quite tricky or impossible to photograph. I managed a few lighthouses though, and made it around half the coast, from Dublin to the southwest tip, and then to the Cliffs of Moher.
On first visit I find Ireland to be not so spectacular to photograph, but a very comfortable place to be in. Perhaps a bit insular, like Iceland.
All the photographs are taken with a Fujifilm XE4 camera, using various lenses.
My favorite place on the trip was the area around Mizen Head. A remote place with winding, narrow roads, impressive cliffs, and beautiful seascapes. Mizen Head itself was a well organized place for tourists to visit, highly recommended.
The religious heritage is visible everywhere.
I found the Cliffs of Moher underwhelming, but nearby there’s a geographical formation/area called The Burren, which is very interesting.
Some street photography was also had, and odds and ends.
Iceland roundtrip
A quick camping roundtrip around Iceland
Like last year I undertook a roundtrip of Iceland (maybe this will be a yearly thing?). Doing a roundtrip (“fara hringinn”) means driving road #1 which goes all the way around the island, mostly, but not completely, following the coast. The ring road is officially 1321 km but with all manner of detours, I estimate that I drove 2000 km in five days, of which 700 km from Borgarfjörður Eystri to Reykjavík were done in one go (almost, one nap had to be taken halfway).
I camped as there was absolutely no hotel accommodation available. But to be honest, camping and photography in Iceland do not go well together as camping requires good weather, while photography works best when there is at least some drama in the weather. So I was only moderately happy with the results.
My favorite photos from the trip were of the fog leaving the small island of Skrúður, off Vattarnes.
Iceland hinterlands
A camping trip to Eldgjá, Langisjór and Lakagígar
Towards the end of summer I went on a 3-night camping trip to Eldgjá and Lakagígar, an area which I’ve not been to before. Due to river crossings you need a 4x4 to get there, so it’s relatively quite in terms of tourists.
Day 1 - Eldgjá
We camped in Hólaskjól, drove to Eldgjá and hiked around the area for the rest of the day, going all the way to Gjátindur. Eldgjá is an amazing place and is part of a crater line formed in the largest lava eruption in recent global history (939AD). The star of the show is Ófærufoss, a magnificent waterfall. It used to have a stone arch over the lowest falls, but it collapsed in 1993.
Day 2 - Langisjór
Langisjór (Long sea) is a 20km long lake that sits between two volcanic ridges. This is an area of outstanding desolate beauty, with black volcanic rocks and green moss-covered mountains. Perfect for hiking.
Day 3 - Lakagígar
Although Lakagígar are close to Eldgjá you need to drive down to the ring-road to cross the Skaftá river. So we moved camp to Blágil. The Lakagígar volcanic ridge were formed in a massive eruption 1783-1784, an eruption that devastated Iceland and cause world-wide crop failures and famines. The tallest crater, Laki, is in the middle of ridge. The easy hike up affords a magnificent view of the entire area.
Portugal
Summer vacation in Portugal
For summer vacation this year the destination was Portugal: one week on the coast and one week in Lisbon. I’ve only been to Portugal once before, almost 20 years ago. I liked it then and I like it still. It strikes the right balance of being clean, safe, livable and interesting for visitors. There are no massive hoards of tourists, the food is simple but good, with lots of seafood, and the local wines are excellent. I’m not an expert on Portuguese culture after two weeks, but everybody was friendly and helpful enough, and very much matter-of-fact, which is something I appreciate.
I brought my Fujifilm XE4, along with the XF16mmf1.4, XF23mmf1.4, XF16-55 and XF50-140. The XF16-55 is a great walkaround lens, if a tad large for the XE4. I recently tried the XF16-80, and I previously owned the XF18-55, and I can now honestly say that the XF16-55 is by far my favorite one.
On the coast
The first week we stayed near Sao Martinho do Porto, a small sea-side town with a nice beach. A bit further north is Nazaré, with an even nicer beach, and famed for its massive waves. I can recommend both towns. They are resort towns but almost all the visitors are locals.
Inland there was a big heatwave with forest fires and everything, but on the coast it was a nice 20-25 °C. Lucky for us.
