MattMcGee
FollowVestrahorn 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
Peer Award
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Superb Composition
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Superior Skill
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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...
speterson6
April 21, 2018
Beautiful winter scene. The light and reflections are wonderful. Nice work Matt.
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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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.