By Varina Patel,on November 9th,2011 Tired or not – I snapped awake at 3am. Time to check for the Aurora. I could see from the window that the sky was clear in the North! Stars! So,I got myself dressed,grabbed my gear,and headed to the lobby to see what I could see. This was our last,best chance to capture the Aurora on this trip. Every other night was completely clouded in. Unfortunately,it was not to be. We used the hotel wireless connection to watch satellite data as it updated over the course of two hours… checking the sky frequently. No luck. Iceland was just outside the range of the Aurora. At 5,we gave up our vigil and headed back to bed for one more hour of sleep. In the morning,we drove out to shoot the waterfalls once again – but although the sunrise was beautiful,the sky directly over the falls wasn’t very photogenic. Jay walked out into the lave fields and photographed the beautiful,glowing clouds. 
I hoped to capture some of that brilliant color over a crater in the distance. I grabbed a long lens,and ran… well… it was more of a long,painful stumble on my injured leg… to some nearby lava boulders. I climbed as high as I could – which wasn’t very high…and I missed the colors entirely. I did get a nice shot of the early morning light at it painted the snow on the crater. 
Afterward,we all packed up our gear and started the long drive back to Reykjavík. We were looking forward to a relaxing swim in the Blue Lagoon before our long flights home…and relaxing it was. The water is a lovely blue – and so wonderfully warm. The heat felt fantastic on my bruised legs. What a treat.
Unfortunately,while smearing our faces with smooth,volcanic cream masks (provided for visitor use in the pool area,and sold in the gift shops),Jay’s wedding ring slipped off his finger. All of us searched for it – scooping black pebbles and smooth sand from the bottom of the lagoon. No luck. Jay’s ring will remain at the bottom of the blue lagoon. He was so sad to lose it! After a quick shower,we returned our rental cars and took a shuttle to the airport. We shared a delicious lunch before scattering to catch our flights. We flew from Iceland to JFK in New York,then caught our next flight to Pittsburg. We were too tired to drive the final leg of our trip,so we grabbed a hotel room for the night. Tomorrow,we’ll rise bright and early,and drive home. And then we’ll pack up two camera bodies and three lenses to send in for repairs. And return the two (miraculously unharmed) lenses we rented from LensRentals.com for this trip. And replace my water-damaged iPhone. And go find Jay a new wedding ring! And I’ll get some x-rays to make sure I haven’t done any serious damage to my knee. What a trip! By Varina Patel,on November 7th,2011 It snowed overnight – just a light dusting,but the distant mountains are breathtaking! The clean white snow stands out in brilliant relief against the black mountains! We returned to yesterday’s waterfall for sunrise. The sky was dull over the falls and it was cold as heck… but it’s hard to argue with such a beautiful location. And we did get some awfully nice color over the distant mountains! 
After breakfast back at the hostel,we took a long drive through the highlands. It was nice and warm in the car – but awfully cold outside! We took a long detour to check out Háifoss – gorgeous – only to discover that our long detour was completely out of the way.:) We all agreed that we’d return to Háifoss to shoot in the evening light. Afterward,we drove into the valley – where a small forest of trees grows. It was fantastic to see the beautiful autumn colors. 
There was a tour bus down in the valley. At first,we assumed it was a group of tourists – and then thirty kids came running out of the trees and got on the bus. These were Icelandic school children – out for a field trip with their teachers! We smiled and waved at the kids – and made goofy faces at them. Kids are great.:)After shooting fall color in the valley,we returned to Háifoss for sunset. This is such a beautiful location. Háifoss is the second largest waterfall on the island – dropping 122 meters into a deep gorge. A smaller,but no less beautiful,waterfall called Granni flows nearby. We didn’t get much of a sunset – but the falls were well worth a visit regardless of the light. At least it didn’t rain on us. Much.:) 
We returned to the hotel – arriving late in the evening. Had a quick dinner,a nice shower,and now we’re headed off to bed. The long hours are starting to catch up with me! I’m exhausted tonight! By Varina Patel,on November 3rd,2011 
My knee is looking much worse today,as the bruises develop. Yikes! Still – I’m standing… so no complaints from me. As long as I can get around,I’m good. We shot the mossy rocks this morning – and it didn’t rain on us! It sure was cold,though! We’re going through hand-warmers like nothing else this trip! They’re wonderful! I found it very difficult to walk on the mossy rocks this morning –each step is a gamble out there,since you don’t know what’s underneath the moss. It’s safe enough if you are careful –and a fall wouldn’t hurt much…though you have to watch out for pokey bits of lava rock sticking out here and there. Paul took a bit of a tumble and he said it felt like falling on a nice,soft mattress.:) Nice! On the other hand,with such a nasty bruise on my knee,I had a hard time adjusting my balance quickly and accurately. Rather than risking further injury,I turned back almost immediately and shot from the roadside instead. 