There are other interesting places close by, such as Batalha, Peniche, and Óbidos, which are all worth a visit. Further north is Figueira da Foz, a bustling city of industry and tourism. In between there is the rugged Atlantic coast, which must be magnificent in a good winter storm.
Lisbon
After our time on the coast we went to Lisbon, where we stayed another week. The heatwave was over by then, although we did have a couple of very warm days in the city.
Lisbon is a bit more touristy, but still in a good, old-fashioned way, with cobbled streets and old trams and tuk-tuks transporting the tourists around. It’s all built on hills, and we stayed in Bairro Alto (Upper District) at the very top, on the third floor of an old building, so there was a lot of ascending and descending!
It’s not an expensive city, with good public transport, and very walkable. There’s loads of things for the visitor to experience, and also possible to take the train to Cascais and Sintra for a day trip. Definitely worth a visit.
Netherlands and Germany
Last work trip before summer vacation
In early June, I travelled to the Netherlands for one final work trip before the summer vacation. I was there for two weeks and for the weekend I decided to go to the Ruhr area, which I’d not visited before.
The Ruhr’s claim to history was being the center of coal mining and steel production in Europe. That’s mostly gone now, but the Ruhr has evolved into the most densely populated area in Europe. A bit of a monstrous urban conglomeration that’s not that interesting to visit. Something to do with the area being built around coal mines and factories instead of city centers, and, of course, having been destroyed in the war.
The Westfjords
A trip to the Westjords in late spring
I have been wanting to go to the Westfjords of Iceland for a while. It’s a bit far to go so you need a long weekend at least, and the weather has to co-operate to some degree. Late May, the stars lined up: a 4-day weekend and a reasonable weather forecast meant that it was time to go.
I spent two days in the southern part and 2 days in the area around Ísafjörður. In the end, the weather was actually too good for photography, but at least I could enjoy a nice beer sitting outside in the sun at Ísafjörður.
The Westfjords are full of dramatic landscapes, with deep fjords and high mountains. It’s off the ring road, so there are relatively few tourists around.
My favorite places are Rauðisandur, Látrabjarg, Ketildalir, Dynjandi and the area around Ísafjörður, some of which I managed to visit during the trip.
Århus and Netherlands
Back in the saddle
Finally It looks like we are back to a normal work environment after Covid. Having face-to-face meetings with people again is so much more productive and fun. You get things done in a day that can take weeks over e-mails and conference calls. I also work with an excellent bunch of people that are committed to their work and have a good sense of humor, in a way that only engineers have.
For a photographer, a change of scenery and new places to visit really gets the shutter-pressing juices flowing. Being around people that I don’t meet every day also gives me the opportunity to sneak in some portraits, which I enjoy a lot.
For the trip I brought my Fujifilm XE4 and set of prime lenses (XF16F1.4, XF23F1.4, XF35F2.0, XF50F2.0 and XF80F2.8). Let’s just say that I changed lenses a few times!
First stop was Århus for some project meetings. I like Århus and half-lived there for 2-3 years to support the acquisition of a company. It’s not a large city and but it has everything and is very easy to be in, which is kind of Denmark in a nutshell.
The week after I had meetings in the Netherlands so instead of going back to Iceland. I flew over there on a Friday and stayed in Groningen for the weekend. I’ve never been to Groningen before as it’s way up in Friesland, but I can confirm that it lives up to its reputation as a lively city full of young people. I also drove up to the Friesland coast, which is an interesting place with wide open skies and mud flats that extend into the distance.
I then spent a couple of nights in Enschede before going to familiar Nijmegen, which is near to our main office in the Netherlands.
Australia
A relief from the Icelandic winter down under
Mid-February I had the opportunity to go on a business trip to Australia. For the first three weeks I stayed in Brisbane, where my company has offices, then went on customer visits in Queensland, Sidney and Warrnambool before finally ending up in Sydney for a long, relaxing weekend.
Shortening the Icelandic winter by 5 weeks is a godsend, especially this terrible winter. It wasn’t all sunshine though, as for 3 days there was a biblical downpour in Queensland that caused massive floods, loss of property and deaths. Never seen anything like it in my whole life.
