It didn't look like much on the map. And even the short walk from the parking lot didn't inspire confidence. But once I got to the wooden bridge straddling the river downstream of the falls, I was taken aback. It wasn't the typical Icelandic waterfall, featuring a tall column of water descending from the lip of hard basalt that you see everywhere. Instead, it was a diffuse waterfall, spreading along a long ledge over which a multitude of streams pour over. Perhaps what was most fascinating was the tiny canyon barely 3m tall and a meter wide that cut its way into the face of the waterfall.
I spent an hour admiring every single detail of the waterfall, from the columnar basalt in the foreground, the faded clumps of orange grass that contrasted with the deep blue water, and the roaring sound of the gushing river.
Bruarfoss
Iceland
And the Curtains part
I distinctly remember where I was when I heard about the May 11 G4 geomagnetic storm that would go on to create auroral displays in nearly all the states in the US. It was a slow-moving storm, and that gave enough time to evaluate locations to catch the aurora. This G4 storm earlier this month came with much less warning and lead-time. This fast moving storm would impact earth in just 24 hrs after it was detected. Were I in the US at that time, I would have struggled to find the right location to shoot it, but I happened to be in Iceland at that time. And while October usually results in changing weather patterns, I happened to be just an hour away from locations with 360 views, fairly calm conditions and very little light pollution.
The intensity of the storm was such that, even with my eyes blinded by headlights, the deep red glow was visible as clear as day as the storm was starting to build up. I pulled over, anticipating a sub-storm that would blow up the sky. And it did. As the intensity of the storm peaked, beams of light stretched from the coronal center all the way to the peaks in the horizon. It was as though the curtains of the sky had parted, and brilliant multi-colored light hiding behind the jeweled night sky filtered from the heavens.
The storm would continue for many more hours of that long night, with periods of quiet interlude between sudden showers of light. Nearly a decade since my first aurora, I couldn't believe that I would get to witness such an incredible spectacle so many more times. It was a night I wouldn't forget for a long time.
Kalfafellsstadur
Iceland
Church Mountain
Sometimes I like to revisit photos of places that I had visited in the past to help kindle that sense of nostalgia. And after California, I often go to my archives from Iceland. It has been one of the diverse landscapes I had visited, where glaciers and geysers coexist, where sheep-filled meadows end in a rocky landscape and where one can enjoy the northern lights from outdoor hot-springs.
Kirkjufell is perhaps one of the most iconic locations in the island nation, featured in every travel poster. I visited the peak during the tail end of my trip, and I still have fond memories of the beautiful sunrise I witnessed there.
Kirkjufell
Iceland
Winter Lights
The Pacific Northwest, though known for its amazing landscape and inspiring outdoors, is a tough place to live in in the winter. As we approach the winter solstice, the prolonged conditions of short days that last only 8 hours, and the ubiquitous grey and gloomy skies can put anyone in a dank mood. This double whammy has been exacerbated this year by the pandemic restrictions on travel and socializing, and poor economic and social outlook. Many people have lost their loved ones or their livelihood.
But there is hope around the corner. The vaccines are coming, and after tomorrow, the days will slowly get longer. Our lives will slowly achieve a sense of normalcy, and we can soon look forward to traveling and experiencing the delights of the world we live in. Like this display of the aurora borealis from Iceland.
Bordeyri
Iceland
Sublime Sunrise
It was one of those dreamy mornings where the light and location came together in perfect harmony.
After having spent a late night hunting for the aurora, motivating myself to leave the cozy confirms of a warm bed out into the cold still morning didn't feel like an easy proposition, But as soon as I saw the clear skies and the just a tinge of clouds on the horizon, I knew I had to rush to the inlet near the village of Grundarfjörður to capture the majesty of Kirkjufell.
I am glad I did, because it turned out to be one of most sublime sunrises I had ever witnessed on that memorable trip to Iceland about 4 years ago.
Kirkjufell
Iceland
Driving Around Iceland
The problem with driving around Iceland is that you’re basically confronted by a new soul-enriching, breath-taking, life-affirming natural sight every five goddamn minutes. It’s totally exhausting.
- Stephen Markley
Every turn, every mile, and every day brought out a new scenery to stare at, a new waterfall to wander to, a new mountain to be amazed by, a new glacier to gape at, a new terrain to traverse, and a new landscape to shoot. The long days of driving around this tiny island, while tiring, was anything but boring. It was a wonderous destination with jaw-dropping beauty, a magical place I would love to return to.
Ring road
South Iceland
Glacial Designs
“Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life—and travel—leaves marks on you.”
- Anthony Bourdain
Iceland certainly left its mark on me. Witnessing the raw power of earth's forces transform the landscape before my very eyes, from glaciers gouging vast canyons, waterfalls cutting through the soft earth, laval flows creating new land, and rivers, lakes and oceans shaping the harsh terrain all around, was an indelible experience.
I hope to see this magic once again
Skaftafell National Park
Iceland
Through the wormhole
The glow in the night sky transcended reality: green shimmers and pink glimmers glinted and gleamed against a dark starscape. Eventually, thick bands swept their way over the mountains, across the fjord and onto the next valley deep in the Westfjords of Iceland, until one settled right atop me, albeit just for a moment.
Clear winter nights in the Pacific Northwest make me yearn for the Aurora spectacle that I had witnessed in the northern reaches of Iceland. And I hope to visit that magical display in the sky once again.
Flateyri
Westfjords, Iceland
Light of the Night - II
It was hoping for another night with a clear sky. I was eager to see another light of the night.
My body was still recovering from a lack of sleep from the previous night in northern Iceland, while my mind recovering from witnessing one of the best displays of the Northern Lights. I had been held in a trance by that display, unable to move from the camera even as the mercury dropped below freezing. My camera died before I did.
The second night, I was out by a village in the remote reaches of Westfjords, and was hoping I would be able to get a similar display tonight. And after dinnertime, I bee-lined out to one of the vista-points I had scouted earlier, parked my car, and waited for the clouds to part.
And the sky did not disappoint. The dance of this light of the night was ethereal, a scintillating display of auroral glow that I would never forget. It was dimmer, but still brilliant.
Flateyri
Westfjords, Iceland
Once upon a Glacier
Once upon a time, a glacier used to run this this massive valley, descending from the mighty Vatnajökull whose eruption brought the transatlantic flights to a standstill. Though this glacier had paled in comparison to its parent, it still had been a voluminous mass of ice, stretching a few miles long and a mile wide. Alas, now this glacier has all but receded to its ice-cap, leaving behind a gorgeous glacier-scoured valley, a meltwater lake and tiny slivers of water that wind their way down to the ocean.
Standing atop this vista overlooking this valley, I can't help but imagine what this amazing sight would have been.
Sakftafell National Park