jonbarkeruk

In Dark Times Focus on the Light

A purposefully dark and moody take on the well known Skógafoss waterfall in Iceland.

With a drop of over 60m, Skógafoss is an epic display of the...
Read more

A purposefully dark and moody take on the well known Skógafoss waterfall in Iceland.

With a drop of over 60m, Skógafoss is an epic display of the power of nature. In this shot I wanted to convey nature as a positive force we can take solace in, even in times (or places) that seem hostile.
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Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

settings

Aperture f/10 ISO 100 Shutter 8/10 Focal Length 24/1

location

Iceland

Dec, 2018

Views

543

Likes

+36

Awards

Contest Finalist in Everything Waterfalls Photo Contest

Peer Award

+12

Magnificent Capture

Top Choice

Superior Skill

All Star

Outstanding Creativity

Superb Composition

Absolute Masterpiece

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Behind The Lens

Location

This image captures the famous Skógafoss waterfall in Iceland, a very popular bucket list destination for landscape photographers

Time

This was shot mid-morning. We stopped off at Skógafoss on a tour of southern Iceland, and we had to make our way elsewhere in time for sunset. Thankfully, we had an overcast day which tempered the light a little.

Lighting

I wanted to create a dark and more moody take on the scene in order to come away with something a little different - a quick search online will return thousands upon thousands of photos from this location, so it's difficult to produce an image that stands out from the crowd. With this in mind I was happy with the grey, overcast sky, and purposefully underexposed a little to keep just enough detail to avoid pure blacks, but push as far down the shadows scale as I could get.

Equipment

This was shot on a Canon EOS 5D MK IV, with the EF 24-70mm f/4 lens, and a 10 stop ND filter. I used a Sirui T2204XL tripod for this trip.

Inspiration

I think massive waterfalls like this one are a great place to feel the force of nature, and I wanted to create an emotive image that would evoke feelings of light and dark, good and evil, and so on. It felt natural to emphasise the silky white water as a 'good' in contrast to the dark and jagged rocks as 'bad', and really push the contrast between the two. I find the minimalism of black and white processing for landscapes can remove a lot of 'noise' and help convey a single feeling or concept with extra clarity.

Editing

This is a blended exposure of several shots merged together for the rocks and foreground (in order to remove a steady flow of tourists walking in and out of the scene), and a second long exposure for the sky and water. I adjusted for light and shadows in Lightroom, then blended the individual exposures together in Photoshop. Finally, I added tonal adjustments to the black and white image using the Nik Collection plugins.

In my camera bag

I've recently changed camera systems, so whilst for this shot I relied on a Canon 5D IV, 24-70 and 16-35 lenses very heavily, I now travel with a Fujifilm X-T3, 18-55 and 10-24 lenses. I cram all this, plus my Sirui T2204XL tripod, into a Peak Design Everyday Backpack.

Feedback

It's always rewarding to try and put your own style or perspective into an image, especially if the location is well known. Exactly what that involves will differ for each individual, but I think a great way to find an approach is to think about what evokes an emotional response in you when you look at other images. For me, often the clarify and focus that a black and white image gives to the subject means they are more impactful, and jump more directly to triggering a feeling - be that surprise, intrigue, amazement, fear, and so on. Considering what you want to trigger the viewer to feel when you're composing an image can have a profound impact on the final photograph.

See more amazing photos, follow jonbarkeruk

jonbarkeruk

jonbarkeruk

In Dark Times Focus on the Light

A purposefully dark and moody take on the well known Skógafoss waterfall in Iceland. With a drop of over 60m, Skógafoss is an epic display of the... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow jonbarkeruk

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes. Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.

A purposefully dark and moody take on the well known Skógafoss waterfall in Iceland.

With a drop of over 60m, Skógafoss is an epic display of the...
Read more

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.