Uploads from orvaratli, tagged arcticphoto, with geodata

Patterns of Red - Lava Field at Reykjanes, Iceland

nobody@flickr.com (orvaratli) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 13:16:55 -0700

orvaratli posted a photo:

Another lava fall color image from a really good season of fall color shooting in Iceland. Not often is the weather stable enough this time of year to be able to shoot fall colors on regular basis.

King Winter - Lake Kýlingavatn in Landmannalaugar, Iceland

nobody@flickr.com (orvaratli) — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 02:30:01 -0700

orvaratli posted a photo:

Landmannalaugar is known for its colorful landscape in summer. In winter this colorful landscape changes to snowy monotone scenery of hills, ridges and valleys. This image is taken during the transitional period between summer and winter.

Here in Iceland we call the winter "King Winter". If you live in the Arctic you will know why he is called this and specially in highland places like this king winter rules with an iron fist and only for a brief period during peak of summer is he kind to the habitants of his domain.

This photo was taken on a trip with flickr member Sarah. Check out her photos from a bit warmer region of the world.

If you would like to experience Iceland in Winter consider joining a winter photo tour.

Days of Darkness - Volcanic Wasteland near Landmannalaugar, Iceland

nobody@flickr.com (orvaratli) — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 17:11:11 -0700

orvaratli posted a photo:

This off the main road location in the Landmannalaugar area is the most lunar like places I have seen in Iceland. The heavy skies during midday fits the mood of the scene well by adding extra darkness to the already dark scene.

The hiking trail from Áfangagil to Landmannalaugar goes through here and hikers have erected this small pile of rocks to mark the way through the wasteland.

Circuit of Mt. Blanc - Chamonix France

nobody@flickr.com (orvaratli) — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 11:08:47 -0700

orvaratli posted a photo:

My trip to the famous lakes of Lac Blanc and Lac Cheserys was not very successful due to foggy condition. Decending to lower elevation I got out of the fog. This artificial lake near the Flégére caple car station was fog free and shortly after sunset the Mt. Blanc mountains cleared the clouds away. The weather was completely still, something that I am not used to here in Iceland but happens more often in the sheltered valleys of the Alps.

The towering granite peaks of Chamonix Aiguilles, the Dru and Aiguille Verte reflect in the still pond with the famous north face of the Grand Jorasses hidden in clouds behind. Furthest right is Mt. Blanc the highest peak in the Alps.

Ice Boulder Field - Jökulsárlón, Iceland

nobody@flickr.com (orvaratli) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 07:13:35 -0700

orvaratli posted a photo:

This must be my favorite place and time to photograph. Jökulsárlón in winter is a magical place when conditions are right. A maze of frozen colorful ice sculptures which changes each time you are there. Here the blue light after sunset enhanced the deep blue color of the icebergs.

The endless rain here in Iceland now has forced me to go digging in the archives. It is good to do this at least once a year because you generally look at your images differently months after they where shot since the positive experience of the trip and the photo shooting has faded away.

If you have not seen it yet I wrote a blog post about this frozen world earlier this year: Frozen World

Extented Sunrise - Reynisdrangar near Vík, Iceland

nobody@flickr.com (orvaratli) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:24:30 -0800

orvaratli posted a photo:

One more image from a great session at Reynisdrangar about a month ago. Endless foul weather and rain has kept me home and going through my archive. In a way it is good to go through the archive but I would rather be out there somewhere shooting.

If you would like to visit an ice cave consider join my Winter Photo Tour

Solar Storm - Reykjanesviti, Iceland

nobody@flickr.com (orvaratli) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:14:19 -0800

orvaratli posted a photo:

I know I am bit late with the solar storm the other day. It´s been 9 days since now but I have luckily been very busy photographing other things and not had much time to do much editing and posting.

This solar storm and the conditions to photograph it where perfect. Lots of snow on the ground, no wind, clear skies, no moon and lots of Aurora. Its is a once a year combo.

Burst of Sun - Reynsidrangar near Vík, Iceland

nobody@flickr.com (orvaratli) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:31:25 -0800

orvaratli posted a photo:

The best season to photograph these pinnacles is mid winter when the sun rises behind them. The best location to photograph them is on the coast line nearest to the pinnacles. It sounds like an easy recipe but getting to this location in winter is tricky to say the least. Only when the right time of year, the right timing of the tide, the right weather conditions the weeks before and the right weather on the day of shooting is it possible to shoot this. This happened last Saturday and I was able to get out there. Finally! I tried it multiple times in winter without success.

But care must be taken. It was only possible on low tide, we had a window of two hours to get there and out again. Usually the sandy access beach gets washed away in winter due to stormy weather but this time the right weather patterns returned some of it back.

