Perfect Effects 8 Premium Edition - FREE
For a limited time, onOne is giving away Perfect Effects 8 Premium Edition ($100) for free.
Click here to get your copy
Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD - Lens Review
My review of the Tamron SP 150-600 mm lens has been published and is available on the Digital Photography School web site.Click here for the review.
1957
In many small villages there will be a few homes and a church. Some regions seem to have a church but no homes or farms in the vicinity. This is a church probably built in 1957 as that is what is on the entrance gate. The church is in the Snæfellsness peninsula. This was photographed in near 100 MPH winds.The original image was posted earlier in my Iceland 1 posts but for this image I used Macphun Intensify first and then treated the image with Topaz.
For Sale - Canon G12 Kit.
I am selling my Canon G12 kit. A rarely used body, battery, battery charger, extra battery, Really Right Stuff L Plate, Canon TC-DC58D Tele-converter and Canon LA-DC58K Conversion Lens Adaptor. All original boxes etc. except the L bracket that never had a box. The Teleconverter and Lens Adaptor are brand new and can be used on a G10, G11, G12 giving you a focal to 196mm. The bundle for $400.I also have a Canon AC adapter for the G12 - also new - AC Adapter Kit-DC50 original price $70 will sell at $40 if purchased with the kit.Contact me if interested.
The Vast Icelandic Landscape
I posted this composite on facebook yesterday more as a "tiny" jab at a photography friend. However, today I felt it worthy of a post on my blog.
Rhythm in Ice
Vatnajökull (Glacier of Rivers), is the largest glacier in Iceland in the background with Jökulsárlón (Glacial River Lagoon) in the foreground with icebergs.
Vestrahorn - Iceland - 2, March 25, 2014
Vestrahorn near Höfn í Hornafirði on the south-east coast of Iceland. Beautiful black sand dunes and yellow grasses make the foreground for the mountains. It is interesting that these are one of the few mountains that are not volcanic in origin. The stone is like granite and is called gabbro.
The black sand is very soft and the patterns exquisite.
Driving toward the lighthouse one can see the old US Navy Radar Station. The ocean waves are lashing at the cliff faces and crash to heights above the height of the lighthouse.
And on the way back after dinner we are rewarded with some wonderful Northern Lights.
Öxarárfoss - Iceland, March 2014
Öxarárfoss is the main waterfall in Þingvellir National Park, Iceland. Please click on the image to view it larger.This is a panorama of 7 images.
Gullfoss - Iceland
I can never get tired of looking at images from Iceland. This is an extract of Gullfoss (Golden Waterfall), one of the most popular waterfalls in Iceland and a key stop on the the Golden Circle. It is a multi tiered waterfall on the river Hvítá. The first is a wide but shallow three step fall and then it drops in two tall stages. The first is about 36 feet and the second about 70 feet. This image is a small extract of the final drop. Canon 5D Mk II, 70-200 f2.8 at 200 mm, f/10, 0.8 seconds, ISO 250.
Cloud Formations
I have a passion for unique and captivating cloud formations and felt rewarded on March 27th 2014. We were on our way back from a trip around the Golden Circle in Iceland. Driving to Reykjavik it was foggy with low visibility but the fog really looked like low clouds. About a half hour to the hotel we saw some openings with some blue barely showing through an exquisite wind swept cloud formation. This image was converted to monochrome using Nik Silverefex Pro. I feel that simplifying a scene in B&W can not only enhance the image but also the story.
We spent a while photographing the swirls across the wide snow covered landscape and headed west toward the hotel. The sun set as a fiery ball but mostly obscured by clouds. Soon after there was a semblance of an afterglow that we did stop and capture. I feel the juxtaposition of the warm and cool tones make this image. The lower portion of the scene was intentionally cropped to eliminate a few man made structures that I found obtrusive.
