Reading mode: Light Dark

Iceland [24 images]

Go to last post
M

MatW

Senior Member
Messages
1,470
Solutions
1
Reaction score
95
Location
CH
Hi everybody

Here are some m4/3 images from Iceland. I hope you enjoy them! They were recorded this summer using an OM-D and the 14/2.5, 20/1.7 and 45/1.8 lenses.















































 
Very, very nice photos! I am amazed by the amount of dynamic range you managed to pull from these shots! Its probably a combination of good processing and perfect exposure, nonetheless it shows what is possible with this little OMD in good hands!

Are you from Iceland or did you spend sometime over there on vacation? You seem to have a great variety of shots of different locations.
 
Wonderful series of photos!

Dave
--

 
Exceptional series with outstanding images. Thanks for sharing. Anything special in the processing? Your colours seen quite a bit more vibrant that I am getting.
 
Fascinating place and fantastic photos!
 
Beautiful!
 
pmaster said:
I am amazed by the amount of dynamic range you managed to pull from these shots! Its probably a combination of good processing and perfect exposure, nonetheless it shows what is possible with this little OMD in good hands!
Click to expand...
The E-M5 is pretty forgiving when it comes to exposure, much more so than the GF-1 I owned previously. But you are of course right that getting the exposure right in the first place plus appropriate post-processing are both required to make the most of the dynamic range. That said, dynamic range when shooting RAW was sufficient for any situation in which I would normally take pictures. So it is, unlike with the GF-1, not something I have to worry about much - which is very nice.
MatW said:
Are you from Iceland or did you spend sometime over there on vacation? You seem to have a great variety of shots of different locations.
Click to expand...
I was there on vacation for three weeks. In Iceland you have a huge variety of photo opportunities in a relatively small space: There are the huge sandy plains in the south, the fjords in the east/north/west, Snæfellsnes peninsula in the west, numerous and very different kinds of waterfalls all over the country, the wasteland-like highlands, volcanoes, the rift-zone, geothermal areas, and so forth. Add to that some of the clearest water on the planet, light which is often favorable for photography (low angle of the sun) and very dynamic weather and you have a place just perfect for photography.

I do of course have many more pictures. :)
19andrew47 said:
Anything special in the processing? Your colours seen quite a bit more vibrant that I am getting.
Click to expand...
I shot RAW and used Lightroom 4 for processing. Some of the images were also processed in Nik's Color Efex Pro (I only use the film simulation module). If you want to you can have a look at the file names, the ones containing "Edit" were edited using Color Efex, the rest is straight out of Lightroom.

The problem with shooting RAW, at least for me, is that when looking at the images after importing them into Lightroom they often look discouragingly flat/dull. But you have to remember that you are looking at raw images, all the colors/"information" you saw when you captured the image is still there. Color Efex really can really help to bring out the colors from RAW images in a way I never quite seem to be able to reproduce using Lightroom alone, I think it is a very impressive and useful tool. But you can also easily(!) overdo it and create images which do not look good at all. And it does not work well for all images - but for some it does wonders.
Steven 2 said:
Did you find it helpful to use a polarizer?
Click to expand...
For landscape photography I always use a polarizer, yes. It can make a tremendous difference, but one also has to be careful not to overdo it as it can make the skies too dark and the pictures look lifeless. But all in all it certainly is one of the most useful tools in landscape photography and also a nice way to amaze people by having them look through the camera and turn the polarizer. :)

In case of Iceland there is also the problem of the high amount of dust in the air (originating from the huge desert areas in Iceland). So if you look at the last couple of pictures - which are from the glacial lagoon Jökulsárlón - you would see a brown streak of dust in the air had I turned the polarizer to its maximum setting. It looked pretty ugly, luckily I noticed it early on and avoided said setting.

Some black and white images:























 
I enjoyed your pics. The different blue tones are wonderful here:



Best wishes, Bernd

--

 
Great set of pics, I had a trip to Iceland planned this summer but couldn't make it, definitely next year!

Great colors, those skies remind me of Norway skies up north, the light is so special there near the polar circle...

Out of curiosity, which lens did you bring ?
 
davidmolliere said:
Great set of pics, I had a trip to Iceland planned this summer but couldn't make it, definitely next year!
Click to expand...
You should definitely go there if you have the opportunity. :)
davidmolliere said:
Great colors, those skies remind me of Norway skies up north, the light is so special there near the polar circle...

Out of curiosity, which lens did you bring ?
Click to expand...
Yep, the light is special and different than in lower latitudes. Especially the sea, river and lakes often take up an incredible color far in the north.

I took the following lenses with me: 14/2.5, 20/1.7 and 45/1.8, with a polarizer for the 14mm/20mm lenses. The 20mm lens was used for 50% of the keepers, the 14mm for 20% and the 45mm for 30%.

The Panasonic 14-45/3.5-5.6 would have spared me a lot of lens changing, but I have lent it to a friend and figured I would be alright with primes (which I was).
 
After all that nation's economic troubles in recent years, is it expensive to travel there? gp
 
gary payne said:
After all that nation's economic troubles in recent years, is it expensive to travel there? gp
Click to expand...
It's better than it used to be before the financial crisis, but still rather expensive. Food and the general cost of living was somewhat cheaper than in Switzerland - if you go to the right places, but it can also be just as high or higher depending on the kind of restaurants you tend to frequent. I'd say it is definitely possible to get great, non-fast/junk food meals for as little as 10 to 20$.

I have found lodging to be quite expensive, double rooms are easily at 80 to 100 USD a night and you should make a reservation early as there are not many hostels in some places of Iceland (which then tend to be booked out in summer). The cheapest sleeping bag accommodations in Reykjavik go for around 20 to 30 USD a night during summer.

The prices for strong alcoholics are astronomical, but that's not what you go to Iceland for, I guess. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Keyboard shortcuts

f
Forum
m
My threads
Mobile site
About
Editorial content
Cameras & Lenses
Community
All content, design, and layout are Copyright © 1998–2025 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.
©GPS Media - Guides, Products, Services.
Back
Top