The natural wonders of Iceland
Just miles below the Arctic Circle, Iceland is a photographer’s playground. My husband, Anthony, and I got to experience the natural wonders of this Nordic island nation recently. We started our trek renting a SUV and driving to the Westfjords, a large peninsula in northwestern Iceland known for it’s dramatic landscapes. The ocean abuts tall mountain ranges that block the low winter sun, casting drastic shadows across the landscape.
- Sunrise over the mountains outside Reykjavík on Sunday, January 18, 2015. (Emma Harris/Baltimore Sun)
- Sunrise illuminates a mountain on state road 68 en route to Hlmavk on Sunday, January 18, 2015. (Emma Harris/Baltimore Sun)
- Opposite the fjord from Suoavík, the morning sky starts to brighten on Monday, January 29, 2015. The trip through the fjords are a little treacherous this time of year with increased chances of avalanches near Suoavík. (Emma Harris/Baltimore Sun)
- A small church stands at the beginning of the small fishing village, Suoavík, in Westfjords, Iceland. (Emma Harris/Baltimore Sun)
- A tunnel through a mountain in between Suoavík and Ísafjörður in West Fjords, Iceland. (Emma Harris/Baltimore Sun)
- At the edge of the Westfjords peninsula lies Bolungarvk, one of Iceland’s oldest fishing outposts. The waters raged against the beach during a wind storm on Monday, January 19, 2015. (Emma Harris/Baltimore Sun)
- The sun filters through the clouds in Vatnsfjörður, a nature reserve in Westfjords, Iceland on Tuesday, January 20, 2015. (Emma Harris/Baltimore Sun)
- An arctic seal sits on a rock in Vatnsfjörður, a nature reserve in Westfjords on Tuesday, January 20, 2015. (Emma Harris/Baltimore Sun)
- A family of arctic seals sit on rocks in Vatnsfjörður, a nature reserve in Westfjords on Tuesday, January 20, 2015. (Emma Harris/Baltimore Sun)
- Vatnsfjordur was one of the richest farms in Iceland from the twelfth through seventeenth century. The church was built in its present location in 1912. (Emma Harris/Baltimore Sun)
- Þingvellir is the location of the continental drift between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. In addition to its geographic significance, this spot holds great historical significance to Icelanders. Parliament, or Alþingi, was established at Þingvellir in 930 and remained there until 1798. (Emma Harris/Baltimore Sun)
- Water rushes through the faults at Þingvellir National Park to Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland. Þingvellir is the location of the continental drift between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. (Emma Harris/Baltimore Sun)
- Along the popular “Golden Circle” in Iceland is an active geothermal field home to Icelandic geysers. (Emma Harris/Baltimore Sun)
- Gullfoss, a waterfall located in the canyon of Hvt river, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Iceland. (Emma Harris/Baltimore Sun)
- Fishing boats line the harbor in Ísafjörðu, one of the largest towns in the Westfjords peninsula on Monday, January 19, 2015. (Emma Harris/Baltimore Sun)
- Gingerbread men line a bakery storefront in Ísafjörður. (Emma Harris/Baltimore Sun)
- A fishing boat docked in the harbor in Ísafjörður. (Emma Harris/Baltimore Sun)
- Hallgrímskirkja, a Lutheran church in downtown Reykjavík, Iceland. State Architect Guðjón Samúelsson’s design of the church was commissioned in 1937. He is said to have designed it to resemble the basalt lava flows of Iceland’s landscape. (Emma Harris/Baltimore Sun)
The light in the Westfjords was nothing like I have ever seen. Every single sunrise and sunset was filled with a beautiful array of colors that cast a hazy glow over the snow-covered mountains. Most of our photos from this region are tinted with deep blues, oranges and pinks that are just as apparent to the eye as they are in the camera.
After a few days in the northwest, we returned to Reykjavík, the capital city. The quaint city features a structurally unusual church in the city center called Hallgrímskirkja. The architect is said to have designed it to resemble the basalt lava flows of Iceland’s landscape. At the top of the bell tower, can you overlook the entire city that is sprinkled with colorful roofs of local businesses and houses.
Outside of Reykjavík, on the popular “Golden Circle” route, lies an active geothermal field home to Icelandic geysers. During our visit to the field, we watched Strokkur, the most popular geyser, erupt and douse a few other tourists. Photographing the geyser was difficult, despite it’s systematic eruption every 5 to 10 minutes. It was a cloudy, snowy day so it was hard to balance the white sky and the white water shooting from the ground.