Iceland Scouting Trip June 15 - 23, 2014
I am planning on a Bird and Landscape SCOUTING trip to Iceland in mid June. Visiting the nesting areas for Puffins, Loons, Horned Grebes, various ducks, swans and more. Landscapes of the West, North and South and Southeast. Total of 8 days and have room for one to come along. Let me know ASAP if you are interested. Tentative June 15th to the 23rd.email me at sv@shivverma.com or call me 617.759.0010
Adobe releases Lightroom 5.4, Camera Raw 8.4 and DNG Converter 8.4
Lightroom 5.4
Adobe has released Lightroom version 5.4. It is available on Adobe.com and through the software update process in Lightroom 5. This release provides support for Lightroom mobile, additional cameras, lenses and address bugs that were introduced in previous releases of Lightroom.Details Here
Camera Raw 8.4 and DNG Converter 8.4
Camera Raw 8.4 is now available as a final release for Photoshop CS6 and Photoshop CC. This release provides new features including new preview controls, red eye correction for pets and updates to Local Corrections. In addition, this release also includes bug fixes, support for new cameras and new lenses.The new features listed in the release notes are only available in Photoshop CC.Details hereNote: Camera Raw 8.4 and DNG Converter 8.4 will not work on Windows XP, Windows Vista or Mac OSX 10.6.
Eldborg - A Time-lapse
This is a video of a time-lapse sequence captured on March 28, 2014 in Iceland. [video type="youtube" id="i5vXFrlGW08" width="600"]Default Message[/video]
Iceland 1 - Day 8 March 22, 2014
Harpa is an architectural beauty. It is a concert hall and conference centre in Reykjavík, Iceland.The building was designed by a Danish firm Henning Larsen Architects and Olafur Eliasson a Danish-Icelandic artist . The building resembles an iceberg and is a steel frame encased in geometric shaped multicolored glass panels. At night it is lit to resemble the Northern Lights. Both the interior and the exterior are great subject matter.Click on an image to view larger or as a slide show.
Iceland 1 - Day 7 March 21, 2014
Since Sneifellsness is such a vast and beautiful are we decided to make one more trip to this area. One of the primary locations we wanted to visit were the waterfalls of Hraunfossar and Barnafoss. Hraunfossar (Lava Falls) that is a series of cascades of bright, turquoise blue water that comes out from under the moss covered lava channels that are below surface level. Further upstream is Barnafoss (Children’s Falls) that has rapid moving torrents. Folklore indicates that two young boys disobeyed their parents and and fell to their deaths when crossing a narrow stone bridge that spanned the river. The mother cast a spell on anyone who crossed the bridge, that they would fall into the river and drown. It is believed that this bridge collapsed in an earthquake soon after the children died. A ne bridge in the same area gives viewers and excellent view of the river and the ravine it flows through.Our first stop was a roadside waterfall cascade on Laxa i Kjos (Salmon river in Kjos). This river is known for the salmon that run and for the fishing that is plentyful. However, in July there is a very significant run of large sea-trout.
We next stopped at another small waterfall on Hvalfjarðarvegur or Route 47. This river and waterfall that had a number of sheep pens (empty of sheep) on the right as viewed from the front of the falls.
Next stop was a unique church. The church was closed but the facilities were open. Some of the folks had to be supported while walking to the church as it was becoming impossible to walk, The winds were gusting to 80 or more miles per hour.
We continue - determined to reach our destination. En route we see a number of Icelandic horses and decide to stop for some horse images. This was a very brief stop - the winds are up over 100 MPH - warnings are posted and we have no choice but to return to Reykjavick.
We spent the afternoon in the hotel waiting woe the winds to abate. After dinner a few brave ones headed to do some night photography along the shoreline and the city. The Viking ship sculpture at night is very photogenic.
Next we wanted to photograph the new massive church as a background elect to an older church from across Tjörnin the city pond. Tjörnin is a natural small lake supported by some geothermal heat and is home to many species of duck, geese and a few swans.