For the trip I took the Fujifilm XE4 along with the 10-24 f4, 16f1.4, 35 f2, 50 f2 and 80 f2.8 lenses. It would have been much easier to have a couple of zoom lenses, but always good to try something different. My favorite was the 50f2, which I haven’t used that much so far. It’s a compact lens that fits the XE4 body well and is extremely sharp.
Amsterdam
I stayed in Amsterdam overnight on the way out. As the pictures show It was a supremely dreary day, but still good for a walk.
Tamborine Mountain
My colleague, expat and gourmet cook Þórir Sandholt lives on Tambourine Mountain, about an hour’s drive south of Brisbane. On our first weekend in Brisbane we were invited for dinner and stayed over for the night. Walked some trails and had an excellent dinner.
Along the trail to Witches Falls there are some examples of the Moreton Bay fig tree (fourth photo below), a fascinating type of tree that germinates in a host and then strangles it.
Noosa Heads
The resort town of Noosa Heads is a couple of hours north of Brisbane. It’s got a nice beach, a national park that is good for a days hike and a small lively town center. For a couple of Europeans escaping the winter back home, it was very nice indeed to stay there for the weekend. As a bonus, there was a surfing competition so we we could witness some first class surfing.
Gold Coast and Cape Byron
Next weekend I drove down to the Gold Coast and Byron Bay. There’s a long stretch of beaches from Surfer’s Paradise south to Tweed Heads with plenty of people enjoying the sun and the sea. I loved the lifeguard stations on the coast, of which there are about 30 . They would make a great subject for a photobook, I think.
Further south is Cape Byron, the westernmost point of Australia. It’s an interesting spot for photography and my favorite photo of the trip is of the fisherman with the seabird watching over him. The nearby town of Byron Bay is very lively, down to earth and a lot of fun.
The Great Ocean Road
After a customer visit to Warrnambool I drove back to Melbourne via the Great Ocean Road, staying overnight at Port Campbell. The area’s most iconic feature are the 12 Apostles, a set of sea stacks just off the coast. A lot to take in over a day and half.
Sydney
I ended the trip by staying 3 nights in Sydney, my first time there. I haven’t really made up my mind on what I think about the city. It’s got famous landmarks like the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge. The city is in a spectacular setting around a harbor area and it’s got a lively restaurant and bar scene at Circular Quay, The Rocks and Darling Harbor. Very attractive, but perhaps a bit dull compared to other large cities. Definitely need to investigate further at some point.
Seattle and Bellevue
Back in the US of A for a bit - and a new lens
Mid November I travelled to Seattle for a week of work at our company’s office. I flew in two days early to spend the weekend in Seattle, and to take the edge off the jetlag, before going to Bellevue where the office is located. At the end of the trip, after my flight was delayed by 24 hours, I spent one more night in Seattle.
Not much going on in Bellevue in terms of photography but I did manage to spend a couple of days walking around Seattle taking photos. There was a definite change in the atmosphere from the last time I was there with lots of homeless people about, stores and restaurants closed and even Macy’s is closed. Especially the area around Pioneer Square has really gone to the dogs. On the positive side the double decker highway on the waterfront has been pulled down and the area is being re-developed.
The morning after I arrived I picked up the GF80mm F1.7 lens for my GFX50R at Glazer’s Camera, a wonderful camera store close to the city center. The GF80mm is a magnificent lens, one that I’m really looking forward to use in the future. It’s incredibly sharp and has very pleasing, soft bokeh when wide open.
The photos are taken with the GFX50R using the 50mm and 80mm lenses, and with the XE4 using the 16-55mm lens.
Weekend in Switzerland
A weekend of photography with my brother
Went for a short trip with my brother to Switzerland. Simple plan: fly to Zürich, drive to Davos and stay for three nights, drive back to Zürich and stay one night and then fly back home.
I’ve not been to Switzerland properly before. It is of course pretty as a postcard and as an Icelander I can really admire the high mountains, deep valleys and dramatic mountain passes. The weather co-operated and the fall colors were great. So overall a few nice and quiet days during off-season, nothing much going on.
Working in the Netherlands
A couple of weeks in familiar settings
In the middle of September I went to the Netherlands for a couple of weeks to work on some projects. This was my first normal business trip since before Covid hit so it was really nice to meet the people again, work face to face, have a conversations over drinks and dinner and just get out of the country for a while.
