Iceland tour - June 2006

Introduction

A land of green fields turning gold in the summer sun. This was my first impression of England, as I returned home after two weeks in Iceland. Many other differences then struck me: England was basking in warm sunshine; the signs of human toil were everywhere; the fields were numerous and fragmented. These all seemed almost novel experiences, in spite of the fact that I live here. In contrast, Iceland's defining feature was endless plains of barren gravel and lava. Although the deserts form the most striking landscapes, Iceland also offers a good mix of mountains and coastal scenery, interspersed with farms which mostly seem to cater for horses and sheep. The effect of the sun, whose rays are weak at these latitudes, was further diminished by regular cloud cover and cold northerly winds.

Thankfully, Iceland is also home to some of the greatest spectacles of Nature to be found in Europe. The sites of interest are scattered throughout the country and often involve an hour or two's drive to get from one to the other. The only notable exception to this rule is the Myvatn area which has a good variety of sites all within a couple miles of each other. The geographical lay-out means that the tour took on a join-the-dots format, which turned out to be ideal for the slow art of large-format photography. A few hours could be spent in each site, while driving by the more mundane scenery at speed. Having chosen to go round the island within a two-week period, most places were visited only the once. There was very little opportunity to wait for spectacular lighting or an improvement in weather conditions. The photographs displayed here are therefore an honest and simple account of what was there, and give, in my view, a more realistic picture of what Iceland is like than if we'd lingered for better conditions.

	These pictures are available as limited edition fine art prints. Click here for further information.

Landscape

Geography teachers delight in telling us that the world about us is in permanent flux: mountains are born and eroded cyclically, on geological time scales incomprehensible to mere mortals. In Britain, we are surrounded by a much eroded landscape, polished by aeons of wind, rain and freezing weather. Iceland is quite the contrary: it is a young country, still fresh and in some places, still being formed. The formative events are plain for all to see. This results in scenes that seem primeval and have an untouched quality - not just untouched by the hand of Man, but simply untouched. In many places, vegetation, usually so fast to colonise new land, has still to get a hold. This in turn is linked to a land generally free of soil and therefore free of mud.

On a more human time scale, we are aware of the passing seasons and the associated oscillations in day-length, both of which play on our perception of the landscape. Being just south of the Arctic circle, the seasonal variations are considerable. This visit took place at the end of June, when the snow had receded and flowers were in full bloom, enlivening the land with sparse splashes of colour. In contrast, close to the solstices, the oscillations linked to the sun's journey in the sky over the course of a single day, are much dampened. Spending the summer solstice on Iceland's north coast, we enjoyed almost continuous daylight. The sun is however low on the horizon for long periods of time, making sunsets and sunrises very protracted affairs.

The final fluctuations to influence our appreciation of the landscape - any landscape - is the weather. It is an integral part of our experience of the landscape, to the extent that a particular combination of land and weather can define the place. The natural complement to the shattered lava fields which epitomise Iceland are the grey clouds that scud above it. Situated in the middle of the north Atlantic, Iceland is subjected to continually changing weather. The cloud cover is permanently being churned and is as broken as the lava beneath it. On this occasion, it was mostly overcast but dry and bright, with high cloud. The two days of glorious sunshine were fairly balanced by two days of lashing rain.

Photography

As you will see in the following pages, the photographs divide up into two broad categories: the scene-setting overview and the study of detail. The bold landscape harbours awe-inspiring monuments of Nature which are easy fodder for a camera in search of postcard views. There is however another type of photography with loftier concerns, seeking to make an intellectual or emotional statement. Of prime importance to such a photographer is the existence of features: as explained elsewhere, these are singular objects defined by a visual property (colour, tone, texture, etc…) which stands out from that of the objects' surrounds.

In this sense, Iceland's desert and highland landscapes are both featureless and featureful: the rocky expanses vary little providing a background drone, while the occasional contrasting flower or rock provides the singular object which can be strategically placed within a contrived frame. The colours, when they are found, are usually gaudy, from the bright greens of fresh vegetation to the vivid yellows of sulfur salts. These stand out fiercely against the ubiquitous basaltic grey-black. The overcast weather ensures that their colours are strongly rendered on film, thus facilitating the task of capturing characterful detail. There were however hindrances too. Photographing flowers is made difficult by the ever-present wind. Disappointingly, most sunsets and sunrises were obliterated by dense clouds which snuffed out any warm colours. One must pay close attention to the colour of light in these situations, as the cloud cover combines with the low sun to play subtle tricks on the mind's eye. Overall, I must admit that I found Iceland a hard place to photograph, with the prevailing conditions often being contrary, but I am pleased with the results: they have made the efforts worthwhile.

I hope you enjoy the pictures too.
- Charles