One last spot. The Hallgrímskirkja a Lutheran parish church. It is the largest church in Iceland and the sixth tallest structure measuring 244 feet in height. It isis named after Hallgrímur Pétursson a Icelandic poet and clergyman.The architect Guðjón Samúelsson's design of the church was commissioned in 1937. He designed the church it to resemble the basalt lava flows found in Iceland and took 38 years to build ending in 1986.The large pipe organ designed and constructed by the German organ builder Johannes Klais of Bonn has 5275 pipes and weighs 25 tons.
The sky is totally overcast and there is no chance of seeing an Aurora. We head back to the hotel to retire for the night.
Iceland 1 - Day 6 - March 20, 2014
An early morning wake-up call with the hope that we will get a sunrise and beautiful light on the icebergs at the black sand beach. We drive to beach to see a host of large trucks and may sub’s, a horse trailer and security personal. The guards asked me if we were a part of the photography crew, not completely understanding what he had said I said yes. So he told us where to park, we did. On getting out of our vehicles and setting up with our cameras we were informed that we could not go on the beach as they were getting ready to film a TV sow or a movie - I am not sure. Not a very big disappointment as the could cover was still there and the likelihood of a good sunrise was nil.
Fortunately there is another similar beach on the other side of the lagoon so we plowed through a snow embankment and arrived at the alternate beach.Photography was decent at best till the sun peeked out. No golden light as the sun was at a 25 degree or more elevation. Even so the photography was good for the group.We went back to the hotel for breakfast and to check out before heading back to Vik and then on to Reykjavic. We stopped at a few locations along the way and photographed despite poor weather conditions.The first was a small church (they are all usually small churches) at the base region of Havannadalshnukur glacier near Skaftafell. We spent a little time here and took a group shot of the participants and Olgeir in his blue jumpsuit. Walking to the rear of the church we spotted a ptarmigan but before one could get a shot it flew away. It appears that the locals put out bird feed for these birds.
There aren't many trees in Iceland even though Iceland was mostly forested. It is not the climate but mankind that completely deforested the land. Not the country is doing its best to plant trees and recover the forestation. A small copse of trees en route.
The next stop was an odd shaped mountain that is usually reflected in a crystal clear lake. Unfortunately this lake had a layer of ice and snow. Even so the scene was great as the skies had clear up by now with just some puffy clouds.
Lunch at Vik and then an attempt to photograph the “Three Sisters” in the Vik Reynesdranger beach region. The mist and the direction of the sun made this virtually impossible. We swung around to the west side. This was not much better but we were able to get a few half decent images. Vik is the wettest town in Iceland. Average annual rainfall is about 90 inches.Next a quick trip to the Dyrhólaey peninsula that is a nature reserve at the southern-most point of Iceland. Here the puffins nest on the cliffs as do Fulmars and Kittiwakes.From here when you look east toward Vik you get a good view of the black lava sea stacks of Reynisdrangar called the “Three Sisters”.
Going further to the West we stopped at a few locations to get some more landscapes and reflections in small lakes and pools.
Finally arriving at the hotel in Reykjavic..
Iceland 1 - Day 5 March 19, 2014
After a quick breakfast we check out of our storm shelter and headed out to Hali. There is so much to see and photograph along the south coast of Iceland that two days do not do it justice. From a photographers point, at a bare minimum you need a week during each season.
Our first major stop was the ice blue ridges of Svinafellsjokull (Pig Glacier) at Skaftafell. This is a beautiful glacier that has claimed a few lives. As you approach the glacier entrance sign shows the names of two who went missing 2007. The sign was erected by their family and friends. Unfortunately due to ice on the ledges, the path that leads to an elevated vantage point was closed. Yet there were many suitable spots to photograph from and some of the group trekked to the far edge to capture images of the glacial valley and the mouth of the glacier.
From here we set out to Jokulsarlon. This is a large glacial lagoon where Vatnajokul, the largest glacier in Europe, calves and sends its magnificent large blue and crystal clear icebergs into the ocean.