We spent a good part of the day driving – shooting a stunning rainbow at Skógafoss,making another stop at Dyrhólaey,photographing the beautiful countryside,and making our slow way towards a great little hostel in the highlands. I was glad for the opportunity to rest my leg. I can’t drive at all right now – so Jay did all the driving. I even got a little bit of sleep on the road. 
In the evening,we drove out to take a look at some waterfalls that might make good subjects for sunrise or sunset. The amazing thing about this area is that breathtaking locations seem to appear when you least expect them. As you are driving,the landscape seems to be black and barren. Just dark lava stretching for miles. But you come around a bend,and there in the distance is a beautiful mountain peak – reaching up into the clouds. You come up over a rise,and the ground drops away in front of you,revealing a series of waterfalls coming right out of the rock… turquoise water twisting away through a deep gorge,fifty meters below! 
No surprise on these rough road –one of our vehicles ended up with a flat tire. With seven guys working on it,we were back on the road in 12 minutes and 9 seconds. Pretty impressive,gentlemen! (There wasn’t much I could do on my injured leg – and the others obviously had it under control. So,I pulled out my iPhone… and timed them.) ;) Afterward,we photographed an unnamed series of waterfalls under cloudy skies. Winds were so intense that I had trouble keeping myself in one place. But at least the gusts were pushing me away from the edge of the cliff rather than towards it! And this time,I held on to my camera! I’m not risking any more damaged equipment! Enough already! By Varina Patel,on October 31st,2011 What a day. I hardly know where to begin! We damaged more gear today than we’ve ever damaged in a single day. Not much of an accomplishment! We returned to Jökulsárlón for sunrise. Jay was shooting on the beach,when a rogue wave came in. It came up past his waist,shifted his balance,and pulled him under water… along with his tripod,camera,and backpack. He says he flipped around under water three times before he could get himself back on his feet. Somehow,he managed to hang onto his gear… but the camera and lens are done for. Amazingly,not a single drop of water touched the lenses and back-up camera inside his Loka bag from F-Stop. As far as I’m concerned,that’s incredible. The bag was completely under water for at least 15 seconds… and nothing inside is damaged. His down jacket was inside that bag,too… dry as a bone. A good thing,too… since freezing winds make it tough to get warm after a dunking like that. He got a single shot before he went down… 
And that was just the beginning.
After checking to make sure Jay was ok,I returned to the beach to shoot. I watched one iceberg for a while… but decided it was too far in. I didn’t want to end up taking a swim,so I chose another berg. (Of course,the guy who decided to shoot that berg after I abandoned it is just fine! Go figure!) I watched the waves for a while,and then set up to shoot. I took a few shots before another big wave came in. No problem… I was far enough up the beach that even a rogue wave couldn’t do much to me without trying harder. My feet were wet,but I was ready for that –I wear neoprene water shoes when I’m shooting in water. A second wave added to the momentum of the first one – and as it came in,I started to back off. I wasn’t at all worried at that point – I’ve withstood much larger waves before. But then a third wave came in. Normally,one wave pulls out as the next rolls in – and the backwards momentum reduces the power of the incoming wave. This time,the first two waves came one upon the other… building momentum as they merged. They were still pushing forward as the third wave came in… and the momentum of the triple wave picked up all the icebergs scattered on the beach and pushed them past me. 
