Þakgil
Near the town of Vik í Mýrdal at the foot of Mýrdalsjökull, accessible via a very bumpy gravel road, is the mystical canyon Þakgil. Lush green, it reminds ...
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Near the town of Vik í Mýrdal at the foot of Mýrdalsjökull, accessible via a very bumpy gravel road, is the mystical canyon Þakgil. Lush green, it reminds of Mordor - a surreal world that actually exists. The half-hour drive from the ring road is definitely worth it, but be careful on the tires!
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Jul, 2020Views
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JudyPowellPhotography
August 22, 2021
So beautiful! Iceland is such an inspiring, beautiful and diverse place.
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Behind The Lens
Location
This is Þakgil canyon near Vik í Mýrdal in the South of Iceland. You have to drive north on a narrow bumpy dirt road for about half an hour until you come to a campsite. From there it is a short walk along the creek to this point.Time
I can't remember the exact time of day, it doesn't matter as long as you take photos on cloudy daysLighting
Low clouds or a dramatic sky reinforce the impression that you are in the land of MordorEquipment
I used my Canon EOS 5D Mark IV with a wide angle lens (Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM), a ND-filter as well as a GND-filter and of course a tripodInspiration
As so often, I saw other photographers' pictures of this place and had to explore it by myselfEditing
I darkened the edges of the picture in post-processing to increase the dramatic effectIn my camera bag
First and foremost, I photograph landscapes. I have two lenses in my backpack for this genre: the Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM and the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM. Various ND and GND filters as well as a tripod are of course always included. If the way to the photo spot is not too long or too difficult, I also like to take the Tamron 70-300mm 1: 4-5.6 SP Di VC USM with me for detailed shots. Occasionally I do astrophotography with the Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art but this thing is so heavy that it is only taken for that special occasion. My second big passion is wildlife photography. Here I have the Tamron SP 150-600mm F / 5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 (also very heavy and therefore not always in the backpack) for the larger and more abrasive specimens and the Tamron SP 90mm 1: 2.8 Di Macro 1:1 VC USD for the tiny ones For indoor photography and other occasions where you need an ultra-wide angle, I recently added another heavyweight - the Sigma 12-24mm f / 4 DG HSM Art, which is not always included due to the weight. I use all those lenses with my Canon EOS 5D Mark IV My newest toy is a drone: the dji Mavic 2 pro for unusual perspectives, abstractions and a view over the fogFeedback
Due to meltwater in spring and summer, which moves large rocks, the canyon looks a little different every year. A year after this picture I was in the same place again and there was hardly anything to be seen of the creek. So it is a little difficult to schedule a picture here. You just have to go there, look at the current situation and find your own place for the photo
