Blog
A blog about photography and travel.
Working in Germany
Germany in the depths of Covid
At the end of February I travelled on business with two colleagues to Germany through the Netherlands - my only business trip during Covid. Things have been relaxed in Iceland compared to other places so it was a bit of an experience to be in Europe where everything is closed. Quite a depressing atmosphere to be honest and a good reminder of how privileged we have been in our country.
We took a flight from Keflavík to Schiphol and from there we drove to Dinklage, a small town in the state of Lower Saxony. The town itself is not interesting but there is a nice woodland area and an old monastery on its outskirts which is well worth a visit. We also managed a day trip to nearby Bremen and a short stop in Amersfoort on the way back to Schiphol.
I brought along my trusty Fujifilm XT2 and the XF16-55 and XF23f1.4 lenses. If you need one lens for a Fuji X camera I can recommend the XF16-55. Good image quality, covers the most useful focal range and is built like a tank. I don’t agree that the XF18-55 kit lens is good enough, the XF16-55 is far superior in my opinion.
It was nice to get out of the country for a bit and I did get some good snaps here and there, my favorites being from a walk through the woods in the fog.
Around Reykjavík
Weekend trips around Reykjavík
The last weeks have been slow on the photography front due to short days, work and personal things. Being limited to weekend photography is a lottery since the weather can be anything. You can count yourself lucky with a few hours of good light over the entire weekend. So I’ve mostly been revisiting favorite places around Reykjavík that are not too far away and can be relied on for a few good photos.
Also tried out my new Mavic 2 Pro drone, which is a replacement of the one that was lost at sea a few months back. I was never happy with the IQ on the old one, but now it feels better to me. Maybe I’m imagining things since it’s apparently exactly the same model, but let’s see.
Álftavík (Swan bay) is a small bay on the river Sogið, which at that point is more like a lake. Near the shore I found the carcass of a swan that had recently been picked completely clean.
XT2 + XF80 @ 64°1'56" N 20°57'43.1" W.
The weather has been mostly still, cold and dry. There’s frost and ice but not a lot of snow, which is ideal for capturing details. I’m a big fan of the XF80 lens for this kind of work, it’s super sharp and easy to use. On the GFX front I’m still struggling with getting sharp photos with the GF100-200.
The straws on the next photo were standing next to a small waterfall and had built up an ice shield facing the water. The yellow glow on top is the sun on a nearby hill.
XT2 + XF80 @ 64°5'19.7" N 20°59'33.9" W
XT2 + XF80 @ 64°2'23.2" N 21°0'41.1" W
GFX50R + GF100-200 @ 63°55'42" N 21°59'39.9" W
Kleifarvatn is a favorite location of many photographers, being close to the city. It’s not necessarily that easy to photograph but somehow you always find something interesting there. Last weekend I was there before sunrise and although the light didn’t really happen I still managed to get a few half-decent shots.
The first one is my favorite. It was difficult to set up as the rock on the left is almost attached to the shore but the super wide XF10-24 did the trick.
XT2 + XF10-24 @ 63°56'31.4" N 21°58'49.9" W
Mavic 2 Pro @ 63°56'31.4" N 21°58'49.9" W
Mavic 2 Pro @ 63°56'31.4" N 21°58'49.9" W
Still working on photographing the mountains in the area. They’re all sitting there waiting for me to take a photo when the light is good!
Búrfell - Mavic 2 Pro @ 64°5'2.4" N 21°0'30.1" W
Eldborg - GFX50R + GF32-64 @ 64°1'42.2" N 21°21'27.1" W
Vífilsfell - GFX50R + GF100-200 @ 64°2'27.4" N 21°36'10" W
Reykjanes and Stratospheric clouds
A short trip to Reykjanes with an unexpected bonus
Went on a short trip to Reykjanes hoping for good light to photograph some mountains for my project. The light turned out to be pretty good but as a bonus I got an amazing surprise at sunrise when the sky lit up with polar stratospheric clouds. First time for me, I have never seen them before. The Icelandic name for them is more concise: “glitský”, meaning glittering clouds.
