Day Three in Iceland
Iceland rewarded us today with some beautiful weather. There was a lot of walking over glacial moraines today. Photographing the leading edge of glaciers in Iceland is challenging as the terminal moraine is a very messy place with a lot of crushed rock and mud.
However, perseverance is rewarded and the image below was made standing on the very tip of the glacier itself to get past the worst of the mess.
More to come tomorrow!
Ice Caving in Iceland
Today was a real treat for me, the first time I’ve visited an ice cave in a glacier. After an exceptionally bumpy ride down a 4×4 track and then a short walk we ended up at the foot of one of Vatnajökull’s outlet glaciers.
Inside the cave we were treated to magnificent blue light filtering through the ice from above, as well as a small waterfall. A place you could easily spend days photographing, the five hours we spent there went by in a blink.
Here are two of my favourite images from the day.
Here’s a short iPhone 4S video showing the approach and the cave itself.
We’ve just returned from our first attempt on the aurora – it was definitely visible this evening but we were beset by fog which meant we could only make out tantalizing glimpses. Tomorrow night is supposed to be more clear and have stronger activity, so we’re very hopeful.
If you’d like to join me to travel in this amazing country, there are still a couple of spots open on the Iceland: Aurora and Autumn Landscapes trip.
Scouting in Iceland
I’m in Iceland at the moment doing scouting and finalizing planning for the two workshops I’m running there this year.
Here’s an image from the first night – this is the “Ice Beach” near the Jökulsarlón glacial lagoon where bits of icebergs get washed up on the black sand beach. Hoping we get as lucky with the weather for the rest of the week!
If you’d like to join me to travel in this amazing country, there are still a couple of spots open on the Iceland: Aurora and Autumn Landscapes trip.
New Gallery Opening Hours
Until May 1st, the gallery will be open five days a week from 10.30am until 5pm. Opening days will be Tuesday – Saturday.
After May 1st, we’ll go back to summer hours which will be 10am until 10pm, seven days a week.
Want to protect the Internet?
SOPA is new legislation which is being considered in the US at the moment. If successful it would mean effective censorship of the Internet. Sites can be shut down summarily with no due process if copyright infringement is suspected.
As a creative content owner myself, copyright protection is important. However, this goes too far and would turn the Internet into a shadow of its former self. Creativity and self-expression would be at serious risk.
f-stop Sponsorship
I’m delighted to announce that f-stop, makers of high-end camera bags and backpacks have added me to their Staff Pro “Rogue” programme.
As a result of this I’ve received a one of their packs, a Satori EXP with an XL ICU. This is an internal frame, “proper” backpack, and the ICU is a semi-rigid container which houses the camera gear itself. The ICU then slides into the pack and is easily accessible by opening a flap.
Previously I was using a LowePro bag for my medium format gear and had been frustrated by it when walking any distance. Since receiving the new pack, I’m absolutely delighted with it and I can honestly say that if I had received it only as an evaluation unit, I’d definitely be buying it now.
In fact, it’s my plan to order other ICUs to hold my Canon system and my Phase One SLR and lenses as well. That way I can slip whichever it is I’m using into the Satori when I need to hike, and if I need to carry two systems a short distance, it’s much easier to have the bag with one ICU on my back and carry another ICU by its handle. That way I’m not carrying another backpack with associated straps and dangly bits, plus unnecessary weight.
If you haven’t seen these products, I do recommend checking them out, especially if you do any sort of hiking or trekking with your camera.
Spitsbergen Polar Bear Photography Workshop
I’m delighted to announce that in conjunction with two world-renowned nature photographers (Iceland’s Daníel Bergmann and the USA’s Charles Glatzer), I’m offering a once-in-a-lifetime workshop to the Arctic Svalbard archipelago and its main island, Spitsbergen.
Polar bears, walrus, dramatic landscapes aplenty. For more details, check out the workshop page here!
Circle of Confusion Episode 12
Neil McShane, Roger Overall and myself have just released episode 12 of the Circle of Confusion podcast. In this episode of the companion series to our Dynamic Range video series, we discuss what’s happened in our careers in 2011 and what we plan to accomplish in 2012.
Circle of Confusion Podcast Reincarnated
As part of the Dynamic Range production process, Roger, Neil and myself are going to do a weekly 20 minute podcast.
We just put out the first one this afternoon to coincide with the launch of the video series. You can listen to it on this page, as well as seeing details of how you can buy the video.
Dynamic Range, the Video Series
After a long time in production and post-production, I’m pleased to announce that the first episode of the landscape photography tutorial/travelogue series I’ve created with Neil McShane and Roger Overall has finally been released!
Have some fun, see some stunning locations and learn how to improve your photography, all in a one hour, full HD downloadable video. And the price? A mere €9.95.
To learn more, and to buy – visit the Dynamic Range online store
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