The place where I work is in Brabant, close to the German border. As usual I stayed in Nijmegen, a lively city with a large student population. Nijmegen is situated on the river Waal (Rhine) and is supposed to be the oldest city in the Netherlands.
For the trip I took my XE4 and a selection of primes (16mmf1.4, 23mmf1.4, 35mmf2.0, 50mmf2.0 and 80mmf2.8). Not the lightest camera bag, and many lens changes, but good to try something different.
Scheveningen
Scheveningen is a seaside town close to the Hague. On a warm summer day the beach is probably packed with sun lovers but on this September evening there were only a few people there, doing their best to enjoy the last rays of summer. I drove there directly from the airport and managed to catch a couple of hours of photography as the sun was going down.
Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery
The Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery is located near Nijmegen on top of a hill overlooking Germany. The cemetery contains the graves of 2619 soldiers, most of them in their twenties. It is a beautifully solemn place, and, like other war memorials in the Netherlands, impeccably maintained by young Dutch volunteers. I was there all by myself on a foggy Saturday morning and was touched by the experience.
Street photography
The Dutch are a good subject for street photography, being affluent, colorfully dressed and very much determined to have a good time. The Dutch cities are great for walking around with a camera, having a good combination of old and new architecture, canals, bikers, walkers, tons of restaurants and no cars.
Rotterdam and Hook of Holland
Rotterdam is a modern city with wide open spaces, very much not the typical Dutch city. You could say the same of Eindhoven, but unlike it I’ve always enjoyed Rotterdam’s lively vibe and modern architecture. On the other side of the Maas is the massive Europoort industrial and shipping complex, which stretches from the city of Rotterdam to the Hook of Holland.
Hook of Holland is an interesting place. There’s a beach with restaurants and holiday homes and on the nearby Maas you can watch an endless stream of cargo ships coming and going.
Odds and ends
I did take an awful lot of pictures during the trip :-)
Hiking in Strandir
2 days in one of my favorite places in Iceland
Last weekend I went for a short trip to Strandir, a remote area in the north-east facing part of the Westfjords. The primary mission was to hike around Hvalsá in Ófeigsfjörður. This uninhabited area was more or less off the radar until plans were made to build a hydropower plant using the waters of the rivers Rjúkandi, Hvalsá and Eyvindafjarðará, causing much controversy.
Strandir is one of my favorite places in Iceland being isolated but still accessible and with quite dramatic scenery. There’s only a handful of farms, a little business around tourism and a short fishing season in the summer. Hiking in the mountains is popular and so is the swimming pool at Krossnes.
The long (18 km) hike around Hvalsá was interesting but not more than that. On our way back to Reykjavík we walked up Reykjaneshyrna from where the views are spectacular, highly recommended.
As this was primarily a hiking trip there was not a lot of proper photography, but I did manage some nice snaps. Definitely need to go again with more time on my hands.
The mountain Kaldbakur.
The lighthouse at Gjögur. Although functional, the foundations were in such a bad state that it’s amazing it still stands.
View to Drangaskörð over Ófeigsfjörður.
This little guy wanted to join us on our hike but we managed to tell him to go home. He was not happy with that.
The waterfall Drynjandi in river Hvalsá. This is quite a spectacular waterfall, would love to see it early summer when there is more water.
On our way back from Drynjandi the fog rolled in. This is the last bit of the track to Hvalsá, where it ends. After that there are no more roads.
In Ófeigsfjörður.
The old herring plant in Ingólfsfjörður, which has not been operated since 1952 The road runs through the plant.
My favorite image from the trip. The makeshift jetty uses an old tank from the herring plant. The Arctic tern overhead is on its way to attack me.
The mountain Reykjaneshyrna. The hike up only takes half an hour, from where you are rewarded with magnificent 360° views as shown in the gallery below.
France
Summer vacation in France
Every time I go to France I like it more. I went there for a summer vacation almost 30 years ago and had an “interesting” time, to say the least. I found the French rude and unfriendly, the food disappointing, and driving there was simply dangerous. I started going again 15 years ago, and have since been there multiple times on long vacations and now find it my favorite destination.
