Last August, my girlfriend and I had a special trip planned. This destination was at the top of our bucket list: Iceland.
Anyone with a little knowledge of photography knows that Iceland is a photographer's paradise.
A dream came true.
As with almost every journey we take, the question is: are we going for exertion or relaxation. We like to actively put on our mountain boots, but we also enjoy the peace and quiet.
By chance I came across a travel agency that knew how to combine these two types of holiday very well.
Week 1 would consist of walking the 5-day Laugavegur trail, while in week 2 we would explore the country in a 4x4 vehicle with a roof tent.
Normally I would check just before departure what equipment I am taking with me. Taking all the equipment with me is of course not an option. Then I would have to check in an extra suitcase.
Since I switched from zoom lenses to prime lenses about three years ago, are holidays always a sticking point.
In the field I love prime lenses , but on holiday I definitely miss the flexibility of being able to pack them compactly. The choice I made on my previous trip to Thailand turned out to work out perfectly.
I took 90% of the photos there with the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 ART. I also had the Canon 70-200 f/2.8 with me, but it was hardly ever taken out of the bag.
This time I opted for the same 35mm, but the 70-200 was replaced by the Canon 85mm f/1.4L.
PeakDesign clip
What I encountered on the previous trip was that a shoulder strap is not comfortable while walking. The camera dangles too loosely next to you.
Because of the backpack we would be carrying on this trip, that strap wasn't an option anyway.
The first investment I made for this trip was a PeakDesign mounting clip. The clip is mounted to the strap of your backpack. The coupling plate is screwed into the tripod mount of the camera.
What a fantastic thing! Even with a load of 23 kilos (!) it stayed perfectly in place and I could use the camera quickly at any time. Recommended for every hiker who likes to use a camera while hiking.
Waterfalls
Iceland is full of waterfalls. To capture them in a special way, I bought a 10-stop ND filter. This is a filter that blocks so much light that you can use shutter speeds up to 30 seconds during the day in bright sunlight.
This gives shape to the movement of the water and creates a fantastically beautiful haze.
Many filters that you screw directly onto the lens without a filter holder are generally known as 'cheap junk'.
After a long research I ended up with the Hoya Pro ND EX 10-stops. This had a good price/quality ratio, but even more important: no color cast.
This is a known problem that you quickly encounter with many (cheaper) ND filters. Certainly in retrospect I can conclude that this great filter had absolutely no problems with this and the colours remained perfectly true to life. Of course, you should always take these types of photos from a tripod to prevent motion blur. That's why I was only able to take these long exposure photos during the road trip and not during the trail.
Pictures of myself
Sometimes it’s fun to take a picture of yourself, especially in paradise-like landscapes. Selfies are fun, but… No wait, selfies aren’t fun at all. But who’s going to take the picture if you’re in it? One option would be to set the camera’s timer to 10 seconds and then sprint to strike your most spontaneous pose. Of course, that won’t work. Godox has come up with a fantastic solution for that.
I have always been very enthusiastic about that brand and will publish a blog about it later.
Godox has launched a fantastic remote control with the TR-C3. With a range of 100 meters, you can easily move a little further away from the camera without having to run. Beautiful examples of this are the photos below. While the camera was properly adjusted on a tripod, we were able to seize our moment to enjoy these unreal scenes.
Especially in the so-called Golden Circle, some sights were downright hotspots for tourists. No, that's not our thing. The real gems of the country were the spots where you had to make an effort to get there. Not where the busses full of tourists stop. For example, we had to travel into the mountains for at least an hour for the three most beautiful places.
GoPro
Another challenge both physically and photographically was the snorkeling activity. Wearing a full dry suit, we were allowed to snorkel between two tectonic plates in the Silfra fissure. This is the place where the Eurasian Plate and the North American Plate meet.
To capture this mighty view in the crystal clear glacial water, I used a GoPro Hero 10. Water temperature: 1.8 degrees Celsius.
Pushing the button on the GoPro with thick insulated gloves is a real challenge I can tell you. But the photos turned out amazing!
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