Glacier Lagoon
Jökulsarlon in South Iceland
Jökulsarlon in South Iceland
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Sep, 2017Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in the south of Iceland at the glacier lagoon Jökulsarlon on the south western side of the lagoon, facing towards the massive glaciers. We had been driving around all day, coming from the west and this was our last stop for the day before we went to our hotel a bit further up the road.Time
We drove past the glacier lagoon just before sunset which was very late in the summer in Iceland (maybe around 11 pm). I was really looking forward to this place and was already a little sad that we would arrive so late and I couldn't see it in broad daylight. Turns out this was actually a very good coincidence because I witnessed one of the best sunsets in my whole life. The water was very calm so there was a beautiful reflection of the sunset but it also got very cold very quickly but I didn't even notic for a long time because I was so stunned by the beauty.Lighting
The lighting was just amazing the way it was, with the sun slowly setting behind the massive glaciers. In summer it does not only get dark very late, but the actual sunset also takes longer than usual. We were able to watch it for about 1 hour.Equipment
This photo was shot on my Canon 7D with a 18-85 mm, f 3.5. I installed my camera on a tripod so I was able to better enjoy the sunset while still taking one photo after another with different exposure times.Inspiration
I didn't even except to come across such an amazing scene. It was already late and I was disappointed that we only had little time left of the day. I was so wrong! This was the perfect timing and I realised that as soon as we pulled over in the car park. I pretty much fell out of the car, grabbed all my gear and ran to the edge of the lagoon because I knew I had to capture this stunning natural beauty on camera.Editing
There was not much that had to be processed in this photo. Just a little colour and contrast adjustment and the usual lens correction and that was it. I wanted to keep it as natural as possible because I wanted to show the natural beauty that was already stunning enough.In my camera bag
Apart from my 7D and my standard lens 18-85, I always carry my wide angle 10-22 mm with me for landscape photography and a 70-300 mm if I need something close up or to play around with the compositions. I also have a 24 mm which was a gift but I rarely use it because I seem to lack the creativity to put it to use. Also very important since I did a lot of aurora photography in Iceland for the first time: tripod. And last but not least my bag itself which is a great camera/hiking day pack.Feedback
I don't actually have any specific advice. I mostly don't plan my photography but rather work with what I get in any given moment. This was just pure coincidence and I feel so lucky to have been at the right spot at the right time even if that wan't at all what I planned. Sometimes plans change and you just have to go along with it. If you're a lucky as I was, then they might even get better than originally planned. But to be honest, the glacier lagoon is stunning at any time during the day or night (with aurora or clear sky and stars).
