manoumaudgal

Into the unknown

Hiking to natural hot springs in Iceland

Follow me on Instagram for more: @manoumaudgal

Hiking to natural hot springs in Iceland

Follow me on Instagram for more: @manoumaudgal
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Canon EOS 7D

settings

Aperture 8/1 ISO 400 Shutter 1/13 Focal Length 15/1

upload_date

Aug, 2016

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1001

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+299

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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was shot in Iceland. We were on an hour and a half hike in the mountains of the "Suðurland" region. We started hiking from a little town called "Hveragerði and followed the steep and small mountain trail leading us away from civilization. As we came higher and further up in the mountains we noticed more and more columns of smoke coming from beneath the ground. Sometimes the smoke crossed the trail and thereby blocking the sight completely like in the picture above. We kept going and following the trail, crossing several hot smoke plumes, until we finally reached a hot spring river where we took a swim while the temperature outside was 5°C. You got to keep your eyes on the prize ;)!

Time

This photo must have been shot around 16:00 local time. If I remember correctly we started hiking around 15:00 and this photo was shot more in the upper region of the mountain trail.

Lighting

The lighting was natural, just the way I like it. It was quite a dark and cloudy day but the smoke blowing across the trail was what made the image special.

Equipment

I shot this with a Canon 7D, a EF-S15-85 mm f3.5-5.6 lens with a polarization filter and a tripod. I never use a flash because in my opinion it always ruins the photo. Keep it natural! :)

Inspiration

I tried to capture the mystique of the trail, not being able to see where the trail was heading. Every smoke plume we came across was another little step into the unknown.

Editing

I used graded filter in Lightroom to darken the the upper part of the photo.

In my camera bag

I'm always on the run with my Canon 7D, a polarization filter, a 15-85mm lens, a remote, tripod, cleaning cloth, a flashlight for when it gets dark and a beanie and gloves for when it gets a bit chilly.

Feedback

What defines this photo is the smoke filling almost the entire image. Although, the mountain trail creates an adventurous vibe to the picture, I don't think you need to travel to Iceland to make a mystique shot like this. You can shoot mystical shots like this everywhere early in the morning when it's foggy.

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manoumaudgal

manoumaudgal

Into the unknown

Hiking to natural hot springs in Iceland Follow me on Instagram for more: @manoumaudgal

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow manoumaudgal

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Hiking to natural hot springs in Iceland

Follow me on Instagram for more: @manoumaudgal

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Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.