Then went to Hlíðarvatn, a favorite winter location, before moving on to Kleifarvatn where there’s always something new to explore.
The polar stratospheric clouds were spectacular. The two photos on the left are taken with a wide angle lens, the other two are close-ups. It’s challenging to get a good photo of the clouds since they are only seen towards the sun.
GFX50R + GF32-64 / GF100-200 @ 63°55'50" N 21°23'30" W
The mountain Geitafell (Goat fell) sits in the middle of a flat area south of Reykjavík. It is circular in shape and was formed by an eruption under the ice-age glacier. The clouds on the left are stratospheric clouds.
GFX50R + GF32-64 @ 63°56'10.0"N 21°30'36.4"W
This is Lambafellsháls (Lamb-fell-neck) in the soft light a few minutes before sunrise. It extends south from it’s big brother Lambafell, which has been mutilated by mining.
GFX50R + GF32-64 @ 63°59'52.0"N 21°29'28.3"W
A series of images from Hlíðarvatn. After a recent freeze there had been a short thaw and a strong northerly wind, followed by another freeze. This left the ice all broken and bunched up on the south side of he lake. It was bitterly cold and windy.
On the north side the new ice was smooth and reflected the stratospheric clouds.
Photos 1-6: GFX-50R + GF32-64 @ 63°52'01.1"N 21°44'35.9"W
Photo 7: XT2+XF80 @ 63°52'01.1"N 21°44'35.9"W
Photo 8: GFX50R + GF32-64 @ 63°52'21.5"N 21°44'02.7"W
The young volcanic landscape is rough and bare. Various patterns emerge from the combination of rocks and snow.
GFX50R + GF100-200
Mountain shapes at Kleifarvatn.
GFX50R + GF100-200 @ 63°56'48.1" N 21°57'47.7" W
Snæfellsnes
Me and my brother go to Snæfellsnes on a whim.
My brother (and fellow photographer) Stefán called me on a Friday and suggested a trip to Snæfellsnes that same evening. Apparently his wife was having a small dinner party for her female friends and his presence in the house was “not required”. We drove to the village of Stykkishólmur and checked into the Foss Hotel where we had an excellent Christmas dinner. Hot tip: the restaurant at Foss Hotel is worth taking a trip for - highly recommended. Also, we packed some craft beers from Borg and a bottle of Nikka whisky so we were already winning before we started.
On Saturday morning we made our way along the north coast of the peninsula to Öndverðarnes before driving back to Reykjavík. At this latitude the sun is only up for 4-5 hours in mid December, rising to 3° above to horizon, so the time you have for daylight photography is limited.
The landscape bore the marks of recent snows and frosts except for the tip of the peninsula which, sticking out into the warmer sea, never really gets cold. Pretty flat light but, as often in Iceland, the clouds saved the day.
The mountain Gjafi is located at the bottom of Hraunsfjörður which is a fjord that Berserkjahraun lava field has almost closed off from the sea. On a calm day the mountains reflect beautifully in the water.
GFX50R + GF32-64 @ 64°56'41.8"N 23°00'54.5"W
Krákuhyrna (Crow’s horn) is just west of Gjafi. Still half an hour to sunrise but there was a little bit of color in the sky.
GFX50R + GF32-64 @ 64°56'41.8"N 23°00'54.5"W
Kirkjufell reflected in Lárvaðall lagoon, which was thawing up after a recent frost.
GFX50R + GF32-64 @ 64°56'25.1"N 23°22'36.7"W
The area on the northwest tip of Snæfellsnes is called Svörtuloft (black skies). It’s a desolate place of lava fields and cliffs where only seabirds live.
GFX50R + GF32-64 @ 64°51'50.2"N 24°02'22.8"W
Cliffs at Svörtuloft.
