Incredible Iceland
My favorite images from Iceland 2022 - what a trip!
My favorite images from my Luminar Photo Camp trip to Iceland!
Back in November, my good friends over at Skylum included me as an instructor on their Luminar Photo Camp in Iceland. It was a week of fantastic photography and camaraderie with other photographers. We all walked away with great images and amazing memories - not to mention new friends!
Here’s a selection of my favorite images from the 2 weeks I spent over there. And while 2 weeks sounds like a lot of time - and in some ways it is - I feel like I have barely scratched the surface of taking photos of Iceland. It’s just an incredibly beautiful place and has a really strong pull for folks like me.
All of these images were captured with my Sony A7R3 and two of my favorite Sony lenses: the 16-35mm f/2.8 GM and the 14mm f/1.8 GM. These are fantastic landscape lenses and give me so much capability. And, I was using the Peak Design travel tripod too, in case you were curious. Small, light and compact - yet very sturdy. Works every time!
Exploring Lake Ogwen
A lovely waterfall in Snowdonia National Park, in Wales…
When I was in Wales back in August, one particular area that I wanted to see was the valley around Lake Ogwen, in Snowdonia National Park. All the photos looked lovely and everything I read about the area made it sound just beautiful - and it was all correct. The area is gorgeous and I found all sorts of things to point the camera at. Not the least of which were several waterfalls, such as the one you see here. This was just under the bridge at one end of the lake where is spills into a lower valley.
That famous tree in Llanberis
A famous tree in Wales that I just had to shoot…
Prior to arriving in Wales, I did a bunch of research on places I wanted to photograph, and of course came across some amazing shots of this tree. It stands on the edge of Llyn Padarn in the little town of Llanberis, somewhere off in the wilds of Snowdonia National Park. Although I had directions to it, it still took me about an hour to locate it. I kept having to move the car, park and walk, then go back and try another spot. Apparently I am no good at following directions. :-) Regardless, I found it and got some shots, despite the weather. And it was well wroth it!
Just some lovely light
Lovely sunset colors in Jackson Hole, WY…
We were in the Grand Tetons, near Jackson Hole, WY and out and about at sunset, looking for beautiful things to photograph (which is NOT hard in that area!). We pulled over in a field because these clouds were just so awesome, and I started clicking away. There was a group of photographers nearby that were also shooting this, and as we left I realized it was a workshop being led by my friend Matt Suess. He and I had met the previous day and chatted all things photography, and it was nice to run into him again the next day. Small world, huh?
Sunsets close to home
A lovely sunset that happened while I was out shooting at a local park…
I went over to my favorite local hiking trail the other day to shoot and film a little bit, and upon departing just had to stop for one last shot of the sunset. I was there to shoot that little waterfall, but sometimes when you back up and look at the bigger scene you realize that’s a good shot too!
In the woods of Montana
A long exposure of a creek running through the woods in Montana…
I don’t even remember where in Montana we were for this. I do know I heard a stream, so I wandered into the woods to find it, and I walked away with some nice shots. How’s that for a story? ;-)
Moraine Lake
The dramatic beauty of Moraine Lake in the Canadian Rockies…
It’s just hard to think of a place more beautiful than Moraine Lake.
When we visited the Canadian Rockies, I spent two sunsets in a row here at Moraine Lake. It’s just so beautiful that even though my first sunset was gorgeous and I loved my photos, I wanted to return just to see and shoot it some more. It’s that gorgeous. You just sort of stand there in awe at the incredible natural beauty. I don’t often get the chance to shoot landscapes, and rarely do I get to see ones that are this stunning. It’s a real treat. If you are anywhere near it, please go see it.
Sunset in The Badlands
Sunset in the Badlands of South Dakota…
The Badlands at sunset - done in full color HDR!
I was happy to finally see The Badlands earlier this summer. While South Dakota may not be on the top of your list for vacation destinations, I wanted to go and see this place. It just looks interesting, and now that I have seen it in person, I can say that it really is interesting. And beautiful, in a deserted, empty sort of way.