At that point,the water was about at my waist. I stopped trying to outrun the wave and braced myself as I’ve done so many times before. But the water wasn’t the problem. All that forward momentum suddenly reversed as three waves pulled back toward the sea as one,and the sudden rush pulled all those lovely bergs back towards me in a rush. The one that hit my knee took me down,and several others slammed into me as I tried to regain my balance. My camera was underwater for just a moment… enough to make it pretty much useless for the rest of the trip. The lens survived,and my fabulous F-Stop bag saved the rest of my gear. But I was in extreme pain. I pulled myself up the beach,somehow,and ended up lying on the sand – blacking out over and over again as I fought the pain in my knee. After a few minutes (and some help from a good friend – thanks,Neal!) I pulled myself up and headed back to the car. My rain gear and several layers of clothes had actually kept me relatively dry – and the water was surprisingly warm despite the ice floating in it. I got pretty cold as I removed the wet layers,but luckily,my spare set of gloves were still dry inside my camera bag (WOW!),and my dry boots and socks were waiting for me in the car. Dry clothes never felt so good! I’ll have to get some x-rays when I return to the US – but for now,I’m doing ok. The bruises are getting nasty fast – it looks like I was hit by four bergs. The knee is the worst,but I have a stunning bruise high on my right leg,an odd collection of deep black marks on my left ankle,and a small bruise on my right foot. I’m glad I was wearing so many layers of clothes! Cushioning! And all that before breakfast! We returned to the hotel after shooting (and swimming involuntarily) at Jökulsárlón. Today’s plan was a “Super Jeep” tour! The trip was incredible! The road to Laki is unpaved – and the Super Jeeps were equipped with giant tires to get us across rivers and over the rough terrain. The views were breathtaking – moss-covered rocks,giant volcanic craters,huge waterfalls… and then the view from the top. Wow! We could see a string of craters stretching into the distance. A shining lake glowing with reflected sunlight. Yes! Sunlight! Did I mention that it was a beautiful day? Only a few drops of rain in between gloriously beautiful clouds… and a lovely sunset for a finale. It was icy cold at the top – and the winds were strong – but it was great to see the sun! 
Afterward,they took us back to the hotel. Jay and I were both exhausted after our morning ordeals – and we were relieved to finally crawl into bed. I slept like the dead. What a day! By Varina Patel,on October 27th,2011 Well. What can I say. More wind. More rain. Wow. It’s so windy out there that the swans are flying sideways. No kidding. We spent the morning driving out into the valley past Seljalandsfoss. With weather like this,we’re focusing on exploring the island. We’ll make note of interesting locations and return to them another day – or on another trip. Because we can’t travel constantly,it important to make the most of our time on location. We don’t hang out in our hotel rooms when the weather gets nasty. We make the most of it. No matter what. Everything is wet. The cows and sheep are dripping. The car windows are constantly fogged. And we’re watching the water rise all over the island. Where the rivers pass under the roads,the water is lapping at the underside of the bridges. Fences are nearly underwater. And visibility is limited – I know there are beautiful mountains in the distance… but I can’t see much beyond the edge of the road. While we were driving,I gathered everyone’s lens clothes and gloves and towels – drying them over the heating vents in the car. It worked nicely,since we’ve been in the car for long hours. A dry lens cloth can mean the difference between getting a great shot and throwing away a shot with water droplets all over it. 
The rain is giving us one nice little bonus,though. The hillsides are covered in waterfalls – and the constant rain means they are flowing heavily! Gorgeous! The light is just right for shooting the falls – and we stopped regularly to get out and shoot. All that mist added another beautiful element. 
We arrived at Jokulsarlon before sunset (not that we could actually see the sun). There are beautiful icebergs scattered on the beach…thousands of them… stretching into the distance as far as the eye can see! They are shiny and clear… or smooth and blue… some small enough to pick up in the palm of your hand… others the size of trucks! Incredible! I tried some long-exposure shots in the fading light. The ice shifts with each wave,and the ghosting effect that happens with a long shutter speed can be really cool – or it can ruin the photo entirely.:) I chose to allow the shifting effect in this shot (creatively titled Shift) –to show the ghosting effect I’m talking about. 
The contrast is breathtaking. All that black sand – and the bright,clear ice. Gorgeous. It’s still raining! I hope we get another chance to shoot these beauties… maybe in some less-difficult weather conditions! 
While I was shooting on the beach,Jay crossed to the other side of the road to shoot a beautiful lagoon. Icebergs shifted and bumped against one another with each wave. There’s a certain serenity to this place. The creaking and moaning of the ice makes it seem almost alive. I just can’t get over the beauty of all that ice! 
