Godafoss Ice
Pretty much the most hostile conditions I have ever experienced for photography - down by the waterfall with the freezing spray you and your kit completely froz...
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Pretty much the most hostile conditions I have ever experienced for photography - down by the waterfall with the freezing spray you and your kit completely frozen in no time at all. This was the longest exposure possible before the filter taken out and frozen by spray.
What an incredible location
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What an incredible location
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Jan, 2014Views
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Awards
Action Award
Chatter Award
Runner Up in Water Is Life Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Water Is Life Photo Contest
Creative Winter Award
Curator's Selection
Top Shot Award 21
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in Ice And Snow Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Worldscapes Photo Contest
Featured
Staff Winter Selection 2015
Contest Finalist in ViewBug Image of the Year Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Winter Landscapes Photo Contest
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Superior Skill
Jaw Dropping
Genius
Emotions
Impressed
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Top 30 rank
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 2
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in the North of Iceland, at the iconic Godafoss waterfall. Iceland is an extremely popular destination for landscape photography, but in Winter, when in my opinion the country is at its most stunning, it still isn't unusual to have some of the world's most stunning location all to yourself. Just remember to pack a decent jacket and lots of layers!Time
This image was taken mid-morning. Catching good light is always a roll of the ice, especially somewhere like Iceland, but for waterfalls you can make good images at any time of day and even in overcast conditions.Lighting
As I have mentioned, lighting is actually a little less important for waterfalls. Instead it is all about exposure time for the water movement. The whirlpool motion adds lots to this image. The challenge to do a long exposure in these conditions is the frozen spray! It was an absolute nightmare.. I used a shower cap over the lens and filter whilst composing, whipping it off at the last minute. I nearly gave up on the whole endeavour and contemplated moving back up to the top of the bank, but you only need one good shot you can work with. No pain no gain.Equipment
I used a full frame Canon 5D Mark iii camera with a 17-40 zoom lens. I normally prefer primes but they aren't so good at locations like this, where the choice of compositions is more limited and you have to be more flexible about framing the shot. After long, tricky slide down the frozen bank you then have a problem in snowy conditions distinguishing between what is the bank and what is the frozen edge of the water. An important distinction when choosing where to stand!!! The other key piece of kit for this image was an ND filter to slow down the water movement. In my opinion lots of photographers obsess way too much about gear, specs, and what is in their bag. As long as your gear is more capable than you are, and not holding you back from the chance of great images, you are good to go. Some very expensive kit is well worth it if you can afford it and if you will get full use from it, but I personally think time spent practising is more valuable than pumping cash into your camera bag.Inspiration
If you can't get inspired at locations like this you really need to find another interest! I had been itching to visit Godafoss for a long time, and was delighted by the frozen winter conditions. Apart from its obvious beauty, the amazing feature of Godafoss is the crystal blue water. Plenty of other waterfalls have the wow factor but a muddy brown flow just does not compare..Editing
In this example, using filters pretty much gives you the finished article. This image has been sharpened up and had the white balance adjusted. I also had to spot adjust a few pesky spots of frozen ice out, which had accumulated on the front of the filter, in Lightroom (very straightforward to do). Not much else needed.In my camera bag
I am specifically interested in landscape photography. For my preferred trip I'll be heading North (I live in the UK) to Iceland, Sweden or Norway. In winter the days are short for daytime shooting, and conditions tough on gear. I always pack my spare camera body in case of technical problems, a very sturdy tripod (I use the biggest Gitzo model, expensive but a worthwhile investment), and a collection of 4-5 lenses. I also carry a full selection of Lee filters. The real magic (conditions willing) come after dark, when the aurora hopefully dances around the sky. I find Zeiss primes (15mm and 21mm) perfect tools for night and day conditions. At f2.8 both are capable for shooting the aurora. My last luxury is a drone to open up totally different composition possibilities as well as 4k video shooting. I never pack any more than the above, as the weight adds up and you need to keep mobile.Feedback
Research really thoroughly for an itinerary. You can choose to join an organised tour - some of these are fantastic, and bring the added benefit of the expertise of guides and pro photographers. But you might also struggle for elbow room shooting at locations where you can't really spread out with another dozen photographers. Iceland is a super-friendly place with a ring road running all round the Island. Hire cars have studded tyres and with a careful eye on weather conditions (you can also get aurora forecasts) you'd struggle not to come back with a collection of epic images and amazing experiences.
