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Vestrahorn Reflection



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Vestrahorn mountain reflected in the surf

Vestrahorn mountain reflected in the surf
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Awards

Action Award
Chatter Award
Top Shot Award 21
Contest Finalist in Winter And The Sea Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Iceland The Beautiful Photo Contest
Peer Choice Award
Contest Finalist in Show The Beach Photo Contest
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Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
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Superb Composition
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Top Choice
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Magnificent Capture
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Superior Skill
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Top Ranks

Creative Reflections Photo ContestTop 30 rank
Creative Reflections Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
Winter Paradise Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Capture Blue Photo ContestTop 30 rank
Capture Blue Photo ContestTop 30 rank week 1
Enchanting Landscapes Photo ContestTop 10 rank
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Finding Reflections Photo ContestTop 10 rank
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The Shades Of Blue Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
All About Water Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Celebrating Nature Photo Contest Vol 6Top 10 rank
Celebrating Nature Photo Contest Vol 6Top 10 rank week 1
Perfect Reflections Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Perfect Reflections Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Change Of Seasons Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Change Of Seasons Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Winter Long Exposures Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Winter Long Exposures Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
The Wonders of the World Photo ContestTop 10 rank
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ViewBug Photography Awards 2018Top 10 rank
ViewBug Photography Awards 2018Top 10 rank week 2
ViewBug Photography Awards 2018Top 10 rank week 1
Severe Weather Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
Unique Sceneries Photo ContestTop 10 rank
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Our Amazing Planet Photo Contest xpozerTop 10 rank week 1
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The Moving Clouds Photo ContestTop 10 rank month 1
The Moving Clouds Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 3
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Fog In The Mountains Photo ContestTop 10 rank
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Winter And The Sea Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Everything Nature Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Everything Nature Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Winter And The Sea Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Snowcap Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Iceland The Beautiful Photo ContestTop 10 rank
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Remote Places Photo ContestTop 10 rank
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Covers Photo Contest Vol 38Top 10 rank
Covers Photo Contest Vol 38Top 10 rank week 1

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12 Comments | Report
bronxie
 
bronxie August 27, 2017
Beautiful image
kathyk_abq
 
kathyk_abq August 27, 2017
Beautiful!
Steviem
 
Steviem August 27, 2017
Beautiful capture.
adfather PRO+
 
adfather August 28, 2017
Join the conversation. Add a comment or even better, a critique.
adfather PRO+
 
adfather August 28, 2017
A su perb cspture...but how is this a beach shot?
MattMcGee
MattMcGee August 29, 2017
It's a beach shot because I was standing on a beach when I took it. On the right side you can see the waves on the shore. It's in Iceland, and since it's an island, the whole country is surrounded by beaches...
tammyjones_6049
 
tammyjones_6049 August 30, 2017
stunningly beautiful
Alwolfe Platinum
 
Alwolfe September 02, 2017
Stunning photo!
JayneBug Platinum
 
JayneBug September 24, 2017
Beautiful capture. Colors are absolutely stunning.
Byronfairphotography PRO+
 
Byronfairphotography December 10, 2017
Beautiful scene. / Voted
MattMcGee
MattMcGee February 13, 2018
Thank you!!
johncheetham
 
johncheetham March 15, 2018
Stunning image
speterson6
 
speterson6 April 21, 2018
Beautiful winter scene. The light and reflections are wonderful. Nice work Matt.
raymondmarlow
 
raymondmarlow November 02, 2021
Gorgeous find great work
See all

Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken on a beach on the east coast of Iceland called Stoksness. The mountain is called Vestrahorn. It's a few miles off the main road, and is actually on private property. There's a gate blocking the road to the beach, but the owner only charges a small fee to go down to the beach.

Time

I'd always wanted to photograph Vestrahorn since the first time I saw it, and to be there at sunset was spectacular. The sun was setting behind me, and although it wasn't a spectacular sunset, we still got some nice pinkish hues on the mountain.

Lighting

This was just natural light at sunset. The main thing about this image was timing the waves. They moved in pretty slowly, but you had to release the shutter at just the right time to get the reflection without another wave coming in.

Equipment

I used a Canon 5d mark 3 with a Canon 16-25 2.8L lens. I had the camera on a tripod in case I wanted to to shoot with a long shutter speed, but it wasn't really necessary for this image. Probably the most important piece of equipment was the knee high waterproof rubber boots. If you're going to get an image like this, you're most likely going to have to stand in the water. I've seen others try to do it without boots, but they got wet. I got a pair online for about $50 and they worked great, not only here, but all over Iceland.

Inspiration

The inspiration is just the mountain itself. It is truly awe inspiring (and I hate using that term). This place looks like something you would see in a fairy tale or Lord of the Rings. It just doesn't look like something on this planet. You just can't help but be inspired by the majesty of this place when you're standing in front of it.

Editing

Not much post processing. A little vignette, a little contrast, and a little desaturation. I did another edit and turned it into a black and white, and I love it as well.

In my camera bag

What's in my bag depends on how far I have to hike to get to a location. This one you can just drive to, so I packed a lot of stuff. The Canon 5d mark 3 with the 16-35 2.8L is my workhorse for landscape photography. I've got a few neutral density filters for long exposure photography, and I used to use graduated filters, but don't really use those much anymore. I've always got my Manfrotto tripod, and some plastic sleeves to cover the camera in wet weather. My latest piece equipment is my Mavic Air drone. The sensor is a little smaller than I would like, but that thing is tiny, and it's so portable. I take it anywhere I've got to hike to get to.

Feedback

I've been to this location 4 times, and it's been different every time. The weather seems to change by the minute, and it never seems to cooperate. You've got to be prepared for nasty weather, and have some patience. A place like this is pretty big, so try to take it all in for a moment, and resist the urge to just start shooting. Take images from different perspectives. I spent most of my time shooting this directly in front of it, and only took a few images from down on the beach.

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