This second Covid summer we rented a large house in Marcoussis,a suburb just south of Paris. Things were finally opening up a bit, but there were still almost no tourists. A very good time to be in France, with just the locals and us.
Trip to Akureyri
Summer vacation in the north
In the middle of July I travelled to Akureyri where I rented a holiday cottage. This has been a yearly trip for some time now where various family members come and go and we spend a week relaxing and exploring the area.
Akureyri is the biggest town in Iceland outside the capital area. It’s situated at the bottom of Eyjafjörður which also hosts a number of other villages that, together with Akureyri, create a vibrant cultural and economic community in the northern part of Iceland. It’s a perfect location for day trips to many of Iceland’s finest tourist attractions such as Mývatn, Námaskarð, Dettifoss, Ásbyrgi, Goðafoss, Húsavík and Siglufjörður. And for the more adventurous travelers there are mountains and remote areas to explore on foot or by car.
My first excursion was to Hvalvatnsfjörður. This is a now uninhabited valley which can be reached by track F839, for which you need a proper 4x4 that can cross rivers and handle the really bad track.
It was a nice day for photography with good light and clouds, but very windy. For next time I think a hike west to Þorgeirsfjörður would be interesting. It’ about 4km each way and there’s a bridge over the river, so it’s quite easy.
Next I took a short trip to the bottom of the valley south of Akureyri (Eyjafjarðardalur), which is an area I’ve never been to before. There’s a lot of farms but when you get off the beaten track there are deep valleys with high mountains and glimpses of glaciers and areas to explore on foot. In particular I think Djúpidalur looked like an interesting place to have a closer look at.
It was an overcast day but with nice clouds and the sun broke through once in a while.
On Sunday I took my parents to Flateyjardalur, which is the next valley east of Hvalvatnsfjörður, also uninhabited now. You get there by track F899 for which you need a 4x4 vehicle, particularly for the many river crossings. I managed to cut a tire when crossing a difficult river so me and my father had an interesting time figuring out how to get the spare tire from underneath a Toyota Land Cruiser. Nice job on the user manual Toyota, we managed it!
The track takes you to the sea and then you can drive across the shore line and up on Víkurhöfði, from where there are spectacular views of the area. To the north there is the island of Flatey, the last inhabited place in the area, after which the valley is named.
It was a sunny, mostly cloudless day so conditions for photography were not great. On the plus side I a saw a rock slide for the first time in my life and managed to take a photo of it.
Akureyri itself is worth exploring for a day. My favorites are the old town, the botanical gardens, the town center and the industrial area in Oddeyri. The botanical gardens are the finest in Iceland and, if you like using your macro lens to photograph flowers (as I do), you can easily spend a few hours there. And when you need sustenance there’s a nice bistro as well.
The Final trip was to Hrísey, a small island in the middle of Eyjafjörður. It was the warmest day I can remember in Iceland (27C°!) and clear blue skies, so not so nice for photography. I walked from the harbor all the way to the northern tip of the island from where there are views to the open sea.
If you want to enjoy nature in solitude Hrísey is highly recommended. You can walk to the northern tip as I did, but there is also a spot much closer to the harbor (65°59'36.0"N 18°21'20.0"W) where you can enjoy the view to Látraströnd and feel completely alone in the world. Truly a magical place.
Note: If you do go to the northern tip you need to call the landowners and ask for permission. There’s a telephone number on a sign by the road. The lady that answered was very friendly and just wants to get notified that there are people on the land.
Volcano inspection
Not expecting to see a volcano this close ever again
I finally went last weekend to have a look at the volcanic eruption in Geldingadalir, accompanied by my brother and fellow photographer Stefán. We picked a good time: weather was nice, not a lot of people about in the early morning and a new crater had opened up during the night, which meant that it was still possible to get close to it.
It was a fantastic experience, full stop. There are so many things unique to the eruption that it’s definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity to witness anything like it.
The Geldingadalir eruption is very unusual in that it is an effusive eruption. It is thought to be the first stages of a shield volcano ("dyngja”) which would make it the first such eruption in Iceland for over 3000 years, and Icelandic geophysicists are just drooling over such an unexpected event. Effusive eruptions are not explosive with lava flowing relatively gently out of craters along a fissure. They can last for years or tens of years and in the early stages it’s easy to get close to the craters. The main thing to worry about are gases and new craters opening up.
