Where the Wild Things Are

Iceland is full of beautiful waterfalls. By solely driving the coastal Ring Road, you will encounter waterfalls around almost every turn. As most of them are easily accessible, you can get a great sense of the beauty of Iceland without much effort.

On my last visit, I decided to venture farther into the lesser traveled Highlands. I was hoping to experience parts of Iceland I had not seen on previous trips. Most of the roads here are passable only in the Summer and remain closed during the rest of the year. A 4x4 vehicle is required as the roads are rough and, depending on where you are going, you may have to drive through varying depths of water in order get to your destination. The reward can be spectacular scenery with very few tourists.

One of my rewards was this waterfall, Fagrifoss. It is about a 90-minute drive from the ring road, winding up and across several waterways. Most of the streams were shallow and easy to navigate. The last one, however, was more challenging. At 15 meters wide and deep enough that I could not see the bottom, I was hesitant to cross. Only after seeing another (more experienced) driver make their way slowly to the other side, did I find the nerve to do it myself. I unquestionably felt a rush of adrenaline as my tires entered the water. Trying hard to maintain the same path as the previous driver, I successfully reached the other side. It was easier than expected and I was happy to be on my way to the waterfall.

I spent the whole day hiking the area and appreciating the waterfall from various spots. I set up my camera on this hillside overlooking the falls. I like the shape of the canyon providing a natural frame to the composition. Still, there was something missing. I wanted the viewer to be able to comprehend the size of this remote waterfall. I realized the only thing that could give a sense of scale was me, so I decided to place myself in the scene. I set a timer on my camera and started the 200-meter walk across to the top of the canyon to the falls.

I assumed the biggest challenge to photographing this place would be the journey to get here. However, midway through my hike across to the top of the waterfall, there was an incident that caught me by surprise...I heard a noise behind me. I was alone, I knew that. The last person that I had seen in the area left hours ago, and yet something was close by. I quickly turned to look, and what I saw struck more fear in me than navigating that last water crossing...four wild creatures staring back at me...a mother sheep and her three lambs!

OK, granted, I was not scared of the sheep. What I was scared of was their proximity to my camera on a rather steep hillside. They were within inches of my tripod! I could easily see a curious lamb investigating the strange device, sending it crashing to the bottom of the canyon. Caught in such a precarious situation, I immediately turned back. Fortunately, the lambs were more interested in grazing than learning how to flip over a tripod. Luckily, they also quickly retreated higher up the hill once I approached, saving my camera from oblivion.

Shaken by my encounter, I scanned the area for several minutes looking for more wild beasts. Confident the area was clear, I made another attempt. This time everything went as planned. Another successful crossing.

Waterfall of the Gods

I consider Goðafoss to be one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Iceland (or anywhere for that matter). It was the first large waterfall I visited on my initial trip to Iceland back in 2014 and I remember simply being awed in its presence. Watching/hearing/feeling the water flow into the 330-foot (100-meter) wide, horseshoe-shaped canyon from a height of 40-feet (12-meters) was breathtaking. I stayed there for hours, admiring it from both sides...it was my 2nd day in Iceland and I was already hooked.

I have since visited Iceland in 2015 & 2017 and each time I have returned to Goðafoss. Unfortunately, the weather was not the best during my first 2 visits to Goðafoss…not enough to hinder the experience, but enough to preclude me from capturing a good photo. My 3rd visit, however, was a charm and the sunset in June lasted well into the morning hours. 

There is also a legend attached to this waterfall (as with most waterfalls in Iceland). When Iceland officially adopted Christianity in the year 1000, rumor has it that Thorgeir, a pagan chieftain & priest, denounced his beliefs by throwing wooden carvings of pagan gods into the falls. From that point forward, it was known as the waterfall of the gods…Goðafoss. 
 

Lower Kuang Si

These are part of the beautiful Kuang Si waterfalls outside of Luang Prabang. It is only a short hike from the entrance of the falls to get to this point. Here, several layers cascade gently downward in vibrant turquoise pools creating a striking scene. I spent several minutes here photographing the falls and just watching the water flow past...the color was captivating.

