Chillbrook

Seljalandsfoss

I've been wanting to take this picture ever since I first visited Iceland and learnt that you can get behind the waterfall at Seljalandsfoss. The opportunity p...
Read more

I've been wanting to take this picture ever since I first visited Iceland and learnt that you can get behind the waterfall at Seljalandsfoss. The opportunity presented itself on my last trip to Iceland a week or so ago. It was getting late in the evening, around 11pm, but when I saw it looked like it was going to be a nice sunset, I set off for the falls.
The spray behind the falls was extremely intense and within a couple of minutes, I was soaked as was all my equipment. Somehow I managed a few shots that were free of the splattering of water droplets that covered the majority of pictures when I looked at them later.
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NIKON D800E

settings

Aperture f/11 ISO 50 Shutter 1/10 Focal Length 150/10

upload_date

Jul, 2015

Views

7533

Likes

+1.8k

Awards

Action Award

Chatter Award

Zenith Award

Legendary Award

Contest Finalist in Wide Angle Photo Contest

Featured

Contest Finalist in Trey Ratcliffs Put Your Best Foot Forward Photo Contest

Contest Finalist in The Beauty Of Nature Photo Contest

Contest Finalist in Full Focus Photo Contest

Contest Finalist in Get Out Photo Contest

Contest Finalist in Covers Photo Contest Vol 22

Peer Award

+313

Absolute Masterpiece

+263

Superb Composition

+242

Top Choice

+163

Outstanding Creativity

+77

Magnificent Capture

+45

Superior Skill

+31

All Star

+31

Genius

Love it

Emotions

Impressed

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Ultimate

Awesome photo.

Thank you very much!

spectacular

Platinum

Wish I were there!

Beautiful photo. Great colors and lighting. Well done!

Congratulations being a finalist

Platinum

AMAZING!!!!!

WOW! That's not a "beautiful view". It's an extremely talented shot of a very beautiful place!

Congratulationa on ALL your wins!!

Lovely!

Platinum

Outstanding, you are such an inspiration!
Martha

Visual treat! Thank you! I bet you had a great time taking this photo.

beautiful work!

Awesome picture. I agree, I have seen this a couple of times and it makes me want to visit Iceland more, and more.

Super...!!!!!!

superb

What a beauty!!! Congratulations!!!

Cant wait to visit this spring

What an amazing Photo! Simply gorgeous!

This is such a gorgeous shot! I loved this place so much! :)

PRO

It looks positively surreal!

magnificent picture

Stunning!

Awesome! You have so many great pictures! Chapeau!

PRO+

Fantastic

PRO+

sweet

Amazing photo!!

Wonderfull photografy...¡

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Behind The Lens

Location

This photograph was taken behind Seljalandsfoss, a water fall in the south-west of Iceland. Close to Reykjavik, Seljalandsfoss (foss means waterfall) is a popular destination for tour buses and tourists who hire cars to get around.

Time

This photograph was taken after a long day of commercial photography in the highlands of Iceland. I'd been doing some work for a Reykjavik based hire car company. I was driving back to my apartment, exhausted after driving on dirt roads all day but as I approached Selfoss, the town where I was staying around 10pm, I knew that my day was not finished. I'd wanted to capture Seljalandsfoss in sunlight for a long time, I'd visited many times and the light had never been quite right. I never dreamed that when I eventually got the shot I was after, it'd be taken close to midnight. On this particular night, I could see that I had my chance. I grabbed a pizza from a take-away and headed back out on Route One towards the falls. I arrived at around 11.30 pm, the tour buses had all gone home for the day and I had the falls to myself. Taking pictures of sunsets at midnight was certainly a new experience for me.

Lighting

Iceland is far enough north that the sun never truly sets in the summer months. The northerly latitude means that the sun is fairly low in the sky most of the time giving a quite unique quality to the light but approaching midnight and the early hours of the morning, the sun hovers just above the horizon and if you're lucky with the weather, the light is quite magical. Many photographers, like myself, visiting Iceland in the summer are very likely to go home a tad sleep deprived. The light is simply irresistible as it was the night I took this picture. There was just the right amount of cloud to diffuse the sun and create a glorious sunset.

Equipment

I took this photograph with a Nikon D800e with a Nikkor 14-24mm lens, mounted on a Manfrotto tripod. It was necessary to take this shot at 14mm to ensure the widest possible angle.

Inspiration

Seljalandsfoss is a very beautiful waterfall and one that, if you're prepared to get quite wet, you can get behind. This was the shot I had in mind the first time I visited these falls. It took another 3 visits to Iceland before I got the chance to take the picture that I'd had in my mind's eye from my very first visit. Everything came together as we hope for, but very often do not get.

Editing

I converted my RAW file to a tif in Lightroom. I don't use Lightroom for processing, just as a means of viewing and cataloguing the photographs I take. I then opened the .tif in Photoshop and began my usual workflow. First of all I used Nik Color Efex Pro to bring out the detail in the photograph. I then started creating adjustment layers, vibrance/colour and brightness and contrast. I then used the masks created by the adjustment layers to to adjust the adjustment layers, using a black brush conceal the effects of the adjustment and a white brush to reveal the effects of the adjustment layer. Using this method I am able to specifically target the adjustment exactly where I want it to be. My final task with any photograph is sharpening. I do this by duplicating all layers and then merging them into one. I then duplicate this layer and select filter - other - high pass. I adjust the slider so that I can just see the outline of my image. This is usually between 2 and 4 pixels. I then set the blending mode of this layer to overlay and I have a perfectly sharpened image.

In my camera bag

In my bag I have my D800e, 14-24mm and 24-70mm lenses as well as a 35mm prime. I use a Nikon remote always. I also have the usual lens wipes and cloths, Lee filters and holders. I also have one additional piece of kit that was absolutely invaluable in capturing this image and that's a chamois leather.

Feedback

Standing behind a waterfall, you and your camera, and of course vitally, you lens, is going to get wet. Using a chamois leather in these situations allows you to not only cover your camera to prevent in getting too much of a soaking but also to wipe the lens and then instantly take your shot before repeating the process many times to ensure you get one or two images at least, that is not spoiled by a drop of water on the lens.

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Chillbrook

Chillbrook

Seljalandsfoss

I've been wanting to take this picture ever since I first visited Iceland and learnt that you can get behind the waterfall at Seljalandsfoss. The opportunity p... Read more

Behind The Lens

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I've been wanting to take this picture ever since I first visited Iceland and learnt that you can get behind the waterfall at Seljalandsfoss. The opportunity p...
Read more

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Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.