The wind was blowing from the east, so to stay upwind of the gas we had to go on the east side. That meant we did not have a great view of the more mature craters but we did get close to a new one. And by close I mean 20-30 meters!
Visiting is quite organized now. A parking lot has been set up and from there it’s a relatively easy hour’s hike each way along a marked trail. It can get extremely crowded and it will be interesting to see what happens when Covid is over and the tourists arrive. The place is deceptively dangerous and some people really do stupid things. Have a look at the photo of the guy in red and blue walking on the lava - about 2 meters behind him you can see a spot of glowing lava.
Iceland late winter roundtrip
Visiting the coastal towns of Iceland
I had the opportunity to take a couple of weeks off from work and I decided to do a photo trip around Iceland. I have a project in mind which involves visiting all the coastal towns in Iceland so this trip contributed to that, but apart from that I had nothing specific planned. The route I took is about 2000km, a lot of ground to cover in 6 days.
Due to Covid there are no tourists. On the positive side you have the place to yourself and it’s easy to get accommodation without booking ahead but the downside is that almost all the wonderful restaurants dotted throughout the country are closed. So this trip was only about photography!
Winter season can be both rewarding and unpredictable for photographers. You get snowy mountains, beautiful clouds, clean air, rugged coastlines battered by rough seas and stormy weather. But you also get rain, blizzards and no visibility. A four-wheel drive car is essential and so is monitoring the weather forecast and road conditions. Be prepared to change your plans as you may not be able to get to where you want to.
On the trip I used the GFX50R paired with the GF32-64 and GF100-200 lenses, along with the XT2 + XF10-24 lens. The GFX50R and GF32-64 combo is incredible for landscape photography. Image quality is just stunning and I particularly like how it deals with clouds.
Day 1 - From Reykjavík to Siglufjörður
I drove off on Sunday morning with the plan to visit all the coastal towns on the way to Siglufjörður. They are: Hvammstangi, Blönduós, Skagaströnd, Sauðárkrókur, Hofsós and Siglufjörður. The weather was extremely windy but fine for photography with moody skies and patches of sun.
The drive from Reykjavík is not very exciting in terms of scenery until you get to the east of Skagafjörður. Siglufjörður, however, is one of my favorite towns in Iceland. It was the center of the herring industry for decades but fell into decline when the herring disappeared. My father and grandfather used to work there back in the day, my father as the captain of a herring boat and my grandfather as a fisherman and, in later years, spotting herring shoals from an airplane. Siglufjörður has recently experienced a revival from tourism and is now (except for Covid) a lively town in a dramatic setting.
I stayed at Siglunes Guesthouse which provides good accommodation at a reasonable price, and has a fantastic Moroccan-style restaurant - go figure.
Day 2 - From Siglufjörður to Húsavík
The coastal towns from Siglufjörður to Húsavík are: Ólafsfjörður, Dalvík, Árskógsströnd, Hauganes, Hjalteyri, Akureyri, Svalbarðsströnd, Grenivík and Húsavík. So a busy day and a lot of photos. Got to Húsavík around 5pm and a had a good walk around town. Rented an apartment for the night and spent the evening editing photos.
Similar weather as on Sunday but a bit less windy and better visibility.
Day 3 - From Húsavík to Þórshöfn
The coastal villages from Húsavík to Þorshöfn are: Kópasker, Raufarhöfn and Þórshöfn.
The extreme northeast part of Iceland is not often visited, being remote and not really interesting except perhaps for Langanes. I have been to Langanes a long time ago but otherwise the area is new to me. Inland close by are of course Ásbyrgi and Jökulsá á Fjöllum, both dramatic and unique locations normally teeming with tourists.
East of Þórshöfn is Heiðarfjall mountain, the former site of a cold-war radar station and military camp. There’s a road up there which is not too difficult for a good car and from the top you have a great view north to Fontur and south over Eiðisvík.
Weather was much less windy but still with good visibility and nice clouds. Stayed at a nice guesthouse in Þórshöfn called Lyngholt.