GFX50R + GF32-64 @ 64°51'50.2"N 24°02'22.8"W
Skarðsvík beach is a beautiful spot with golden sands under the black volcanic rocks. Best time for photography is at mid-tide.
GFX50R + GF32-64 @ 64°52'53.1"N 23°59'10.5"W
Skarðsvík beach.
GFX50R + GF32-64 @ 64°52'53.1"N 23°59'10.5"W
Cliffs east of Skarðsvík beach.
GFX50R + GF32-64 @ 64°53'00.3"N 23°58'53.9"W
Iceland south coast
Winter trip to the tourist-free south coast of Iceland.
During a dinner conversation, which inevitably ended up being a moaning session about the lack of travel opportunities due to Covid-19, it was somewhat optimistically decided take a short weekend break in Iceland. It turned out to be difficult to find a place to stay but we eventually settled on Hotel Katla just outside the small town of Vík on the Icelandic south coast, where we stayed for three nights. When the time came the weather forecast was so bad we almost cancelled but we decided to give it a go, which was fortunate as we had a great trip. We got upgraded to suites and had a couple of really nice dinners so were very happy with the hotel. Vík also sports the microbrewery Smiðjan which is a must-visit.
The south coast of Iceland from Eyjafjallajökull all the way to the east fjords is, in my opinion, the most beautiful part of Iceland that is easily accessible. Normally there are hordes of tourists even in winter but due to Covid-19 we almost had the place to ourselves. On Friday the weather cleared up towards the east so we drove all the way to Lómagnúpur and on Saturday we explored the area west of Vík. On Sunday we drove back to Reykjavík in glorious sunshine after having had to double back to the hotel due to a forgetting-camera-equipment-at-the-hotel incident: I had lined up a completely tourist-free shot of Skógafoss when I realized that the GFX was without its battery.
Kerlingardalur valley and Kerlingardalsá river in the evening light. “Kerling” is a not-so-young woman, nowadays used in derogatory sense.
GFX50R + GF32-65 @ 63°26'35.4" N 18°54'19.4" W
This massive rock stands in the sand about 600m south of Hjörleifshöfði. It’s called Arnardrangur or “Eagle’s rock”. There’s a another one just to the right called Lásadrangur. They must be fragments of Hjörleifshöfði. Maybe they got there in one of the massive floods that come from the glacier when Katla erupts?
GFX50R + GF100-200 @ 63°24'43.6" N 18°45'30.9" W
We met this handsome fellow near the farm of Núpur.
GFX50R + GF32-64 @ 63°56'53" N 17°38'6.4" W
Lómagnúpur is one of the most picturesque mountains in Iceland, jutting out into a flat area from which it rises almost vertically. We saw it for the briefest of moments when the clouds parted.
GFX50R + GF32-64 @ 63°57'28.7" N 17°35'21.7" W
Reynisfjara beach is a favorite location of mine. I have never before been there alone, usually there are hundreds of people there, so this morning was a special treat. Untouched black sands, spectacular sunrise, the special sound of the surf as it moves the sand around, seabirds everywhere, solitude - nothing like it.
Fun fact 1: Next place directly south from Reynisfjara is the Antartic.
(Not so) Fun fact 2: The beach is extremely (and deceptively) dangerous as rogue waves can grab people and pull them out to sea. Stay well away from the sea and don’t get caught between it and the cliffs!
GFX50R + GF32-64 @ 63°24'11.5"N 19°02'44.9"W
Reynisfjara beach seen from Dyrhólaey.
GFX50R + GF32-64 @ 63°24'13.2" N 19°6'12.1" W
The views from Dyrhólaey are fantastic but as we almost got blown away by the hurricane-level winds we didn’t risk getting close to any promontories. So all I have is a picture of the lighthouse! Dyrhólaey is most famous for (and is named after) the huge stone arch on the sea side - through which an airplane has been flown.
GFX50R + GF32-64 @ 63°24'9" N 19°7'49.3" W
Having a beer in Covid-19 times with Bjargmundur and Guðný at Smiðjan Brugghús in Vík.
