Wandering the shores of the Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon in Iceland rates in my top ten photographic life experiences. The sheer number of possible photographs in this remarkable location make even an extended stay seem just way too short for the keen landscape photographer. No matter what the weather or lens there are wonderful photographs to be made at the lagoon. This photograph was shot looking directly at the carving face of the Vatnajokull glacier  as an arctic fog and mist rolled down the glacial tongue from the slopes above. There is a wonderful suppleness and velvety feel to the fog as it spills down the rolling wave like formations of the glacier. This photograph was very tough to print with its many white-on-white subtle tonal variations; but the end result really works for me and is a photograph that at least for me captures the essence of the Vatnajokull glacier. A higher resolution version of this photograph is on my Portfolio website at www.jholko.com.

The Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon in the South of Iceland with its myriad of icebergs  is a natural wonder and phenomenon that provides landscape photographers with virtually limitless possibilities for photography. Easily accessed from the main Highway One ring road the lagoon is an ever changing landscape filled with icebergs that have carved of Europe’s largest glacier – the Vatnajokull Glacier. There is a real peacefulness and feeling of serenity at the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon. The silence is often broken only by the squawk of  native sea birds or the occasional iceberg rolling over. It is an incredibly beautiful place.

I spent quite a few days in this area of Iceland visiting at all hours of the day and night. As the lagoon is so dynamic it changes daily and can be packed or virtually empty of icebergs. Frequent visits often yield very different results and its easy to spend hours lost in ones photography wandering the banks of the lagoon seeking out different shaped icebergs, different textures and different compositions.

During one evenings photography our group was slowly making our way along the bank of the lagoon around 11pm taking photographs of the many icebergs in beautiful soft overcast light. This iceberg, lit from underneath and shaped like half a clam shell was reflected in the near perfectly still waters and is one of my favourites from this area. In this small web jpeg you can just see the distant Vatnajokull glacier in the mist.

Iceland is literally a waterfall photographers paradise. Not only does it boast Europe’s largest waterfall ‘Dettifoss’, but it also sports many hundreds of others; many of which are awe inspiring for their sheer size and majesty alone. One of Iceland’s most beautiful and easily accessible waterfalls is ‘Godafoss’ or as it is translated into English ‘Waterfall of the Gods’. The waterfall is formed by the cascading glacial waters of the river Skja’lfandafljo’t; which has cut a horseshoe canyon through the rock forming the shape of the falls. Despite the fact that Godafoss is smaller than many of Iceland’s famous waterfalls it is strikingly beautiful and was one of the many locations I had been really looking forward to visiting and photographing.

As fate would have it the Gods would smile on our visit to Godafoss and deal our group just the right hand with some of the most stunning light I have experienced for landscape photography. Credit also goes to our guide for some truly impeccable timing. We arrived at Godafoss on our journey south somewhat exhausted from long days of  shooting and lack of sleep just before sunrise around 2am. Thankfully Godafoss is easily accessible and the walk from the 4WD is only an easy five minute stroll up the path. As we geared up at the 4WD the very first light of dawn was just starting to tinge the high cloud cover. By the time we arrived at the falls the entire sky was illuminated in a blaze of orange and pink hues that was simply gorgeous. As we began shooting the light just continued to get better and better with wonderfully soft pastel colours reflecting off the upper clouds onto the grasses and water. We spent around an hour photographing the falls before the light turned grey and dull and we returned to the 4WD for some much needed coffee. We spent the rest of the day covering miles in cold grey overcast weather. The grins on our faces however lasted much longer than the morning light – even now this one makes me smile.

I spent quite a bit of time at the Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon whilst I was in Iceland. It is truly a magical place for photography whilst simultaneously being extraordinarily difficult from a composition perspective. The lagoon can be virtually empty, or jam packed with ice depending on the somewhat fickle prevailing weather and changing moods of the Vatnajokull glacier; which carves directly into the lagoon.

Sunset generally produced the best light in my experience; offering the opportunity for warm back lit icebergs against the cool dark of the glacial water. Sometimes however, even in Iceland the best light lasts only seconds; as was the case when I took this photograph. This was one of around 400 frames I shot over the course of a few hours at the lagoon and is the only one that best captures the light I was after.