Day 4 - From Þorshöfn to Seyðisfjörður
The oastal villages from Þorshöfn to Seyðisfjörður are: Bakkafjörður, Vopnafjörður, Borgarfjörður eystri and Seyðisfjörður. I did not manage to get to Borgarfjörður eystri due to lack of time.
The East fjords are well worth a visit, featuring deep fjords and high mountains. In recent times Egilsstaðir and the area east from there have been transformed by improved roads, tourism and industry into vibrant communities in a beautiful setting. The huge aluminium smelter in Reyðarfjörður is not a pretty sight but it does bring immense economic benefits to the region.
Seyðifsjörður is one of the most interesting towns in Iceland. It’s long history and beautiful location make it well worth a visit. It is situated at the bottom of a fjord under high mountains, reachable only by a mountain pass. This winter, after heavy rains, mud slides destroyed a number of houses but miraculously nobody was harmed.
The day started off overcast with snow showers but around Vopnafjörður it cleared up and by the time I arrived in Seyðisfjörður it was calm and sunny. I stayed at Hotel Alda, which is operated out of three old, stately houses - very nice.
Day 5 - From Seyðisfjörður to Djúpivogur
The coastal villages from Seyðisfjörður to Djúpivogur are: Reyðarfjörður, Eskifjörður, Neskaupsstaður, Fáskrúðsfjörður, Stöðvarfjörður, Breiðdalsvík and Djúpivogur.
The day started off sunny and calm but shortly after lunch a snow storm came in. It then cleared up a little bit in the afternoon. So for photography this meant: beautiful morning, no visibility for a couple of hours, followed by stormy and moody weather with good visibility.
Djúpivogur is a town I’ve been to frequently for work. As usual I stayed at Hótel Framtíð, where I think I was the only guest.
Day 6 - From Djúpivogur to Reykjavík
I had planned to stop at Vík for one or two days where my parents were spending the weekend. However, the weather forecast for Friday and Saturday was terrible so they cancelled and I decided to finish the trip and drive all the way to Reykjavík.
The drive from Djúpivogur to Reykjavík is 550km. Quite a lot in normal circumstances but on this day it took me almost 10 hours. Road conditions around Höfn were particularly bad with zero visibility at times due to drift snow. Zero visibility means you have to stop the car on the road because you can’t see where you are going anymore.
Only one photo from this day. Taken at Skeiðarársandur when the weather had cleared up somewhat. Lómagnúpur, one of the most iconic mountains in Iceland, in the background.
Working in Germany
Germany in the depths of Covid
At the end of February I travelled on business with two colleagues to Germany through the Netherlands - my only business trip during Covid. Things have been relaxed in Iceland compared to other places so it was a bit of an experience to be in Europe where everything is closed. Quite a depressing atmosphere to be honest and a good reminder of how privileged we have been in our country.
We took a flight from Keflavík to Schiphol and from there we drove to Dinklage, a small town in the state of Lower Saxony. The town itself is not interesting but there is a nice woodland area and an old monastery on its outskirts which is well worth a visit. We also managed a day trip to nearby Bremen and a short stop in Amersfoort on the way back to Schiphol.
I brought along my trusty Fujifilm XT2 and the XF16-55 and XF23f1.4 lenses. If you need one lens for a Fuji X camera I can recommend the XF16-55. Good image quality, covers the most useful focal range and is built like a tank. I don’t agree that the XF18-55 kit lens is good enough, the XF16-55 is far superior in my opinion.
It was nice to get out of the country for a bit and I did get some good snaps here and there, my favorites being from a walk through the woods in the fog.
Around Reykjavík
Weekend trips around Reykjavík
The last weeks have been slow on the photography front due to short days, work and personal things. Being limited to weekend photography is a lottery since the weather can be anything. You can count yourself lucky with a few hours of good light over the entire weekend. So I’ve mostly been revisiting favorite places around Reykjavík that are not too far away and can be relied on for a few good photos.
Also tried out my new Mavic 2 Pro drone, which is a replacement of the one that was lost at sea a few months back. I was never happy with the IQ on the old one, but now it feels better to me. Maybe I’m imagining things since it’s apparently exactly the same model, but let’s see.
