Colours of Iceland
Àlftavatn Lake in Iceland at the end of day 2 of my Laugavegur trekking.
Àlftavatn Lake in Iceland at the end of day 2 of my Laugavegur trekking.
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Mar, 2017Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo during a four day hiking trip in Iceland, the Laugavegur Trail.Time
It was at the end of a long day of walking, so when the light was fading, I took a chance to rest near the borders of Álftavatn (meaning Swan Lake in Icelandic).Lighting
Actually I started making pictures of the silhouet of a fellow hiker infront of me against the fading sunlight. When he stepped out of range the calmness of the scene struck me as a cloud turned lid up. A moment of reflection of light but also of me reflecting on the passing day.Equipment
I shot this picture with a Nikon D7100 and a Tamron SP AF 17-50 F2.8, with 1/250 sec., f 5,6 and ISO 100. No tripod (to heavy with all the food, drink and camping equipment I had on my back).Inspiration
I was pondering on the amazing orange, green and yellow colors of the vulcanic ryolite stone I had seen during the day and how bright the green mosses contrasted with the black lava soil, when the light started to change colour. The wind was calming down as it so often does at the end of the day, but never realy disappeared. Not ideal for a reflection photo, but then I thought: what the heck. It is worse not to take a picture at all so for memory's sake.Editing
I shoot in raw, so postprocessing is a must. I often post-process in two steps, using most of the time Photoshop Camera Raw. Why in two steps? Because personally I prefer to let it rest so I can reflect on the result en ask myself the questions: did I overdo the saturation (hate that), does the image reflect the emotion I felt at that time? Do I still need more clarity ?... and so on.In my camera bag
I am no professional and not well to do, so my equpment is modest and sometimes bought second hand. On my good old Nikon D7100 I have as standard lens a Nikon 18-140 f/3.5-5.6. I also take a Nikon 28 mm f/1.8 with me for softer light. Extra batteries (of course!), extra SD-cards, a B&W polarfilter and a remote shutter release. I have recently bought a soft and medium gradient grayfilter (both 2 stops) by Lee. Not always with me, but often enough and a goog buy. I recently bought a Nikon 105 mm f/2.8 since I am experimenting with macro photography. Heavy thing, so not standard in my backpack when I am hiking. Nor is my tripod. These two items I only take with me on daytrips or when I am photographing mosses and lychens.Feedback
Reflections are best shot at dusk or at early morning, when the wind is still sleepy. Take your photo from a low point of view to soften rimplings. If you have the opportunity to take a tripod, take it with you. If you don't have one, sit on your bump and try to hold as still as you can for example by holding your breath. I often lean against a rock and nowadays I carry one of those mini tipods or a rice/bean bag. Take your time to plan ahead. Nowadays you have these super handy apps that tell you when the sun sets or comes up and from what angle. Oh, and before I forget: don't mind making mistakes, go experimenting and above all: have fun..
