Iceland: Part 2

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As we continued up Route 47 to the waterfall at Kirkjufell, a series of intermittent showers began to tantalize us with a series rainbows shimmering in the fjord (Hvalfjörður, which is about 30 km long and 5 km wide). We finally found a place with enough room to park off the road, but as we scrambled out of the vehicle we were immediately buffeted by extremely strong wind gusts.  Nevertheless, a complete rainbow hung over the water and we would not be deterred.

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Rainbow over Hvalfjörður fjord, Iceland

This was the last we saw of any sunshine on this day.  By the time we reached the waterfall, the wind was approaching gale force (my opinion, based on the fact the rain was going more or less sideways).  But extreme weather can be an exhilarating experience and while I captured no memorable photos at this waterfall, I’m not likely to forget the power of the wind and rain during my brief excursion around the falls.

Based in Hellnar for the night, we headed out to Arnarstapi for a twilight photograph of the Gatklettur Rock, a natural arch formed on the beach.  The rain had slackened, and the dark clouds provided a foreboding scene. Two members of our group can be seen in the lower left corner of the first image, prviding a sense of scale.

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Gatklettur Natural Arch from Overlook

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Gatklettur Natural Arch, Close View from Overlook

Since the images of the horses were well received, here is one more which I suspect is an equine interpretation of the verb “photobomb.”

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I failed to mention in the previous post that the horses were located in a large pasture along Route 47, about 7 km northeast of the intersection of Route 1 and Route 47.

To be continued….

20 thoughts on “Iceland: Part 2”

  2. You may not have come home with great images of the waterfall, but there are times when I find I actually get more enjoyment out of just admiring something than being worried about composition, lighting and perfect exposure. The mental images have value as well. Love the natural bridge and absolutely love the photobomb!!

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  4. I love your photos of Iceland ! I have been there twice, and I always say that it is one of the best kept secrets in America ! Did you know that Iceland is closer to the U.S. than London ? It is one of the most fantastic places I have ever been because of the amazing geology !

    Thank you again for your marvelous photography.

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    • Thanks, Annette, I’m glad you liked the images. This is my first trip so it was all new to me. As I mentioned to someone else the secret, unfortunately, is getting out. We saw a fair number of Americans, many of whom were photographers.

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  5. Oh, you are having the life I want and capturing it so so well. Guess you wont be around for the moon shot on Mon. Let me know if you are and maybe I will meet you. In NY until Sun. night late.

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    • Hi, Valerie:
      Thanks for your message. Stay tuned to this continuing saga, you may not want to experience all of what happened. But I am back in DC now and plan to shoot the lunar eclipse, weather permitting. Will you be here on in NY that night?

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  10. LOL – LOVE the photobomb 😀 As for the landscapes, wow – just wow! The rainbow is stunning, and the arch – so glad you included a few from your group to provide that amazing sense of scale. While the weather didn’t cooperate as you had hoped, your photos are nevertheless wonderful!

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