Kirkjufell was my first location in this year's Iceland trip after I arrived in Reykjavik around midday. I made the drive to the location rather reluctant as I had been to this location before and had quite already some satisfying images in my portfolio of this iconic mountain. However, it was my first evening in Iceland and I was somewhat exhausted to search for other locations and the weather forecast for sunset was miserable for the whole island except the Snæfellsnes peninsula. My strategy for this year's Iceland trip was to completely follow the weather and not any pre-planned itinerary, even if this meant a lot of driving. I arrived at Kirkjufell with plenty of time, so I could even splurge on a $45 meal at the local restaurant. The light that then developed during sunset was one of the best I have ever witnessed, it just wouldn't stop, which allowed me to explore all sorts of possible compositions (good and bad ones!) along the waterfall. The place unfortunately turned to a 'zoo' later on with lots of photographers and workshop groups arriving incl. the local farmer who rightly got upset. I learned then for the first time that apparently this waterfall is actually on her private property. Nevertheless, I was very happy with this first night in Iceland and to top off my day I spotted my long-time friend Raymond in the crowd and we continued to take images at a different location until 4am in the morning.
With the recent closing of the Mountain Light Gallery I bought two of Galen's books to have more knowledge of and be inspired by his work. Once I saw his image 'Sierra Wave Cloud over Petroglyphs' I decided that I need to see this wonderful place for myself. Due to recent vandalism damage the location is rightfully not publicly disclosed/discussed, so it took me some time to research the location and get some pointers. Last weekend I embarked on a camping trip to find this place and I was lucky. I had given myself a lot of time before sunset, so it was great to just sit there and contemplate the history and meaning of this place. I find it really mind-boggling to think who had visited this place before, their life experiences and circumstances, their beliefs and what made them draw these petroglyphs. It was very easy to get lost in the spirituality of this place. The compositions for this location are limited - at least if you respect the artwork/history as I do, so I never dared to walk across this huge panel. I decided to follow the compositional direction that Galen had chosen as in my opinion it provides the most balanced view. I was lucky to get some good light in this direction too.
A Triptych series of abstract images of the Upper Yosemite Waterfall. I was intrigued by the dynamic water movement of this waterfall. I was fascinating to watch and experience.