Stress Fractures - Svínfellsjökull glacier, Skaftafell, Iceland

nobody@flickr.com (orvaratli) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:03:55 -0800

orvaratli posted a photo:

Going through my archives I found out that I have alot of unpublished winter and ice images from 2011, specially from the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon and Skaftafell area.

This one was taken early January 2011 on a very windy and cold day on the glacier lake of Svínafellsjökull glacier. The thick ice fractures when the force of the glacier behind me creates stresses in the ice when pushes the whole ice sheet of the lake over obstacles like an small iceberg.

Not wanting to spam my flickr stream with more of these images I made a blog post on my website with more images along with a short text.

You can find my blog post here: Frozen World

Beached Ice - Jökulsárlón, Iceland

nobody@flickr.com (orvaratli) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:38:22 -0800

orvaratli posted a photo:

Once again I am at the beach near Jökulsárlón. This place is an endless source of photographic possibilities.

Being there in mid winter means that you shoot the icebergs towards the rising and setting sun. This time however the sun did not create any spectacular colors but a stripe of light along the horizon.

The calm weather and the relatively calm sea meant that I could get near where the splashing waves catch the icebergs without to much risk to my gear or my self.

Dormant Giant - Öræfajökull reflected in Jökulsárlón, Iceland

nobody@flickr.com (orvaratli) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:40:52 -0800

orvaratli posted a photo:

Last weekend on a trip with Erez, Dima and Shy to Jökulsárlón and Skaftafell area we were greeted with a very calm and beautiful morning on our first day. The skies where clear and the dormant volcano Öræfajökull was lit up with pink alpenglow.

Mt. Öræfajökull rarely sees this kind of light as all too often there are clouds on the horizon that block these colorful early morning rays. Luck was with us and the colorful light brought contrast to the ridges and glacial features of the snowy mountain.

Öræfajökull is the highest mountain and volcano in Iceland. One of the most feared aswell as it has violently erupted twice in historical times. Prior to the first eruption the area around it was challed Hérað which means shire being green and lush. After the eruption the area was flooded and covered in ash and volcanic debris. For decades after the eruption the area was uninhabited and since been called Öræfi which means badlands. For me from a photographers point of view this area is a dreamland.

Eagles Nest - Vík, Iceland

nobody@flickr.com (orvaratli) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:20:31 -0800

orvaratli posted a photo:

Winter scene at Reynisfjara near Vík in south Iceland. Normally this scene is very dark with all the black lava sand and dark rock in the cliffs. This time of year it was all different with white dominant colors in the sky, in the snow on the mountains and in the waves of the sea.

Also in winter the rivers get much smaller. It helped here as normally there is a river between where I stood and the rock pinnacle. With cliffs just behind me this exact spot is hard to reach when the river is there.

The cliff is called Arnarklettur which means Eagles Pinnacle. I dont think there is an eagle living in it anymore but there might have been ages ago.

Snow Dagger - Aurora near Vík, Iceland

nobody@flickr.com (orvaratli) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 07:06:53 -0800

orvaratli posted a photo:

On our trip last weekend the northern lights gave us a visit briefly in the middle of the night. After staying for a long time on the top of Dyrhólaey waiting for the Aurora we gave up just to see them appear once we where down. But the area near Dyrholey has plenty to offer for Aurora photography. This interesting snow pattern on a frozen lake next to the road caught our attention.

Using Tony´s famous magic cloth technique I exposed the foreground for double the exposure time that the sky got to bring out the interesting details of the snow plus more intense light of the scattered reflection on the ice.

Green Stream - Aurora near Reykjavík Iceland

nobody@flickr.com (orvaratli) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:34:40 -0800

orvaratli posted a photo:

Finally things where perfect for Aurora photography. There is snow on the ground, small moon, no wind and fairly active display of Aurora.

Having snow on the ground makes such a difference in good Aurora photo. It gives the image much more character to have some snow.

This one is shot north east of Reykjavík near Mt. Esja. I have known about this location for a while and always wanted to photograph it along with Aurora. I knew that on this very cold evening (-15°C) the river would be frozen adding nice foreground element to the picture.

If you have not seen it yet I have put up a blog post about Aurora photography with focus on Iceland:
Aurora Photography in Iceland

If you would like to photograph the Aurora consider joining my Winter Photo Tour

Children of Trolls - Vatnsnes, Iceland

nobody@flickr.com (orvaratli) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 22:34:41 -0800

orvaratli posted a photo:

I went on a long waited weekend shoot this weekend. The endless rain has kept me home for weeks but this weekend I teamed up with Skarpi to the north west Iceland.

The days are getting short here now and we had good light throughout the day for shooting. My favorite season for photography is starting although the important snow is still missing.