Amazingly, this spot is not even the main attraction. Further upstream are the larger falls with a 200 ft drop that draw many more tourists. I will share an image of those large falls in another post, but these smaller ones were my favorite...so I gave them priority :)

Eruption at Aldeyjarfoss

Aldeyjarfoss in the central highlands is one of my favorite waterfalls in Iceland (or anywhere for that matter). It is fairly remote, located more than an hour’s drive from the main Ring Road and requires a 4x4 to access. 

There is no lodging nearby, so photographing the falls at sunrise requires camping or a very early wakeup call. I decided to camp (sort of) and rented an SUV with a tent on the top. Yes, on the top…it opened like a clam shell and you used a ladder to access it. Cool idea, right? I thought so.

The first night I arrived here, the weather was calm. I popped the tent and slept like a baby. Unfortunately, the calm, clear weather provided some of most boring skies I have seen in Iceland. They were colorless too, both at sunset and sunrise. While Aldeyjarfoss was impressive to witness firsthand, my photographs were rather blah. As a result, I decided to drive back to the Ring Road to visit some other locations and return again that night for a second attempt. 

On the second night, I arrived a couple hours before sunset. The clouds were coming in and my hopes for a good photograph were rising. Then, as it often does in Iceland, the weather dramatically changed. Rain started coming down sideways, the wind howled and everything turned gray (if you could see anything at all). I managed to open the tent, get in and attempt to sleep.

The wind shook the SUV so much that I was rolling around on top of it, and before long the rain started making its way inside. I decided to abandon tent… Opening the zipper, I caught a face full of rain and discovered that the wind had blown the ladder away! My tent exit/rooftop dismount was basically a wet slide/flop, but I landed on my feet! I found the ladder, closed the tent and climbed in the back of the SUV. Of course, I got completely soaked in this hilarious process.

The wind/rain continued for several hours, but I did mange to get some sleep in the SUV. When I awoke to my iPhone alarm shortly before sunrise, the conditions had improved. I quickly jumped out of the car and grabbed my gear to make the short hike to the edge of the falls. Still damp and a little cold, I watched the sun rise behind the waterfall. The end results of this adventure to Aldeyjarfoss include a stiff back, wet socks and this sunrise image. All worth it. :)

Skógafoss

This is another image of the incredible Skógafoss in southern Iceland. Standing at the base of this 200 foot waterfall was an amazing experience. As you can see, the spray from the fall is extensive, so there is no avoiding getting wet. 

After I took this image, I hiked up to a lookout point on the right side of the falls. You may remember that earlier this year I posted an image of the Troll at Skógafoss. If you look closely, you can see some people standing about two-thirds of the way to the top…that is where you can see the Troll. You can also use the size of the people to get some perspective on the enormity this waterfall. 

One of the many things I like about Iceland is how easy it is to access some of the attractions. Skógafoss is right next to the main road and an easy walk from the carpark. As a result, this is one of the most visited waterfalls on the island. There is a campsite just behind where I took this image and I was able to spend the night here…letting the roar of the water put me to sleep.

The Fairy Pools

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to visit the Isle of Skye on the Northwest coast of Scotland. The scenery here is spectacular! Mountains, lakes, waterfalls, seaside cliffs and beautiful valleys are found all over the island. You just have to get a bit lucky with the unpredictable and often changing weather, so that you can enjoy all that there is to experience.

This image is from the Fairy Pools, an amazing series of cascading, crystal clear, blue colored pools that are fed by a stream coming off of the Black Cullin mountains. I was surprised how many separate pools there were...I figured there would be 4 or 5, but there are easily dozens that step their way down the gentle slope. Most of the pools also feature a waterfall and the water is so clear that you can see every pebble and stone under the surface. If you are brave enough, you can swim in the larger pools. I did see a few people strip down to their bathing suits and jump in for a short time, but they climbed out quickly. The water looks appealing, but it is very cold coming down from the mountains.