Álftavík (Swan bay) is a small bay on the river Sogið, which at that point is more like a lake. Near the shore I found the carcass of a swan that had recently been picked completely clean.
XT2 + XF80 @ 64°1'56" N 20°57'43.1" W.
The weather has been mostly still, cold and dry. There’s frost and ice but not a lot of snow, which is ideal for capturing details. I’m a big fan of the XF80 lens for this kind of work, it’s super sharp and easy to use. On the GFX front I’m still struggling with getting sharp photos with the GF100-200.
The straws on the next photo were standing next to a small waterfall and had built up an ice shield facing the water. The yellow glow on top is the sun on a nearby hill.
XT2 + XF80 @ 64°5'19.7" N 20°59'33.9" W
XT2 + XF80 @ 64°2'23.2" N 21°0'41.1" W
GFX50R + GF100-200 @ 63°55'42" N 21°59'39.9" W
Kleifarvatn is a favorite location of many photographers, being close to the city. It’s not necessarily that easy to photograph but somehow you always find something interesting there. Last weekend I was there before sunrise and although the light didn’t really happen I still managed to get a few half-decent shots.
The first one is my favorite. It was difficult to set up as the rock on the left is almost attached to the shore but the super wide XF10-24 did the trick.
XT2 + XF10-24 @ 63°56'31.4" N 21°58'49.9" W
Mavic 2 Pro @ 63°56'31.4" N 21°58'49.9" W
Mavic 2 Pro @ 63°56'31.4" N 21°58'49.9" W
Still working on photographing the mountains in the area. They’re all sitting there waiting for me to take a photo when the light is good!
Búrfell - Mavic 2 Pro @ 64°5'2.4" N 21°0'30.1" W
Eldborg - GFX50R + GF32-64 @ 64°1'42.2" N 21°21'27.1" W
Vífilsfell - GFX50R + GF100-200 @ 64°2'27.4" N 21°36'10" W
Reykjanes and Stratospheric clouds
A short trip to Reykjanes with an unexpected bonus
Went on a short trip to Reykjanes hoping for good light to photograph some mountains for my project. The light turned out to be pretty good but as a bonus I got an amazing surprise at sunrise when the sky lit up with polar stratospheric clouds. First time for me, I have never seen them before. The Icelandic name for them is more concise: “glitský”, meaning glittering clouds.
Then went to Hlíðarvatn, a favorite winter location, before moving on to Kleifarvatn where there’s always something new to explore.
The polar stratospheric clouds were spectacular. The two photos on the left are taken with a wide angle lens, the other two are close-ups. It’s challenging to get a good photo of the clouds since they are only seen towards the sun.
GFX50R + GF32-64 / GF100-200 @ 63°55'50" N 21°23'30" W
The mountain Geitafell (Goat fell) sits in the middle of a flat area south of Reykjavík. It is circular in shape and was formed by an eruption under the ice-age glacier. The clouds on the left are stratospheric clouds.
GFX50R + GF32-64 @ 63°56'10.0"N 21°30'36.4"W
This is Lambafellsháls (Lamb-fell-neck) in the soft light a few minutes before sunrise. It extends south from it’s big brother Lambafell, which has been mutilated by mining.
GFX50R + GF32-64 @ 63°59'52.0"N 21°29'28.3"W
A series of images from Hlíðarvatn. After a recent freeze there had been a short thaw and a strong northerly wind, followed by another freeze. This left the ice all broken and bunched up on the south side of he lake. It was bitterly cold and windy.
On the north side the new ice was smooth and reflected the stratospheric clouds.
Photos 1-6: GFX-50R + GF32-64 @ 63°52'01.1"N 21°44'35.9"W
Photo 7: XT2+XF80 @ 63°52'01.1"N 21°44'35.9"W
Photo 8: GFX50R + GF32-64 @ 63°52'21.5"N 21°44'02.7"W
The young volcanic landscape is rough and bare. Various patterns emerge from the combination of rocks and snow.
GFX50R + GF100-200
Mountain shapes at Kleifarvatn.
GFX50R + GF100-200 @ 63°56'48.1" N 21°57'47.7" W