Icelandic horses among lupins
A pair of Icelandic horses running among lupins in a breathtakingly beautiful landscape.
A pair of Icelandic horses running among lupins in a breathtakingly beautiful landscape.
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Jun, 2019Views
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Awards
Zenith Award
Spring 21 Award
9Teen Award
Contest Finalist in Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 46
Contest Finalist in All About Horses Photo Contest
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Genius
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Behind The Lens
Location
This refreshing shot was taken in Iceland on pastures filled with lupins close to Reykjavik, Iceland. You can see the mist around the volcanic mountains on the background.Time
The shot was taken in early June, meaning that the light was almost at the same position the entire day. It feels like 11 am at 11pm. You have to constantly sleep with eye shades on. Nevertheless this shot was taken in the morning around 11 am.Lighting
It was 11 am and it was an overcast day. Normally I take my horse shots at the golden hour before sun sets to catch the warmth in colours. This wasn't available and I had to make do with a very flat light but the scene was so spectacular that it overrode all the other lighting issues. Flat light is better than clipping images due to too strong a light.Equipment
When I take shots of horses I never use a tripod. Animals move fast and I always need a fast shutter speed which makes the tripod not only redundant but also a nuisance. I never use flash. I always work with natural light.Inspiration
The view was breathtaking with lupin fields going on forever and the volcanic mountains in the backdrop rising majestically. I still remember the chilly and fresh air in my nostrils. When you add to that view these beautiful Icelandic horses running around, the scene was a feast to olfactory, visual and audio senses. I kept pressing the shutter. I have a whole series of these beautiful horses running around.Editing
I keep post processing to a minimum. I try to get it right as I take the shot. From time to time, I can use the contrast slider, or spot removal. For indoor shots I can use the curves to make the shot more punchy.In my camera bag
I have a Nikon D5 and a Nikon D800 as cameras, As fast as the lenses are concerned, I use either a Nikon 70-200mm or a 80 to 400mm zoom lenses. I don't use filters. I would always carry a rain hood for my camera in case of a mishap with weather.Feedback
I am not an expert on Icelandic weather but when I was there, it was their spring in June and the weather was around 4 degrees celsius. Sun was setting at around midnight so it created very long day to work with. You can start taking shots from morning till late in the evening. The sun barely changes its position. I would avoid bright sun as this would cause clipping the image. Overcast days are better or if available use the golden hour - an hour before sun sets, this really brings up the warmth in horse hairs.
