What initially started as a hobby is now his profession. Photographer Michael Kuschei works in many areas of photography. At his Trip to Iceland he stopped the landscape fascinating images firmly. In his luggage he had next to his Canon EOS 5D Mark III the F:X Pro round filter set as well as that C6i carbon travel tripod. In this article he tells everything about the trip, fantastic photo spots and his experiences from his own perspective. We hope you enjoy reading!
The trip to Iceland in times of Corona!
The first time I was in Iceland was in September 2016. Back then I was there for almost 10 days, as was the case this time, and my fascination for this country never stops. Since the volcano erupted in Iceland, the island has again been on the planning list for future trips. However, there were many obstacles in the way of the journey due to the coronavirus. A five-day quarantine in a hotel would simply have been too costly and time-consuming. This quarantine period could only be avoided through a vaccination or an illness.
Since such a trip should never be undertaken alone if you want to share the experiences, I put together my team. Which was also rather difficult due to the requirements. In the meantime, a photographer colleague had received a vaccination against the virus, which only required one dose. Another colleague was also able to accompany us as a recovered person due to a positive antibody test.
So the three of us started the journey and on the first day we really wanted to marvel at the fiery natural wonder. Since we had a very long journey, we started after a short break Towards the volcano. Once we arrived at the parking lot, we could simply follow the pilgrimage route to the natural spectacle. After a few minutes on the trail we could see a column of smoke that was lit glowing red and orange. The closer we came, the greater the tension. A wide valley then lay in front of us. Filled with black and red glowing lava. There was a huge one on the horizon fire-breathing mountain to see. First we explored the fresh lava that was pushed out of the lava field. An incomparable heat greeted us. It was even hotter and more intense than anything else I've experienced so far. What I didn't know until that moment was that solidified lava and also liquid lava are constantly moving. The sound that this type of movement makes could be compared to shards of glass being pushed back and forth.
| focal length | cover | ISO | Exposure time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25mm | F/9 | 100 | 13 seconds |
After getting our first impressions of the lava field, we continued up the mountain to get to the view of the volcano. When you stand directly in front of the volcano, you feel tiny. The crater of the volcano itself was probably about the size of an entire football field. One shot out of the volcano every few minutes huge lava fountain. Even though we were several hundred meters away, we could still feel the heat. The lava fireworks were always followed by a tidal wave of lava. This is what I wanted with him F:X Pro Filter 82mm ND64 in one Capture long exposure. I thought of the silky water of a river in similar shots.
Because the volcano formed a cloud around itself, we were unable to watch the sun rise or set despite the length of time we spent there.
| focal length | cover | ISO | Exposure time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 34mm | F/9 | 100 | 20 seconds |
Silky waterfalls and crystal clear icebergs
Our journey then continued, past Seljalandsfoss, Gljúfrabúi and Gluggafoss to Skógafoss. The latter is one of the largest waterfalls in Iceland and impresses with its water curtain. Along the river you could find small areas sheltered from the wind, in which the waterfall was reflected. If you were able to place the tripod cleverly, you can have one like this nice long exposure with the F:X Pro filter 82 mm ND1000 and the ND64 capture.
| focal length | cover | ISO | Exposure time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16mm | F/3.2 | 100 | 5 seconds |
Through a constantly changing landscape, past Fjaðrárgljúfur, a very beautiful gorge, which shines in the green of the moss, we continued towards Skaftafell National Park. There we took a short hike to Svartifoss. This waterfall is characterized by the special rock structures through which it flows. This was created by slowly cooling lava.
| focal length | cover | ISO | Exposure time | Max aperture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22mm | F/2.8 | 100 | 4 seconds | 3 |
Continuing on the N1 we came directly to it Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon over. There we unpacked our inflatable stand up paddling boards and paddled directly past the huge, floating icebergs. After we were completely soaked, we treated ourselves to a break next door black beach. At first glance it seemed to be decorated with numerous diamonds. But the closer you got, you noticed that it was lots of little icebergs were the sea floating in front of them on the beach. These crystals also offered a great motif with the flowing water, which was particularly great with one longer exposure and the F:X Pro Filter 82mm ND1000 came into its own. In the second picture the F:X Pro 82mm ND8 used.
| focal length | cover | ISO | Exposure time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24mm | F/9 | 100 | 1.3 seconds |
| focal length | cover | ISO | Exposure time | Max aperture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70mm | F/3.2 | 100 | 2 seconds | 3 |
Clear vision with the F:X Pro ND and polarization filters F:X Pro CPL
Afterwards we continued on Stokksnes, where the black sand beach met rugged mountains. Actually we would have one there again sunset aspired to, but were disappointed with clouds that lingered in the mountains. Nevertheless, I was able to do that F:X Pro CPL a couple Contrasts even stronger lift out.
| focal length | cover | ISO | Exposure time | Max aperture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16mm | F/2.8 | 100 | 1/1250 seconds | 3 |
There are a large number of waterfalls in Iceland. Each one is worth a look. Our route continued through numerous fjords, rocky mountain roads and waterfalls. Through the volcanic landscape From Myvaten we then arrived at Aldeyjarfoss. A waterfall that looks like it flows into a lake due to its special flow. Time didn't play a role on our trip because the sun only disappeared for about 3-4 hours before it rose again. So perfect conditions and an eternally long blue hour for taking photos.
Goðafoss was roughly the same way back where we turned off the N1 ring road to Aldeyjarfoss. It was already 2:00 in the morning and the moon was slowly rising on the horizon. The Godafoss is characterized by its wide course and therefore appears gigantic. I tried a little with that F:X Pro CPL round filter to experiment and found that even in the middle of the night Reflections in the water can thus be eliminated.
After this waterfall we continued towards the northwest. Since we never really enjoyed a dark night, two of us slept while one was at the wheel. During the trip we could take forever long sunrise experience and discover some motifs. Here the polarization filter convinced again and showed its strength by Colors much richer let it work. Above all, they were noticed Change in heaven thanks to the saturated blue tone. What particularly fascinates me about this filter is that it... Clouds more visible in the sky makes appear.
In the evening we continued west to Kirkjufellsfoss. There we finally met one wonderful sunset rewarded.
Panorama on Kirkjufellsfoss
After Kirkjufellsfoss, where I... F:X Pro Filter 82mm ND 1000 used, we had actually already circled the island and still had 2 days left before we had to take our return flight. At the very beginning of our trip we wanted to observe and photograph the puffins on the island. Unfortunately, due to the bad weather and strong wind, we didn't get to see the birds. That's why we started a new attempt on the remaining days. On the way to the Puffins we also drove past Seljalandsfoss again, which we initially visited in the midday sun. I wanted to take the chance and see the waterfall again photograph in better light. We were treated to a wonderful sunset that turned the waterfall golden yellow and finally red. Tripod and camera were quickly set up so that we were able to get one Panorama of six images with long exposure and the F:X Pro Filter 82mm ND64 to shoot.
The next day we returned to the location of the puffins and were able to capture all the motifs we had planned. Towards the evening the weather changed again and it became rainy and stormy.
We decided to visit the volcano again in the most adverse conditions. This time without a camera, but with rain gear. We concluded our last day with a small barbecue over the hot lava.
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