Gullfoss Falls, Iceland
I captured this shot of Gullfoss Falls in Iceland on a day when there were sustained 50 mph winds, with gusts around 100 mph. There's normally a lot of mis...
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I captured this shot of Gullfoss Falls in Iceland on a day when there were sustained 50 mph winds, with gusts around 100 mph. There's normally a lot of mist coming up from the falls but on this day it was more like waves of water being pushed back up over the opposite cliff face.
I got drenched while making my way down to this spot, which was somewhat protected from the mist and water. I had to hold my backpack down with my foot to keep it from blowing away, then I'd clean the mist off the lens, put the lens cap on, compose the shot blind, take off the lens cap and immediately take a shot, while holding down the tripod with my other hand hoping to keep it stable. I repeated this for about an hour, since I didn't know how many shots would actually be in focus with the 1 second exposures I was trying to do to get a little blur in the water. Fortunately, my favorite shot of the bunch was in sharp focus.
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I got drenched while making my way down to this spot, which was somewhat protected from the mist and water. I had to hold my backpack down with my foot to keep it from blowing away, then I'd clean the mist off the lens, put the lens cap on, compose the shot blind, take off the lens cap and immediately take a shot, while holding down the tripod with my other hand hoping to keep it stable. I repeated this for about an hour, since I didn't know how many shots would actually be in focus with the 1 second exposures I was trying to do to get a little blur in the water. Fortunately, my favorite shot of the bunch was in sharp focus.
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Apr, 2016Views
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RuwanFonseka
April 02, 2016
Excellent blend of technique and artistry. Your effort has given us an excellent image to sit back and enjoy.
PRO
Pamelabole
April 07, 2016
Wow.....that was true dedication to getting the shot!!!......and it is obvious that this shot made all the effort worth it! Love it!! : )
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Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
I captured this at Gulfoss Falls during my first trip to Iceland. It is one of the most amazing countries I've ever visited for capturing landscape photos.Time
This was taken shortly before sunset, which occurred around 8pm that day.Lighting
Since the sun descends at a shallow angle in Iceland, sunsets last a long time there. The clouds seemed to glow orange forever. The land was in the shadows, which can be good for photographing waterfalls. The lighting was even and there were no bright spots with a lot of glare on the water.Equipment
This was taken with my Nikon D800e and a Nikkor 14-24mm lens set at 24mm. In order to blur the water and accentuate the effects of the wind, I shot at f22 and ISO 50 to get the longest possible exposure without a filter. A sturdy tripod was obviously needed for the long exposure and the incredibly strong winds.Inspiration
I was actually completely uninspired to take a photo after I walked outside my hotel and was nearly knocked off my feet by the 50 mph winds that were gusting to 100 mph. It seemed like a good day to stay inside and read a book. But I knew I might get some uncommon shots if I went out and braved the weather. I decided to head to Gulfoss Falls where I'd been the previous day without much success. When I arrived at the parking lot high above the falls, there was a large amount of mist hitting my vehicle. As I walked down closer to the falls, it felt like buckets of cold water were being poured on top of me. It seemed foolhardy to continue closer, but when I got a little downwind of the falls, I found a spot that was somewhat sheltered from all the water. I felt it was safe to take my camera out and set up my tripod. I had to hold my backpack down with my foot to keep it from blowing away. After each shot, I'd turn my camera around to shelter it from the mist, then clean the mist off the lens, put the lens cap on, turn the camera back around, compose the shot blind, take off the lens cap, and immediately take a shot before the lens became soaked with mist again. All the while, I was holding down the tripod with my other hand hoping to keep it stable and prevent it from blowing down into the falls. I repeated this for about an hour, since I didn't know how many shots would actually be in focus or free of mist with the 1 second exposures I was taking to get some blur in the water. Fortunately (perhaps miraculously), my favorite shot of the bunch was clear and in sharp focus.Editing
Since I always shoot in RAW, every photo requires some post-processing. The land didn't require much work, as it came out about as you see it. I used Lightroom to optimized the contrast and white balance and bring out a little more detail in the shadows. The sky required a little more work. Since I didn't have time to take more than one shot before my lens got way to much mist on it, I couldn't bracket exposures to help control the dynamic range. So I opened the image in Photoshop and selected just the sky so I could work only on it. I mainly darkened the sky and brought out more contrast. I also painted back in a bit of color in one small part of the cloud that got slightly overexposed. In effect, I was trying to mimic what I could have done if I'd had time to take two exposures and blend them.In my camera bag
I have a large bag that holds all of my equipment, including two digital camera bodies, a film body, and about seven lenses, a few of which I use primarily for night photography. However, I have a bad back, so if I have to hike any distance to a location, I try to carry as little equipment as possible. I have a small backpack I use for this. I'll often take only my Nikkor 14-24mm lens and my Nikon D800e, as I usually like to shoot wide when trying to capture big landscapes. However, it all depends on the scene I'm hoping to capture and how close I can get to it. Occasionally, I'll carry a 70-300mm lens if I think I'll need to zoom in on the subject, like I did when photographing lava entering the ocean from a distance. Occasionally, I'll wish I had another lens with me, but saving my back trumps that extra versatility. Of course, if I stay near my vehicle, I can usually shoot with anything from 14mm to 600mm.Feedback
Don't let adverse weather conditions prevent you from getting out to shoot. It's easy to go out and shoot when it's perfectly calm and there's not a cloud in the sky. However, if you're trying capture big, dramatic landscapes, you will likely come away disappointed. For landscape photographers, bad weather is often good weather. The most dramatic shots will often have menacing clouds, lightning, rainbows, crashing waves, or wind-blown objects. If you're worried about ruining your camera during bad weather, know that most cameras are pretty weatherproof. As long as you don't completely drench it, you're probably okay. Of course, you should still try to avoid getting it too wet. If you're not shooting, keep it inside your camera bag and use the rain cover if it has one. You can also use plastic covers for your camera and/or an umbrella.
