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Iceland – 2017

Visiting Iceland you quickly realize it’s nearly impossible to take a bad looking photo. In some ways it’s almost too easy. I got caught up in the tourist mindset a little too much and a little lazy with pointing and clicking. I had little time to push the photographs beyond “post-card” level. Some got close, such as the first one below.

Drove a mile out onto the black beach on the south side of the island. This is looking back onto the island, the ocean right behind me.

The contrasts are amazing, particularly between the arid volcanic soil and the life that clings to it. “How’s this growing here?” went through my mind on a daily basis.

Chunks of ice broken away from a glacier, like miniature icebergs floating about in the bay. Crackling melting sounds mixed with the ocean waves dying onto the beach. The waster onto the porous volcanic beach made a weird sifting sound as it melted through.

The visit was in mid September, so late summer. The warmth was in the air briefly for periods in the daytime. (when it wasn’t gusting and raining)  Oddly enough the nights were fairly warm. I came to realize it’s because the volcanic island  generates enough heat from the ground to keep things more bearable than expected.

Spires jutting out from the ocean, the waves were coming down hard and loud onto the rocks. Had to climb a little to get to this shot.
Inland was generally colder. This area was couple hours drive in a 4 wheeler. Here’s some green life clinging on with help from steam from hot springs. Sizzling sounds and sulfur smells.
Glacier bay on the south side of the island. Seals were playing about, heads bobbing up and down. The occasional floating piece of ice would shift and break, crashing into the water.
Panorama of Skaftafellsjökull. A days hike following up and down the side of the glacier. Immense and jaw dropping sight.

I’ll likely try to get back sometime. There’s plenty of inland and northern coast to explore. From a photography standpoint there’s plenty to do. And from a running and hiking standpoint there’s REALLY plenty to do.