Shooting Remote Locations With ViewBug Member Mads

Here is something we can learn from madspeteriversen about the techniques and story behind this awarded photo. Enjoy and learn some fun tips about shooting in remote places.

1. Madspeteriversen, where did you take this photo?

Reynisdrangar cliffs at Vik in Myrdal, Iceland. Reynisdrangar is a very popular tourist destination, but if you want to capture Reynisdrangar from this angle you have to get a bit away from the tourists. You have to get in from the west and cross some big rocks along the beach. When I was there the waters was very dramatic and big waves kept clashing against the rocks. I actually had to time crossing the rocks not to get crushed by the waves - be VERY careful if you try yourself! Be observant and don't take any risks! Two other photographers gave up crossing the rocks, but I had comfort in my parkour / climbing skills to be sure I could make it. When you've crossed the rocks you'll find a little cove and it's from that position you can photograph Reynisdrangar.

2. What time of day?

It was around 16 in the afternoon.

3. Anything worth sharing about lighting?

I came for a longer exposure, but really felt it didn't work for me. Lots of color from my ND filter, the dull weather, the fact I used my 24-70mm and had to take three vertical pictures to combine into one horizontal (instead of bringing my 16-35mm and shooting it all in one take) all added to a rather depressed feeling that I didn't really manage to get anything useable from this location - I even returned the day after to get some other shots but they weren't that great either.

4. What equipment did you use?

Manfrotto tripod mt190xpro4. Canon EOS 5DmIII and Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8.

5. What inspired you to take this photo?

Because of the above it was a picture I came up with at the location. I came for something else which I couldn't get, so I had to improvise. The long exposures didn't really work, so I tried to make it more dramatic with a shorter shutter speed, where I still had some black beach visible. It seemed to work so I tried a bit more, but I wasn't very sure of what I got from this beautiful scene. All in all I came up with the idea on location.

6. Did you do any post-processing?

Oh yes - lots! Going through all the pictures I felt like... "waste of time", but still did give it a go. First: Lens correction and adjusting highlights and shadows. Then take the three vertical pictures and let photoshop stitch them together - I adjusted a little on the masking, to make the seamless waves. The picture had this sepia tone because of the ND filter and I didn't really like it, so I kinda put the picture aside for some time. When I found it again I just tried to make a B&W conversion and boom! There it was! I used Nik software to extract some details and then it was basically finished.