My daughter and I took a 10 day roadtrip from Texas up to South Dakota and back, with some stops in Colorado and New Mexico along the way. It was a lot of fun and I came home with some photos that I like, such as this one. While I didn’t get any dramatic light on the trip, it was quite fun to bond with my daughter and see new stuff (and take photos of it, of course).
Beautiful Moraine Lake
Moraine Lake in western Canada, at sunset…..
Ah, the Canadian Rockies - so gorgeous there!
I love Canada, having been lucky enough to visit many times. My favorite part of course is western Canada, and the town of Banff (and the National Park it sits in). It’s just a landscape paradise that is incredibly beautiful and inspiring. When we visited, I took as many photos as possible, just because I wanted to soak up as much as I could and be able to revisit it in my library again and again. This is one of many from Moraine Lake, which may just be the prettiest part of the whole area. I spent two sunsets here in a row, and both were just off the charts amazing.
Sunset in Jackson Hole
A lovely sunset in Jackson Hole, WY and I hop out of the car to grab a couple of quick shots!
I caught these photos in a hurry! We were heading into the Grand Tetons area just north of Jackson Hole, WY and it was getting close to sunset. I was nervous because I always like to be in position early, in case the light gets amazing. But we were late and had a few miles to go to get there. But I saw this big lake with these great clouds, and had to stop anyway. I just can't pass up a nice view, especially when reflections are involved!
Sunset Over Lake Louise
Sunset at Lake Louise, in Banff National Park - a stunning part of the Canadian Rockies.
Ah, the beauty of Lake Louise! I have a serious thing for landscapes, but sadly I rarely get to photograph them since I am most often in cities. So when given the chance, I jump at it. This was taken during our trip to Banff National Park in Canada about a year ago. I still have a lot of photos to edit from the trip. I'm excited just thinking about them all!
Sunset in the Badlands
Sunset in the Badlands of South Dakota - another state visited!
I have wanted to visit the Badlands in South Dakota for a really long time. Having seen many pics of the place - and being a huge fan of the Springsteen song, too - I just had to see it and photograph it for myself. So a few weeks ago I took off on a road trip with my daughter. It spanned about 9 days and we covered 3100 miles. It was awesome, but boy did I get a little tired of all the driving. Regardless, we made it and I took some shots that I like, including this one that I am sharing today. Enjoy!
The endless beauty of Moraine Lake
A really long exposure from Moraine Lake in the Canadian Rockies...
We spent some time here last summer, and it was amazing.
This glacially-fed lake outside of Banff in the Canadian Rockies is just magnificent. Those are the real colors, by the way. All the minerals in the lake make it just so amazingly blue. We arrived so that I could shoot the sunset here, and in this photo I went with my 10-stop filter to get a really long exposure. That's why the clouds are streaking across the sky - I kept the shutter open a long time (I can't remember the exposure time, but it was something like 3 minutes).
Taking really long exposures is one of my favorite shooting techniques. It works really well at sunset over a beautiful landscape, but works just as well with cityscapes, too. I did some in London back in January, and particularly when there is a river in the scene, the water just gets so smooth. In this photo the wind was moving the water a bit - and there was a few canoes out on the lake, too - but all that disappears when you have the shutter open that long.
Canoes at rest
Waiting on sunset at Moraine Lake...
Another shot from Moraine Lake!
There's just so much you can shoot at Moraine Lake and it's pretty much all amazing. After shooting a TON up on top of the big rock pile at the edge of the lake (which gives you a beautiful view), I clambered back down and wandered over here to shoot the canoes. All the colors and reflections in the still water are impossible to pass up!
Below Moraine Lake
A stream exits Moraine Lake under a sunset sky...
I could wander around the shores of Moraine Lake for DAYS. It's just so gorgeous there, and you really can't take a bad photo of the place. After shooting the wide shots from the rocks up above the lake, I made my way back down and saw this stream that was exiting the lake. I clambered over a fence, balanced on some wet rocks and fired away. Photography is EASY there. :-)