If you’ve ever been to Iceland, you know that its name is misleading. Yes there’s some ice, but in summer it’s a landscaper’s dream. Jagged mountains, lush fields, waterfalls, geysers and hot springs, fjords, glaciers, icebergs, ocean – an incredible diversity of environments spread over a relatively small area. While the only native mammal to the island is the arctic fox, a few others have been introduced, and there’s a great variety of birdlife. I’ve just returned from leading a workshop there, and here are some of my favorite photos from the trip. If you’re interested in going there with me in the future (and I’m working on a winter visit as well), email me and I’ll let you know when the details are posted.
Horse people will tell you that what’s unique about Icelandic horses is their gait. For the rest of us, though, it’s their beautiful manes. These guys were horsing around when we stopped to visit them. Nikon D7200, Aperture Priority, white balance of Sunny, ISO 320, 1/2000 at f/4, EV -1.0, 70-200mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens at 112mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
If you like shooting waterfalls, Iceland’s your place. The trick is finding a way to shoot each in a different way. This one was easy, since we could walk behind it. And I used a 3-stop graduated neutral density filter on the left to even out the exposure. Nikon D750, Aperture Priority, white balance of Sunny, ISO 160, 1/200 at f/5.6, EV +0.7, Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 lens at 21mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
Geologically, Iceland’s still a baby, which means lots of dramatic rock formations to photograph. I used the natural line extending from lower left to upper right to lead the eye, and the darkness at lower right adds some drama. Nikon D750, Aperture Priority, white balance of Sunny, ISO 200, 1/60 at f/6.3, EV -2.0, Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 lens at 18mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
Sheep are the primary livestock on the island, but are surprisingly skittish. Try as we might, it was hard to get close to them. In this case that worked out just fine, as the barn with red door and green hillside make the picture. Nikon D7200, Aperture Priority, white balance of Sunny ISO 400, 1/400 at f/3.2, EV -0.7, 70-200mm Nikkor lens at 175mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
We had some overcast days, as well as rain, which created challenges. In this situation, though, the flat light helped the blue of the iceberg stand out. Nikon D7200, Aperture Priority, white balance of Sunny, ISO 160, 1/500 at f/4.5, EV +0.3, Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 lens at 195mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
That rain also made for some dramatic skies, which we were happy to take advantage of. This black sand beach near a glacial lagoon was littered with bits of ice, providing great foreground subjects for our wide-angle lenses. Nikon D750, Aperture Priority, white balance of Sunny, ISO 100, 1/125 at f/16, EV 0.0, Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 lens at 18mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
I’d been shooting something else, then turned around and saw these ducks starting to take off. Grabbing my wide-angle camera, I made two frames before they were gone. That’s one big reason I like using automatic exposure modes, so if I have to make a “grab” shot, I’ll have a decent chance of getting a picture. That’s also why I carry two cameras, keeping a wide-angle lens on one and a telephoto on the other. Nikon D750, Aperture Priority, white balance of Sunny, ISO 160, 1/1600 at f/5.6, EV 0.0, Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 lens at 35mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
Did I mention how pretty the Icelandic horses are? Add backlight and a dramatic background, and it’s a can’t miss picture. Nikon D7200, Aperture Priority, white balance of Sunny, ISO 200, 1/1600 at f/6.3, EV -1.3, Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 lens at 98mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
I was telling some jokes, and the horse really liked this one. What makes the picture really work, though, is that I was close with a wide-angle lens, making the head, and mouth, large in the frame. Sidelight helped too, by adding shadows to bring out detail and shape. Nikon D750, Aperture Priority, white balance of Sunny, ISO 160, 1/1250 at f/7.1, EV -0.3, Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 lens at 22mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
The farmers bale their hay in rolls, wrapped in plastic. White’s the normal color, but we also saw red and green, and obviously, pink too. Nikon D750, Aperture Priority, white balance of Sunny, ISO 160, 1/640 at f/11, EV -1.3, Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 lens at 27mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
We visited one spot along the coast where the water was only about a half-inch deep, resulting in great reflections. And once again, using a wide-angle lens close to a foreground subject created a nice picture. One reason I love using this camera (the D750) is because it has a flip-out LCD, so I could hold the camera just inches above the water and still see to frame. Nikon D750, Aperture Priority, white balance of Sunny, ISO 125, 1/400 at f/10, EV -0.3, 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 Nikkor lens at 21mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
With the shout of “reindeer!,” our driver hit the brakes, pulled over and we piled out. Not native to Iceland, they’ve been introduced and can sometimes be found. This one was nice enough to pose silhouetted against the water. Nikon D7200, Aperture Priority, white balance of Sunny, ISO 160, 1/2000 at f/5, EV -0.7, 70-200mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens at 82mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
I’m not a fan of shooting through van windows, but every now and then you get lucky and it works out. The patches of sunlight on the hillside and the farm are what make this photo work. Nikon D750, Aperture Priority, white balance of Sunny, ISO 400, 1/500 at f/4.5, EV 0.0, 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 Nikkor lens at 35mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
It was raining hard when we had our best opportunity to shoot puffins, but that didn’t stop us. Hey, it’s puffins! And they’re also the reason I brought along a 2X teleconverter, to get more reach out of my 70-200mm lens. Nikon D7200, Aperture Priority, white balance of Sunny, ISO 800, 1/800 at f/5.6, EV -0.7, Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 lens with Nikkor TC-20E III teleconverter for 400mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
I shot this at 10:30 at night, meaning it was still an hour before sunset. “Night” is only about four hours long at this time of year, and never truly gets dark. I was across the road from our hotel and had climbed a small crater to get the higher angle. Nikon D750, Aperture Priority, white balance of Sunny, ISO 100, 1/125 at f/5.6, EV -0.7, 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 Nikkor lens at 23mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
By the end of the trip, we’d visited so many waterfalls that I suggested the group look for details rather than overalls. I really liked this group of rocks, which were only occasionally visible through the mist. Nikon D750, Aperture Priority, white balance of Sunny, ISO 50, 1/20 at f/22, EV -0.3, 70-200mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens at 135mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
We had a few minutes to kill in a small town while our guide gassed up the van. This pattern of lines and color in the harbor was an easy shot. Nikon D7200, Aperture Priority, white balance of Sunny, ISO 200, 1/800 at f/5, EV -0.3, 70-200mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens at 150mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
One thing I like about leading photo trips is being able to make last-minute changes to the schedule. With great weather forecast and lots of whale sightings the day before, we decided to add a whale watching trip our final morning. And that resulted in close encounters with a lot of humpback whales. Nikon D7200, Aperture Priority, white balance of Sunny, ISO 500, 1/1600 at f/8, EV -0.3, 70-200mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens with Nikkor TC-20E III teleconverter for 400mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
Our last stop of the trip was Godafoss, a waterfall that played a role in the country’s conversion to Christianity at the turn of the first millennium. Making a different kind of waterfall photo was easy here, as a group of kayakers were launching themselves over the falls. Nikon D7200, Aperture Priority, white balance of Sunny, ISO 200, 1/1250 at f/5.6, EV 0.0, 70-200mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens at 70mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
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