close iframe icon
MattStuttardParker avatar
MattStuttardParker
Banner

Diamonds In The Rough



behind the lens badge

Diamond beach in South East Iceland.
Huge pieces of ice had broken off from the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier into Lake Jökulsárlón and then slowly sw...
Read more

Diamond beach in South East Iceland.
Huge pieces of ice had broken off from the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier into Lake Jökulsárlón and then slowly swept out into the Atlantic Ocean with the tide. As the tide comes in the icebergs become washed up onto the black sands and as the sunsets the beach glistens as if covered in beautiful diamonds.
Read less

Views

148

Likes

Awards

Member Selection Award
Peer Award
garethfenney SEE_PODIO_Pablo-Klik rosefrancis Chelz scbenoit
Superb Composition
jasonthomastutor tonyberry EileenP
Absolute Masterpiece
wayne50 want_to_delete_my_account
Outstanding Creativity
Tonmoy007 Rwozney
Top Choice
PeterTarrant

Top Ranks

All About Water Photo ContestTop 30 rank
ViewBug Photography Awards 2018Top 30 rank
ViewBug Photography Awards 2018Top 30 rank week 2
ViewBug Photography Awards 2018Top 20 rank week 1
ViewBug Photography AwardsTop 30 rank
Celebrating Nature Photo Contest Vol 2Top 30 rank
Celebrating Nature Photo Contest Vol 2Top 30 rank week 1
In the Center Photo ContestTop 20 rank
In the Center Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 2
The Sun Behind Photo ContestTop 10 rank
In the Center Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
The Sun Behind Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 2
The Sun Behind Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
The Black Color In Nature Photo ContestTop 20 rank
The Black Color In Nature Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 2
The Black Color In Nature Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Compositions 101 Photo Contest vol2Top 30 rank
Compositions 101 Photo Contest vol2Top 30 rank week 2
Clash Of The Pros Photo ContestTop 30 rank
Clash Of The Pros Photo ContestTop 30 rank week 2
Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 13Top 10 rank
Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 13Top 10 rank week 3

Categories


See all

Behind The Lens

Location

This was taken on Diamond Beach, Iceland. The river which is fed by the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon meets the ocean a few hundred metres away and if your timing and luck are aligned then the "Icebergs" that break of the glacier are swept out to sea with the tide and then become washed up on the beach as the tide returns. Since the beach is black basalt sand with the right lighting the ice will glisten like diamonds. Truly a magical site to witness.

Time

We spent the entire afternoon into late evening here waiting for the tide to bring the Icebergs to shore and for the sun to begin setting, lighting up the ice like Diamonds on the black sandy beach. Taken in Iceland's Summer months so daylight hours are long!! Photo taken on 3rd August, 2016, 21:32.

Lighting

I tried various angles and perspectives in an attempt to get the ice to glisten as much as possible, shooting with a low sun directly coming through worked best and I used the Joby Gorillapod to allow a slightly slower shutter speed (super cold hands!).

Equipment

This was shot with a Canon 550d, 10-18mm Canon Lens, Joby Gorillapod Tripod. A warm coat was also used!!

Inspiration

I couldn't quite believe how beautiful the icebergs looked spread across the black sandy beach and had to try and capture it as best I could. The amount of ice breaking from the glacier and heading out to sea is quite alarming and seeing it first hand was quite saddening and magical as the effect may appear.

Editing

I post process in Lightroom and then sometimes take the image into Intensify or Photoshop if necessary. For this image I reduce the highlights to give the more golden glow within the sky, increased the clarity to give the ice the definition and pinched the vibrance up to bring out the blue sky

In my camera bag

Pretty minimalist currently with a Canon 550d, 28-100mm Tamron Lens, Canon 10-18mm Lens, Joby Gorrilla Tripod and Gear 360 Camera.

Feedback

Iceland has very long summer daylight hours so be prepared to stay out quite late in the cold so wrap up! Also keep your fingers crossed that the weather clears for the sunset and that the tide washes the ice onto the shore. An amazing place, go and enjoy!!

See more amazing photos, follow MattStuttardParker

It’s your time to shine! ☀️

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.

Already a member? Log In

By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service, and acknowledge you've read our Privacy Policy Notice.