First Day In Iceland, End of the Day

In my blog last week, I talked about my first day in Iceland and left the story when we arrived at Hraunfossar water falls. But that was by no means the end of our first day in Iceland.

Just up stream from Hraunfossar is a really cool area called Barnafoss. The width of the river is narrower, deeper and swifter than at Hraunfossar. After shooting Hraunfossar I wandered up stream and found this little gem. My only regret is that I did not climb down the bank you see in the shot above and get a better composition with the water coming into the gorge. Just below this area the water moves swiftly and has carved out some very interesting contours.

By the time I had finished with this shot it was getting pretty late and we had a long way to go to get back to Reykjavik, though none of us actually knew how far or which way to go exactly.

The Storm Arrives

We headed west knowing we should be able to find our way to highway one, the ring road that goes all the way around Iceland. But night was upon us and it began to rain. Then the wind began to blow hard and in gusts. And it was now a two lane paved road, in the dark, rainy, windy with big trucks coming at us that created all kinds of havoc. The one good thing was we were now on the ring road heading toward Rekjavik. We had been up almost all of the night before, had been traveling and photographing nonstop all day and now we were gifted with this amazingly exciting challenge: get back to Reykjavik as quickly as possible. . . because we are starving!

When we reached the Hvalfjordor Tunnel we knew we were pretty much home, and I must say the calm in the tunnel (well lit with no wind or rain) was very comforting. We got back to Reykjavik around 10 pm, parked the car and headed for the nearest restaurants. Guess what, they all close at 10 pm. After getting two or three refusals to let us in we found this little café that took mercy on us.

We sat gratefully on stools at a counter. I ordered the salmon dinner and it was, hands down, without a doubt, the very best salmon dinner I have ever had. You could wonder if perhaps it tasted so good because we had not eaten all day and we were exhausted and famished. But there is a flavor that very

fresh, properly cooked salmon has and this salmon dinner had it! In fact, I was so good I kept ordering salmon all over the south of Iceland. But none compared to the dinner I had on this night. When I return next year I will be sure this time to write down the name of the restaurant and share it with you so you can try it out yourself.

The East Side of the Sierras is Beautiful

Why “Notes to My Mother”? My mother was the one person in my life who was always interested in what I was doing, what I had to say, who I was. She was never too busy to listen and take an interest. Never critical, always accepting. Even when I was wrong or misguided, there would still be a gentle interested listener present. Though she has been gone over 6 years, I still get the urge to write or call her, to share an image I am proud of or share my latest adventure to some beautiful place. I know she would love to hear about it. My mother was an artist. She painted most of her life, right up to her passing at the age of 96. When I was 4 years old we lived on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Range. She would take me out to paint with her - she with her easel, me with mine - and we would sit together creating our art. While I gave up on the medium she kept at it. Then, in the year she passed I picked up a digital camera and began my adventure into the world of landscape ph...

Eastern Sierras in Black and White

In November 2021 my grandson, Levi, and I headed to the Eastern Sierras to do some photography and enjoy the east side. Levi is a budding photographer (just sold his first print last week) and immerses himself fully into the pursuit of great images. Lundy Lake on a cold morning but enjoyable nonetheless. Just south of Mammoth Lakes, Mount Morrison rises to the heavens. This image was taken at sunset. Had the wind been just a bit calmer some very nice reflections would have graced our view. Maybe next time.

Mesa Arch & The Washer Woman

When the first light of the day hits the underside of an arch in Canyon Lands or Arches National Parks they glow a beautiful shades of crimson much like those found in slot canyons. A magnificent example is Mesa Arch located in Canyon Lands, Utah. However, as with many of the more popular photography spots, if you want to get a good shot you have to be there early. We were staying in Moab and it was about an hour’s travel time from the motel to getting on site at the arch. But arriving at or near sunrise would not be sufficient, we had to be there at least two hours before sunrise in other to have assurance of a front row seat. This is one of the parts shooting sunrises that I enjoy tremendously. Getting up around 3 am, traveling to the site under the stars, walking in to the location in the dark and setting up without being able to see the whole scene that is going to unfold. On this morning we had a treat. We were the first ones there so we could pick our spots. But more...

Notes To My Mother

Search This Blog