By Varina Patel,on October 24th,2011 We slept in this morning – since we were heavily clouded in –and had breakfast at Hotel Ranga. Afterwards,the skies cleared! We photographed gorgeous sunbeams over a field of black sand and rock. The landscape here is strangely beautiful,and wild swans seem to be everywhere. It really was a pleasure to see the sun! 
Each farmhouse in the countryside seems to be neatly placed in front of yet another breathtaking waterfall – as if the homesteaders staked claim to the falls as much as the land. Luckily,most of the falls are accessible to the public by way of a narrow,unpaved road or a short trail. We photographed several waterfalls as we explored the countryside. Storms moved in again – but the overcast light made it easy to capture the beauty of the falls without worrying about blown highlights in the water or deep shadows between the rocks. Seljalandsfoss doesn’t have a house in front of it…though there is a parking lot and a small bridge. It’s a great place to practice composition. You can shoot the falls from any angle…do you see the trail that passes behind the falls? Jay took this shot from an overlook high on the hillside. He used a wide-angle lens to capture a broad view of the location –and blended two exposures to bring out the entire dynamic range. Look at those beautiful blue skies! They didn’t last long! 
After a lunch of noodles cooked over a small camp stove,we took a drive into the valley. By then,it was pouring rain and the skies were heavily overcast once again. The black lava roads are well maintained,and they seem to handle excessive rain well – none of the deep troughs or slippery conditions we deal with when traveling off-road in the southern United States. The porous rocks don’t hold water,and the road stayed solid even as rain continued to fall.
We crossed a few small rivers in our rental cars,but had to turn back when we reached one with higher waters. We photographed the valley,and then returned to Vik for another shot at photographing the beaches. Unfortunately,the skies were still unwilling to cooperate. Rather than being beaten by the weather,I spent some time working with creative compositions and techniques. I hunkered down in the lee of a large rock (to get out of the wind as much as possible) and steadied my camera by hanging my camera bag on the hook on my tripod. I chose a minimalist composition with nothing in the frame but sea stacks and water – and used a long shutter speed to smooth the surface of the waves for even more simplicity. It took several tries to get a shot without camera movement or spray on the lens,but I’m happy with the finished product. It’s my favorite shot of the day. What do you think? Moody enough for you? ;) 
The car was rocked by huge wind gusts as I drove back to the hotel. It’s really dark out there even when the sky is clear – but with a heavy cloud cover,the sky seems completely black. It felt good to get out of our wet clothes and get some hot dinner at the restaurant. We even had a chance to speak with Ranga’s owner – who told us that the hotel architecture was inspired by Canadian Lodges. All the wood was actually brought in from Canada… I guess it would have to be brought in from somewhere,since Iceland has few trees of its own. I’m dead tired…but it was another good day! By Varina Patel,on October 20th,2011 We rose at 4 this morning,and were out the door by 5. The fabulous people at Ranga actually had coffee waiting for us in the lobby! Heaven! I filled up my cup with as much milk and sugar as coffee…cuz that’s the way I like it…and we were off! We stopped by Seljalandsfoss – a huge waterfall that thunders down from a cliff-top far overhead. We didn’t shoot because of heavy rain,but we did take some time to scout the area. Gorgeous! The plan was to drive out to Vik and get some breakfast – but not a single restaurant was open. Instead,we stopped at a tiny supermarket and picked up a few essentials to add to our random collection of edibles. Today’s weather is pretty bad – gale force winds are making photography difficult. We took a look at the beaches at Vik and then headed for Laki. We found some lovely waterfalls along the way – and we drove out to take some shots. The rain wasn’t making photography easy,and our gear was starting to get pretty wet. I wiped my lens so many times that my lens cloth wouldn’t hold any more water. In the end,I fired off one last shot despite the thin coating of water on my lens… and the results are actually a bit dreamy. Maybe that shot is worth keeping. I’ve called it “Singin’in the Rain”…and by “singin’”I actually mean “swearin’“. Ahem.:) 
The sun came out briefly as we finished shooting the waterfalls,and we decided to capture some shots of the beautiful mossy landscape nearby. The moss is incredible. It is growing on top of lava rocks. Every step leaves a footprint in the cushiony growth,and it feels like walking on pillows. In some places,the moss is 12 inches deep! You never know what’s underneath that billowing green,though – it’s difficult to keep your balance out there! It was so tempting to just lie down and take a nap…but you start to worry that the Elves or Gnomes might come out and fill up your memory cards with photos of you looking foolish in your sleep. It’s not much of a stretch to imagine all kinds of fantastical creatures living in a place like this! 