This shallow pool is one of the furthest upstream. There were hundreds of people hiking that afternoon, but most of them stopped and spent their time at one of the lower pools. As I walked, each pool seemed more appealing than the last…so I kept going until I arrived here...a picturesque spot with the mountains towering directly behind the waterfalls. I had it all to myself for about 30 minutes before some others joined me. 

It was such a peaceful place on a beautiful afternoon. I didn't want to leave, but after three straight days of wind and rain, I decided to take advantage of the great weather and check off a few more places that I wanted to explore. It turns out that leaving was a good choice as I photographed a beautiful sunset that evening at Niest Point. I am looking forward to sharing that image in the coming weeks. 

Divers Down

This image was captured inside one of the largest shopping malls in the world…the Dubai Mall in the United Arab Emirates. I am not an avid shopper…in fact, I had no interest in visiting any of its 1,200 shops, but I did want to wander through the numerous atriums and art displays that make this a fascinating indoor space.

This is from the human waterfall found inside “The Grove”. It is an immense, curved waterfall, cascading down four stories (the entire height of the building). Human sculptures (representing pearl divers) with their hands spreading sideward are positioned across the falls. Although the sculptures are stationary, the cascading water behind them gives them a sense of motion that is captivating…and is what I was hoping to capture in this image. 

To give you some perspective, each of the statues are about 5 feet tall from head to toe…so this shot spans more than 25 feet in each direction. I found the symmetry I wanted by going up to the second floor. At this height, was even with some of the statues and there was minimal distortion from looking up or down. I experimented with a few different shutter speeds, settling on this one where there is some movement in the water while still providing some great texture in the image.

The Troll at Skógafoss

Skógafoss is one of Iceland’s most famous waterfalls, as well as one of its biggest. The falls span a width of 82 feet and drop an impressive 200 feet, producing a constant cloud of mist that swirls around the base. Due to the spray, a single or double rainbow is often visible on sunny days. 

In addition to its striking beauty, Iceland is host to an extensive amount of legend and folklore. A major part of the lore are the trolls…large, evil monsters that live in caves and feast on both people and livestock. Fortunately, trolls only travel by night as they are immediately turned to stone when exposed to sunlight. You can see several remnants of trolls as you drive around Iceland…in hillsides, mountains and cliffs…and here overlooking Skógafoss.
 
I have to imagine this troll was simply transfixed by the beauty of the waterfall and did not pay attention to the fact that the sun was rising. Although now a piece of stone, at least he has an amazing view.

While the constant spray allows for rainbows like the one in this image, it also plays havoc with camera gear. I protected my gear with a large plastic bag while waiting for a rainbow to appear and had to constantly wipe water from my lens before capturing this image. The mist also coats the ground, so the narrow path was slippery getting to this point and I was a little nervous about my footing. Everything ended well though and after toweling off my camera at the car, I was ready to hunt down more waterfalls…and trolls.

If you would like to see roughly where I was when taking this image, check out my other Skógafoss post.

Hraunfossar

This was captured in Iceland on the last day of my visit there in 2015. I find Iceland to be an amazing place and so much fun to photograph. You have incredible “big” views all over the country…enormous waterfalls, mountains & vistas that go on for miles and miles. Sometimes I find it hard to focus on one thing to photograph as there are beautiful views in almost every direction competing for your attention. 

This is Hraunfossar, or perhaps a better description would be one of the small waterfalls that make up Hraunfossar. Hraunfossar consists of dozens, possibly hundreds, of waterfalls stretching across an area of several hundred meters. The waterfalls appear out of nowhere…seriously. Small fissures in the lava rock allow for water to escape, but you see no river or body of water above the falls, the water just comes out of the rock!

There is a viewing platform where you can see most of the waterfalls that make up Hraunfossar. Standing on the platform I tried composing various images, but found the numerous falls more distracting than pleasing. Don’t get me wrong, it is an amazing sight, but difficult to photograph. After several minutes, I zoomed in and focused on one single waterfall…eliminating all of the falls that surrounded it. The simple beauty of one 4 foot waterfall was enough.

After a week of gazing at some of the largest, tallest and most powerful waterfalls in the world, the last photo I took in Iceland was of one of the smallest.