Iceland – Westfjords in August

By Claire

Finding a location for summer photography presents challenges, often the light is too harsh, sunsets and rises too close together to enable decent sleep and the air lacks the clarity that cold days bring. Plus all that green! In other words while it is great to ditch the thermals it is hard to find inspiration.

A solution is to escape to cooler latitudes. This summer Mel and I, with new friend Canadian Connie, headed north to Iceland and chose to spend a week in the Westfjords. This location would present challenges in the winter months due to it’s isolation and difficult terrain but in the summer is accessible but little visited (while the south is full of tourist buses).

On arrival the weather was in fact warmer than it had been in the UK which was a bit of a surprise but there is no second guessing the weather here. Basically no matter the season take layers and wet weather gear and expect to remove and add on an hourly basis!

The drive to the northern part of Westfjords takes about eight hours so our guide and driver had suggested an itinerary that gave us an overnight stop near the Kirkjufellsfoss on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula for an evening shoot, then a fairly easy drive to Thingeyri for three nights and finally on to a base near Isafjordur for a further three nights. For the return journey we caught the Sykssholmur ferry to cut down on the driving and to give another perspective on the land.

Day 1

Arrival at Keflavik International Airport where we met our guide and new friend Connie, the weather was looking fabulous and an easy drive took us to Kirkjufellsfoss,  a  well-situated waterfall near the distinctive Kirkjufell mountain on the north side of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. The only down side here was the sky – just a bit too clear but it is a great location and having the mountain light up in the evening sun a bonus. It is always good to bag a few shots early in a trip – at least you know you have something to take home.

We stayed in a rough and ready guesthouse in Budardalur but all we needed was a bed, shower and breakfast and then off again into the unknown. From this point we quickly left the the Snæfellsnes Peninsula and were in the southern parts of the Westfjords.

The roads began to get “interesting” with three mountain passes in quick succession. The road turns to a gravel track. It stays this way for 100 plus kilometres, until we got to Thingeyri. It is a drive that is fine in summer but I’d still recommend a vehicle with plenty of power and good tyres, to be honest I’d not fancy it in winter on my own.

We arrived in Thingeyri in the afternoon and experienced the last of the summer sun of the trip before the clouds took hold.

Our guesthouse here was well placed and had the benefit of a shared kitchen,  I wish that the UK had more accommodation like this. It is somewhere between a B&B and a cottage and gives so much more freedom for a photographer who has just a few days (so doesn’t want a weekly cottage let) and needs the flexibility to self cater and keep strange hours.

That evening and the following morning we enjoy the  view over Dýrafjörður from the top of Mt. Sandafell .

The Aðalból mountain road proved an exciting option. It is hardly a road, more like a track that has been crafted and hewn by dedicated souls determined to bring their little homesteads within the reach of civilisation. We drove it twice, the second time I felt a little more relaxed but the soaring aretes above you and drops below made you grateful for the safety of a sturdy vehicle and experienced driver. Truly worth the effort. The light wasn’t really with us but as an experience it was unforgettable.

Taking a leisurely walk around a location is always worthwhile to get the local flavour – or in this case the smells.

Days 4-7

Leaving Thingeyri was hard, it had been a great location and I felt that if we had found some better light it would have kept us busy for several more days.

Most of the drive North involves driving in and out of the fjords that distinguish the Westfjords from the rest of Iceland. Progress is slow but who wants to rush?

From Isafjordur, it was a 20 minute drive, including a seven kilometre long tunnel, to get to Blómsturvellir Guesthouse in Súðavík, which provided pleasant self catering accommodation.

For the next few days we explored the northern edge of Westfjords. Worthwhile locations include; Önundarfjörður, Skálavík, Súgandafjörður, Bólungarvík, Ísafjörður, Hestfjörður  and Skötufjörður

The weather proved a little stubborn as it refused to move. In the distance we could see great light over an inaccessible reserve and we had to work hard to make the most of any moments when it shone our way.

Highlights include a rainbow and waterfall  over the distant reserve. My Canon 70-300L proved its worth during this trip as it allowed me to peer into places I couldn’t reach.

Sunrises gave some frustrations as the gap for the sun to shine through was so small but for a brief time it ignited the land and showed the local colours. Colour that in summer in the UK would not be found.

We stopped in Isafjordur to take some detail shots I had to chuckle when I found this… our football is truly a religion all over the world.

A week is not long enough to do such a place justice, you leave asking so many questions. Did I make the most of the light and time? What would the area look like in another season? Will the light be better tomorrow? What is round that corner we didn’t quite walk to? When can I return?

As we drove away from our house for the long drive back to the airport we had a happy accident – Connie had left her watch and she had to dash back to get it. Mel and I opted to be left by the road until she returned and we got a fleeting bit of light. A grabbed moment at the end of a great week when no-one wanted to leave.

A final stop was at Dynjandi, one of Icelands most famous waterfalls. Not a mid-day location and indeed even though it is spectacular I haven’t seen an image from here that makes me go “wow” – I wonder if the light every really catches it and makes it sparkle. I’d love someone to show me a picture from here that proves it does sometimes glow. This is is a tiny, tiny part of a mountainous fall.

We had decided to take the ferry to avoid a long drive. The ferry from Brjanslaekur  arrives at the port of Sykssholmur. There is nothing in Brjanslaekur. It is basically an Icelandic crossroads, there are a few farms, along with a hut which is used to sell ferry tickets, and a dock. As basic as it was I still felt a sense of returning to the world. Once on the ferry the magic was broken – all possible food tastes catered for and there were people again which made me realise that we had seen so few on the trip.

Our final night near the airport was spent at The Barracks,  Keflavik. If you want a very clean and airy room, own bathroon, access to a kitchen, a breakfast at any time of the morning and a free drive to your plane at a VERY reasonable price – this is for you.

Postscript.

I mentioned that I used my new Canon 70-300L a lot on this trip. I have used a zoom many times before for landscapes but never found a lens that really worked for me. I have a 100-400 Canon which I enjoy and can produce quality shots but it isn’t a lense you want to drag up mountains. I had the 70-300 DO  but my copy seemed soft and didn’t appear to work with my 7D (I use the 5D MKII for landscapes but carry the 7D in my bag with a long zoom for when I need some reach). I have uploaded shots from this trip here that show how much I used the 70-300L. It has in fact given me a new “voice” – while I remain a wide angle junkie I now have a new tool that gives a perspective that intrigues me.

Claire Carter www.carterart.co.uk