Iceland Photography July / August 2019. V919.

[Photo Andy]

This is my photographic experience on an Icelandic cruise sailing from and returning to the UK, including weather, equipment, techniques, practicalities, and potential problems. 

We have just returned from a 2 week Iceland cruise on board Cunard Queen Victoria, July / August 2019.

Iceland is stunning with many photographic opportunities including wildlife (puffins, whales etc), volcanic scenery, geysers and waterfalls.

We visited the Icelandic ports of Akureyri,  Isafjordur, and Reykjavik.   

Weather was warm and sunny 20C, we had been told the weather could be variable including rain, wind, sleet, snow etc and we prepared for bad weather with Gore-Tex boots and jackets, gloves, hats etc and rain jacket protection for the camera and lens. You are just south of the Arctic Circle and when crossing the Arctic Circle sailing from Akureryi to Isafjordur becoming a "Blue Nose". We were informed that summer of 2018 Iceland had 4 days of sun and was cold at 4c but in 2019 it has been sunny and warm since May to early August.  Be prepared for all weather.   

Equipment - Nikon D5 with 24-70 and 70-200 F2.8 zooms, Nikon circular polarising filter, Lee graduates and little stopper. Electronic cable release, kirk ball head, kirk quick release camera base plate, kirk quick release lens plate for 70-200 zoom and a Gitzo 4554t tripod capable of holding 50lbs of equipment. I use Lowe pro street and field bags and sad to say on arrival at home discovered my Toploader AW 75 had frayed at a corner, and was coming apart, sadly not repairable - great performance since 2005 and it has travelled the World! 

Techniques - due to potential wind I used my heavy Gitzo 4554t tripod being able to hang my camera bag and lens pouch from the centre hook to aid camera lens stability. Manual mode, using circular polariser,  2 - 6 second multiple exposures with differing focus points for depth of field and used an electronic cable release. F11 never smaller as danger of lens diffraction and for the 6 sec exposures I used the little stopper. My base ISO is 100 and used this for all tripod photography. 

Practicalities - we visited on separate days Godafoss waterfall (Akureryi), Gullfoss waterfall (Reykjavik), and Dyandi waterfall (pictured below) (Isafjordur). Some are a short walk from the car park, whilst Dyandi is a 15 min hike up the side of a hill, but the problem is the time limits at each location especially when composing long exposure and or multiple exposure images. At Dyandi the fog covered the top half of the waterfall, decided to photograph a lower waterfall, reasonably happy with the compromise and just as we were leaving the fog started to lift and opportunity lost to photograph the whole of Dyandi waterfall. The Strokkur Geyser on the Golden circle tour (Reykjavik), erupts every 5 mins allowing you to frame the geyser as it erupted 90ft into the air, 12 frames per second on the camera, needing large buffer capacity and fast write speed on your memory cards. As part of the Golden circle tour we visited Thingvellir national park and this is living geology with plate tectonics enlarging Iceland by 2cm per year. It is the separation of the Eurasian and North American plates but with many people walking the separation zone but if you wait at a place you want to photograph the people disperse, and the geology is more evident. We went whale watching from Reykjavik but only saw minkie whales and porpoises, someone forgot to invite the humpbacks and killer whales for a portrait session. That is life.

Potential problems - as mentioned previously time constraints and it was not a photographic tour so when your time is up you move on. We visited boiling mud pools, and waterfalls these have a rope with a do not cross sign, any human from small child to adult could easily cross with danger of serious injury or death. Be very careful at the edge of hot mud pools do not stray off the path or cross the rope as you may sink into the earth and it is hot. Wildlife - major problem is Artic Terns if you approach their nests they attack and dive bomb you. Our guide at Isafjordur told people to stay away from the beach and we did not have a problem. If you are doing coastal bird photography this maybe a problem. Develop a level of fitness as you are walking with equipment up hills and over rough terrain, I had upped my gym training prior to leaving the UK, used the stairs and the gym on board to maintain my strength and aerobic fitness. You do not want to be gasping for breath as you are taking an image - it is uncomfortable and danger of camera shake when composing your shots (should be using your electronic cable release for the exposures).         

Conclusion - we enjoyed Iceland and I tried to prepare for bad weather photography with protection for myself and my camera lens combination. The good weather was a pleasant surprise and the waterfalls are stunning. Be prepared for any type of weather but usually cold as you are just south of the Artic Circle. I am happy with my images within the time constraints and yes I would go again.     

[kenevenpar]

A quick question ... Did you have enough reach with the 70-200 ( I absolutely love my 2.8E version, amazingly crisp)?  I shoot with the D500, so I get the 1.5 crop and I would be tempted to bring my 200-500.

 

Thanks for the summary; definitely on my bucket list.

 

Ken

[Photo Andy]

Ken

thanks for the question. Used the D5 with 70 200 F2.8 in DX 1.5 mode so 300mm F2.8 equivalent. Looking at the picture on the computer - I cropped it. No it was not long enough. I have a Nikon afs 300f2.8 but it is heavy and only use for motor sports with a monopod, it causes biceps insertion pain after a few hours of hand holding. Whale watching excursion was 3 - 4 hours duration. 

I will use the 70-200 F2.8 on DX mode lowest ISO I can get away with and crop in post processing to maintain quality. 

Just a comment about the whale watching boat - at the bow with a good position but people were packed in behind me, monopod was not physically possible to use, just wanted a fast reasonably lighter lens with camera on DX crop and shoot fast.   

I thought about taking my 300mm F2.8 esp as we were not flying so no weight restrictions but opted for the above.  

Derek. 

 

[kenevenpar]

Thanks.  I did not think about DX mode.

 

I use a monopod frequently, especially with my 200-500, as much as a handle to carry over my shoulder.  I have found that the monopod on a boat is less than ideal due to engine vibration, unless there is enough light to bump up shutter speed.

 

Thanks for all the information!

[ski ww]

Great write up lots of good information. Would love to see more of your photos.

[tommui987]

7 hours ago, ski ww said:

Great write up lots of good information. Would love to see more of your photos.

Echoing ski ww - would like to see more photos. Iceland is on my bucket list though age and physical ability is a handicap - but I can dream, can't I?

[Photo Andy]

 

For everybody reading this review and particularly tommui987 and ski ww.

 

This is a boiling mud pool just outside Akureyri an area called Namaskaro - yes it was boiling so extremely dangerous as I mention in my original article.