XT2 + XF16 @ 63°25'01.8"N 19°00'40.4"W
Drangshlíðarfjall mountain on our way back to Reykjavík. The famous Skógafoss waterfall is a few hundred meters to the right.
GFX50R + GF100-200 @ 63°30'57.5" N 19°27'46.4" W
Copenhagen
Summer vacation in Copenhagen, in a Covid break
In the Covid year of 2020 I managed to plan a trip to Copenhagen with my sister and her family in the short summer period where travel was possible and everything was open. We rented an apartment in Amager and had a great time. Copenhagen is such a lovely city to visit, and in the summer it’s just gorgeous. Lots of things to explore, great architecture, interesting restaurants, craft beers galore and just an overall feel-good vibe. We Icelanders have a long relationship with Denmark, which has not always been totally amicable, but we do like it there a lot.
Scotland
A trip to Glasgow and the Highlands
In between work trips I met with my brother in Glasgow, from where we drove to the Scottish Highlands. A very memorable trip, with a bit of street photography in Glasgow and a short stay in Aberfeldy from where we explored parts of the Cairngorms and Trossachs. Way to short a trip, but a good introduction - definitely need to go there and explore further.
Easter in London
First trip in over two years that feels like normal
For Easter I visited London, one of my favorite cities, for the first time in almost three years. London is safe, walkable and has great public transport. It’s also dripping with history and sights, and has a relaxed multi-cultural vibe. To get there from Iceland is only a short flight and, although the Icelandic and English cultures are quite different, they are also compatible in the sense that we don’t take ourselves very seriously - which is a happy place to be, in my view.
It was quite a long trip so I was exhausted when I got back. In addition to walking the length and breadth of London, I also visited Southend-On-Sea, Brighton and Southampton. I have a soft spot for Brighton but Southampton I never need to visit again. Southend-On-Sea is only remarkable for it’s 2km long pier, which is actually well worth a visit.
I brought the Fujifilm XE4 along with the XF16-55, XF23f1.4 and XF50-140. Also, I had a brand new iPhone 13 Pro Max which takes decent photos. Nothing like a real camera though. The jpegs are over-sharpened and HDR-d, which I can probably fix but can’t be bothered to.
I wish there was proper support for Galleries in blog posts on this web-site - but there’s not. Image titles are especially bad. So here’s a catalog:
Image 1: Businessman at the Southbank
Image 2: @London Bridge station
Image 3: @River Thames
Images 4-8: Southend-on-Sea
Image 9: Earl’s Court station
Image 10: Seven Dials
Images 11-16: Hyde Park
Images 17-19: Kew Gardens
Image 20: Oxford Street
Image 21: Brighton
Image 22: Near Waterloo station
Images 23-24: Hi-jacking a photoshoot near Westminster
Images 25-26: @Parliament Square
Image 27: Beer-time at Brewdog Tower Hill
Image 28: A green-ish Rolls in front the new American Embassy. Had seen the exact same car at Tower Hill a few days earlier.
Japan
To Japan for the first time
In the spring of 2019, my friend Svenni and I travelled to Japan, a first for both of us. I absolutely loved it, and cannot wait to go back. We planned the trip so that we would be there when the cherry blossoms bloom, and were not disappointed. We did a bit of a mix of city tour and road trip. A few days in Tokyo, followed by the Shinkansen to Osaka, and nearby Nara, before picking up a car in Osaka to drive to Kanazawa and Nagoya. After we dropped off the car, we stayed in Kobe and Kyoto for a few days, before heading back to Tokyo.
For me, this was a magic trip. The culture is so different, and not a lot of people speak good English, but somehow it all works out really well. And as for photography, I think there is no place I would rather go.
On a side note, when I got back home I bought “Forms of Japan” by Michael Kenna. That book is a double edged sword. It’s so good that you almost wonder why you bother with photography.