With many images under our belt we were anxious to get to the black sand beach which is at the very end of Jokulsarlon. There the Vatnajokul icebergs get pushed and deposited onto the black sand beach by the mighty waves and tides of the ocean. The photo opportunities are endless and one has to be careful of the huge rogue waves that come ashore so fast that it is virally impossible to out run them. I did experience my first soaking this morning. Knees down I was wet and my boots were full of freezing cold sea water. I guess I can say it took a dip in the ocean in Iceland in the winter. Fortunately this was soon before we had planned to wind up and head to our hotel to cheek in. I had to use the reception facilities to get out of my wet clothes and change into a fresh set of dy ones. I guess I was not the only one in the group who experienced the wrath of the tides in Iceland as many stories of rogue waves were told at lunch. Our plans were being formulated to come back for sunrise the next morning.We had a great lunch. Most of us ate the traditional Icelandic soup while others had mushroom soup. The weather started to turn for the worse so some of the group wanted to just relax while others wanted more ptography despite the weather. We headed out along the coastal route going North East. En route we photographed some farm houses and a church. We saw a herd of reindeer or caribou on the right side of the highway so pulled over. None of us had really long focal-length lenses but it was still fun photographing these creatures.Reindeer and Caribou look a bit different, but they are the same species Rangifer tarandus. Reindeer were domesticated in northern Eurasia about 2000 years ago. These animals have unique hairs which trap air providing them with excellent insulation buoyancy.
A old home in ruins was a great object of interest. At this juncture the weather really turned for the worse so we headed back to the hotel. The winds were gusting and the clud cover was dense. The likelihood of any night photography or Aurora photography was just about a zero.
We had dinner and retired to the rooms. Some of us sat around in the kitchen area drinking a few beers and just relaxing.
Iceland 1 - Day 4 March 18, 2014
After a fairly late night with the Aurora displays we checked out of our hotel and started our drive to Hali. We had great plans to photograph the falls, farms and other interesting vista. It was raining and snowing as we left Reykjavik and slowly but surely started getting worse as we moved South.Our first stop was Seljalandfoss. Seljalandsfoss is a very popular tourist attractions and also one of the most photographed in Iceland. These falls are located between Seljalandsmúli and Hamragarðar. When driving on route 1 you need to turn at Seljalandsmúli on a side road. The falls are about 3/4 of a mile with ample parking.
The Seljalandsá river drops about 200 feet off the cliff edge forming Seljalandsfoss (foss means waterfall). In addition to Seljalandsfoss, there a few additional streams that drop similar heights to the west of the main falls. A path provides access behind the waterfall that gives photographers and tourists many unique views.Small breaks in the rain allowed for some brief shooting.Next stop was Skógarfoss. This is one of Iceland’s larger waterfalls 70 feet wide and 200 feet high. Skógarfoss is a fall along the river Skógará.The wind and the way the fall droops there is always high volume of spray. In sunlight, that we unfortunately lacked, the spray results in a a single or double rainbow. According to Icelandic folklore there are treasures and gold buried under the waterfall.The rain and snow is getting worse and photography is near impossible. Some of the group would not be denied the opportunity so they braved the elements and got some record shots.We leave the foss in driving sleet, snow and high winds. We stop at one more waterfall called Falls at Forsa.Now the snow is more like a blizzard, visibility is down to a 50 feet or so. We drive using the yellow road markers to guide us. Eventually arrive in the town of Vik. This is the southern most tip of Iceland. Lunch and then on to Klaustur where we normally fill up as there are no gas stations in Hali. The conditions are getting worse and the wind is just brutal. We drive on to the next small town of Skaftafel. The wind spend signs show 88 MPH steady winds and the gusts are over 100 MPH. If you are on FaceBook check out a short video of this experience on E.J. Peiker's timeline. We drive a few miles and are turned back by the police - the road is impassable. Fortunately Skftafell has a small hotel and they have 5 rooms available, we are 15 in all so it is hole up time. We had dinner at this hotel and managed to get some sleep. Wakeup call was for 5:45 and departure 6:30.In the most part this day was a wash-out.