This shot is from a rarely visited peninsula called Vatnsnes. A long narrow dirt road encircles the peninsula that is still very much original Iceland and looks the same as it did decades ago when I was there a kid on a farm during summer. It offers plenty of seascape possibilities. We spotted these rock formations in the sea from the road and we asked the farmer living close by if we could drive through his land to the coast. Not only was that no problem but he also told us the name of these small sea stacks. Tröllabörn in Icelandic means children of trolls. Old Icelandic folklore is full of stories of trolls that roam the night which turn into stone if they see the rays of the sun. These small sea-stacks must therefore have once been a row of troll children.

Now to the technical stuff. This was the first shot I have using my new 105mm Lee polarizer. Even though I was shooting with the sunset in my back the polarizer did help with the water surface and also with bringing out colors and contrast in the front lit clouds. Combined with two gradual neutral density filter the scene was completely transformed into this smooth colorful image.

End of Fall - Snæfellsjökull glacier, Iceland

nobody@flickr.com (orvaratli) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:26:56 -0800

orvaratli posted a photo:

Waiting here at home in the wind driven rain every day I wonder around my archives alot. I found this one a couple of days ago and kind of liked it. Maybe it is because frozen stillness of winter is what I am waiting for to happen there in Iceland. These frozen landscapes are my favorite and I can wait when this endless wind and rain ceases.

This image was taken on a short trip to the Snæfellsnes peninsula last December when conditions where more favorable than now.

Also I want to mention to all that plan a trip to Iceland this winter to be careful and respect the forces of nature. The tragic event last weekend when an young amateur photographer died of exposure on Sólheimajökull glacier is an reminder to us all that even though the lure of the glaciers and mountain is great in winter one must treat this environment with utter most respect. If you really want to go hire a professional mountain guide or join a organized tour to the mountains and glacier. Never go alone and be well prepared with the right equipment.

Travel safe.

Magnetic Disturbance, Aurora at Þingvellir, Iceland

nobody@flickr.com (orvaratli) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:56:38 -0800

orvaratli posted a photo:

Now after two rainy and stormy months I can wait until winter sets in with snow and some clear skies to start Aurora photography. Even though the Aurora can be photographed throughout the fall it lacks the interesting and characteristic snow on the foreground that I like in Aurora shots.

This is a shot from last March during a rare night of clear skies and active Aurora.

Since the winter is fast approaching I have written a short article about Aurora photography with focus on Iceland: Aurora Photography Tutorial

Thanks for looking.

Fall Colors - Þingvellir, Iceland

nobody@flickr.com (orvaratli) — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 13:09:42 -0700

orvaratli posted a photo:

Now the fall color season is over. I managed to capture the last days of color last weekend on a trip to the colorful Þingvellir.

This is the classic view of the location over the tectonic rift that splits the national park in half. Behind Þingvellir one can see the lavafields orginating from the large shield volcano on the upper left side of the picture. On a geological timescale all this landscape is very new created in the last 10,000 years. I would love to see how it looks like in another 10.000.

If you are ever interested in visiting Iceland for photographic purposes consider joining us on a Photo Tour

Burst of Color - Lava Fields in Autumn Colors in Iceland

nobody@flickr.com (orvaratli) — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 17:16:49 -0700

orvaratli posted a photo:

Fall comes early in Iceland. Mid September the vegetation starts to change color and it will last about two weeks until the end September or early October. It is not only the trees that have the interesting color but the low vegetation as well. Lava fields are perfect for shooting low vegetation in fall color as the ever green moss acts as a amplifying background that makes the small colorful leaves pop out. The lava itself is also and interesting add on.

For the last 10 days I have made a trips to the lava field almost every day after work plus a day at Þingvellir national park. Each time the mood of the weather was different. Sometimes with colorful sunsets, sometimes with dark heavy skies but always with interesting light.

You can see more images on my blog: Moods of Autumn

Smooth Landing - Great Skua at Ingólfshöfði

nobody@flickr.com (orvaratli) — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 05:55:40 -0700

orvaratli posted a photo:

This summer I took up bird photography. I am a beginner at this. I know how to operate the camera but figuring out how the birds behave and what to do when with the camera is still a learning process. Starting with "easy" targets was essential. The great Skua colony in Ingólfshöfði is the largest in Iceland. This large aggressive bird nests there and once approached they charge you. This made my life easier as the birds dont fly away at the slightest scare.

In this case one of the birds was landing after an assault on my and my wife. It was a warm sunny day so the bird was more relaxed than usual (thank god!).

In the background you can see Icelands highest mountain and volcano Öræfajökull. For more images from this session see my blog post: Birds of the South