I could have spent another day or two losing myself in green,but eventually,we had to leave. We drove out to catch a few shots of the beaches at Vik…but once again,the weather didn’t cooperate. Extremely high surf kept us off the beach – and the wind made photography pretty difficult. As the sun dropped lower in the sky – not that it ever goes that high at this time of year in Iceland – we headed toward the Mýrdalsjökull glacier. In the valley beneath it,the ground was covered with tiny,brilliantly colored leaves. The rich color contrasted beautifully with the heavily overcast skies. Autumn is a beautiful time,here. Can you believe the variety of colors we photographed throughout the day? 
I took one last shot and then headed to the car to put away my gear – with my camera and lens still mounted on the tripod. And that’s when I got stupid. I set the tripod on the road for a moment while I put my bag into the car… and a sudden gust of wind knocked it right over. I wasn’t even surprised. I’m still kicking myself for that one –I should have known better. No. I did know better…I’ve been shooting in difficult weather for years. Anyway,my wide-angle lens took a direct hit,and the lens has gone all funky…serious damage to the focus ring. I won’t be able to use it any more on this trip. I’ll have to wait until we return to the US and see if it can be repaired. The good news is that the camera survived the impact. I suppose I should consider myself lucky,but right now I’m kinda busy considering myself stupid. We returned to the hotel Ranga for dinner – and went straight to bed. Other photographers in our group captured some beautiful shots of the Aurora during the night – but we slept right through the best of it. (They did try to wake us…but we thought a bunch of drunk hotel guests were knocking on our windows,and just ignored them! Can you believe it?) Darn! Well…there’s still plenty of time. Maybe we’ll get another chance! By Varina Patel,on October 17th,2011 
Ahhh… air travel. There’s just nothing quite like it. This morning,we drove a couple of hours to Pittsburg – arriving in plenty of time to catch our flight. But the flight was delayed. So,we checked email,said hello on Google+,read up on photographing the Aurora… and waited. And then they put us on the plane… which taxied out to the runway and then turned off its main engine. Yep. Delayed again. Another half hour with freezing piped air blowing directly into my face… and we were off. We arrived at JFK in New York,and were directed to Terminal 4 to catch our flight to Reykjavik… which would have been just fine… if Iceland Air was actually located in terminal 4. A handy information kiosk proved to be more helpful than the human customer service agent –go figure –and we found our way to the correct terminal at last. (That’s ok. We needed some exercise after sitting around in the plane all afternoon,right?) We went through security and checked our bags. Again. And then we spent an hour hanging out at gate 2,waiting for our next flight…with good friends. We met up with Paul and Shawn at the airport –they are both on our final flight. We’ll catch up with Robert,Neal,and Glade at the airport in Reykjavik. The wait at JFK was good fun,since we were all excited about the trip. We hope to arrive in Iceland within a few hours… and from there we’re headed straight to… a grocery store. Now,don’t get too excited.:) We need to stock up on nutritious snacks,since actual meals may or may not materialize when we are hungry… more likely not. We intend to spend the next several days alternating between delicious hotel meals and random pre-packaged staleness. But we’re not here for the food. Let’s do this! Boy,do I wish I could skip the airlines and just teleport or something. “Let’s do this!” doesn’t feel very inspiring when you say it in your head while watching some brightly-dressed lady dig around in her giant,blue purse in search of… well… let’s see what she comes up with… ah ha! Mints! Woo-hoo! We arrived in Iceland as the last colors of the sunrise were fading away – and we picked up our rental cars from SAD Cars. Soon after,it began to rain – but rain is good exploring weather,so we stopped by Skógarfoss and Dyrhólaey before checking in at the beautiful hotel Ranga near the little town of Hvolsvöllur. What a pleasure to find ourselves in such comfortable beds after a long day of travel. We’re exhausted! By Varina Patel,on October 10th,2011 
In May of 2008,on a trip to Arizona,I found myself photographing beautiful circular patterns in sandstone. I mentioned to a friend that I loved the simplicity of natural circles,and their sometimes unexpected appearance in nature. She suggested that I start a “Circles Project”. 
