Author Topic: Iceland this Fall  (Read 4181 times)

The_Traveler

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Iceland this Fall
« on: July 03, 2015, 22:49:18 »
I will be in Iceland for 4 or 5 days.
A good friend took a workshop there and wants to go back for a day of individual work with the same leader.
He invited me to go along to share the experience in the thought that 4 eyes and 4 ears are better than 2 of each for retaining instruction.
Our plan is to rent a car for the first two days and shoot around and have pictures for the workshop.

We will shoot with Sony A7 gear (except I will bring an OMD 5 and lenses for backup); between us we have A7 II, A7s and A7r (we hope the A7r II gets shipped by then) and several lenses.

Dates aren't firm, pending instructor and plane flight, but we are going sometime between Aug 15 and Nov 15.
Does anyone have suggestions for those days of shooting?
Lew Lorton
The_Traveler
a non-technical shooter

elsa hoffmann

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Re: Iceland this Fall
« Reply #1 on: July 03, 2015, 22:55:54 »
Lew - Shirley St Clair Laing just came back from a 2 week "safari"  in ICELAND
If you still have contact with her  - chat to her perhaps
"You don’t take a photograph – you make it” – Ansel Adams. Thats why I use photoshop.
www.phototourscapetown.com
www.elsa.co.za. www.intimateimages.co.za

afx

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Re: Iceland this Fall
« Reply #2 on: July 04, 2015, 08:21:48 »
Hi Lew,

for a rental car, check here: http://sadcars.com/
Well maintained cars instead of new cars. Saves quite a bit of money. Found that too late when I was there.

Unfortunately I lost a link. There is a web site that has loads of points of interest that are not in the average tour guide. I used that to find interesting spots.

What is your base?

Check sunrise/sunset times. At one night there was the sun setting in front of me and a full moon rising behind me out at Grottá  (peninsula at the edge of Reikjavik).

Some of my Iceland images can be found here: http://images.afximages.com/Travel/Iclandic-Impressions

cheers
afx

The_Traveler

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Re: Iceland this Fall
« Reply #3 on: July 04, 2015, 15:11:59 »
thanks, rental car link is gold.
exact dates and locations yet unknown but date is localizing in Nov.
Lew Lorton
The_Traveler
a non-technical shooter

afx

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Re: Iceland this Fall
« Reply #4 on: July 04, 2015, 16:59:13 »
You also might want to search for Iceland on the Luminous Landscape forums, it is a popular destination there.

cheers
afx

Mikes

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Re: Iceland this Fall
« Reply #5 on: July 05, 2015, 17:06:29 »
Iceland is surprisingly big - you would need a week to drive around the island and take in the sights. Two days will not get you far out of Reykjavik, so you will need to be selective. If you can squeeze in two nights away, I suggest that you consider Landmannalagur (http://wikitravel.org/en/Landmannalaugar) which is an interesting and colorful geothermal area in the highlands a few hours drive out of Reykjavik. The are a few half day hikes there that are quite spectacular, as well as longer hikes - you will need a full day there to take it all in. The way to get there is from the north (road F208). It is a rough gravel road accessible only by 4WD vehicles, but is scenic. I would be happy to provide accommodation suggestions if appropriate. A trip to Landmannalagur will let you experience rural Iceland, the remote highlands, a geothermal region and the beautiful rhyolite mountains there.

Late September/early October is a good time to go, as the crowds of tourists and backpackers will mostly have gone, prices are cheaper and the autumn colours are at their best. However, the highland roads start to close from then on as snow drifts start to build. Rent a 4WD so you can get off the beaten track (and on the the highland "F" roads). Iceland can be very windy and wet, and areas like Landmannalagur can be very dusty (volcanic ash), so take plenty of lens cleaning gear. And keep up to date with the weather forecasts.

Mike Selby - Sydney

Gary

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Re: Iceland this Fall
« Reply #6 on: July 05, 2015, 18:24:38 »
I hope your trip is fruitful. Looks like a great place for photography.
"Everywhere you look there are photographs, it is the call of photographers to see and capture them."- Gary Ayala
My snaps are here: www.garyayala.com
Critiquing my snaps are always welcomed and appreciated.

The_Traveler

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Re: Iceland this Fall
« Reply #7 on: July 05, 2015, 18:26:06 »
Mike Selby,
any suggestions for accommodations are fine.
I have no idea where we will be staying as I am not handling the issues.
The trip will be in November as that is the only time the 'instructor' is available.

Both of us are going mostly just to get away for a very long weekend and, if we are stuck in close to city, that's fine with us.

L
Lew Lorton
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a non-technical shooter

Mikes

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Re: Iceland this Fall
« Reply #8 on: July 06, 2015, 13:17:08 »
Hi Lew,

Unfortunately November is too late to go to Landmannalaugar. There are plenty of photographic opportunities in Reykjavik in the old part of town near the port. It is best to do this on foot. An out of town opportunity is the Þingvillur (thingvillur) National Park, where the impact of the ongoing separation of the North American and European tectonic plates is best seen - it is literally tearing the countryside apart there. See http://wergeland.dk/www.wergeland.dk/25.07.09_Daytrip_to_ingvillur,_Geysir_and_Gullfoss.html.

It is an easy 2-3 hour day trip, and there is also an interesting geothermal area there called Geysir (with its own geyser)- also worth a visit.

There will be plenty of accommodation available in Reykjavik in November including B&Bs, hotels, apartments, etc. Best found through Google.

Enjoy the stay.....
Mike Selby - Sydney