In the back of my mind,I also thought about a book I read to my children a thousand times when they were small –the quiet,beautiful story of a little girl who lacked confidence in her own artistic ability - The Dot –by Peter H. Reynolds. If you haven’t read it –I highly recommend it. The lesson rings true no matter your age,and the book is one of just a few that I’ll keep in my own personal collection even after my children are grown. (For those who are interested,Mr. Reynolds has written other excellent books as well. Another favorite of mine is titled “Ish.”Again,these are children’s stories…but no less relevant because they were meant for a young audience. I’ve met thousands of adults who struggle with the same issues.) 
Anyway –with that story and my friend’s suggestion in mind,I set out to capture a series of natural circles. I’ve been shooting circles for more than three years…ever since that trip to Arizona…and I’ll continue to add to the collection over time. Even now,after all this time,there is something about natural circles that reminds me to simplify…my life,my composition,my thought processes. 
Personal projects are a great way to keep the creative juices flowing.. and to focus your photographic vision over time. Although I am always shooting other things as well –shooting circles is like adding to those fun collections we had as kids. Bottle caps or stamps or coins. But there’s something of myself in this collection,too. It’s more personal. 
You can see that my circle images are pretty different from one another. Tiny pebbles in circles carved from solid rock…mud bubbles formed as gas escapes from underground…patterns in the sand that were created as grasses moved in the wind…lichen growing on rocks… 
The variety is part of what makes the project so appealing to me. You start with a single image –a single idea –and pretty soon,you start seeing things in an entirely different light. I find circles in places I wouldn’t expect to find them! 
I love finding another circle to add to my collection. So why not create your own project or assignment. Think about what appeals to you –something that interests you or defines you in some way. Take a simple theme and spin it –I think you’ll find that it becomes far more than you expected! 
By Varina Patel,on October 6th,2011 
Although our websites are separate,and we don’t share our photographs,Jay and I work as a team. We share very similar technical skills –when one of us finds a new technique,we share it with the other…so it’s a constant processes of back and forth learning and sharing. We share ideas and critiques as well –pointing out beautiful subjects and light in the field,and offering suggestions for improving images in post-processing. On the business side,we each contribute when we have the time. I do a lot of the writing for our eBooks and blog posts (which is why most blog posts are written from my perspective) –but Jay suggests topics for posts and books as often as I come up with them myself. (This post was actually his idea.) I also do most of the creative design for our logos,websites,and eBooks…and I do all the voice-overs for our videos. Jay is more likely to be the one preparing products for e-commerce,adding new functionality to our websites,or fixing problems with the server –though I did spend about five hours fixing my website when it bit the dust after a recent update.:) There’s no clearly defined line –either of us can handle any responsibility…but that’s how it often pans out. So,when we are handling the business side of things,we are great about sharing responsibilities. It’s the same when we are teaching. We choose our locations together –and then he makes the necessary calls to request paperwork for permits and get the required information. I fill them all out and make sure they get where they need to go –so that when it’s time to head out,everything is in order. Once we’re on-location,we teach side-by-side. Our teaching styles are different –and we have different strengths –but we both feel that having two instructors makes a big difference. Some students learn better from Jay,and some learn better from me…but everyone gets two different perspectives. 
When it comes to our photographic styles we’re pretty different. Our creative processes are influenced by our personal styles. Jay prefers high-contrast images with splashes of intense color. I look for clean and simple compositions and I like my colors soft. I like to remove elements in order to simplify an image as much as possible –and Jay tries to include as much as he can. Because our styles are so different,we can often work side-by-side,and still come away with very different images. (Check out our Stand By Me post for examples.) 
In business and in “real”life,we compliment one another. Things run (relatively) smoothly because we believe in mutual respect and teamwork. We share a passion for photography,and we’re both incredibly motivated…and at the end of the day,we both love what we do. We each feel lucky to be able to pursue our passion for photography with our closest friend. What more could we ask for? | |
ebook:Following the Light
Q and A:How many Megapixels do you need?