A Guest Post by PBA Mandy Michels Visuals
Iceland: The Land of Fire and Ice. With unpredictable weather, diverse landscapes, and high visibility of the Aurora Borealis, Iceland is one of my favorite countries that I have had the privilege of visiting.
As our plane made its way onto the tarmac of Keflavík International Airport at sunrise, I couldn’t contain my excitement for the trip ahead. I immediately spotted the black sands of the Reykjanes peninsula. Through my exhaustion, I began to visualize walking out of the airport and onto the Land of Fire and Ice. I was finally here.
From a photography standpoint, my goal for the trip was to capture Iceland in a different way than what people normally see. I wanted to highlight the textures, colors, and diversity by mainly using a telephoto lens to get up close and personal. I also purchased a drone specifically for this trip - and I am so glad I did! With these combined tools, I was able to realize my goal. I took thousands of images within a week and a half of traveling around Iceland, and I still go back and look through all of them.
We spent the first couple of days on the south coast of the country. This is where many of the popular sites are, and with that come crowds. I tend to stray away from crowds during my travels, and while we did stop at all of these spots, we did it fairly quickly to move on from the people. The best thing that happened during our time on the south coast was seeing the Aurora Borealis for the first time - and on our first night camping! I couldn’t believe what I was seeing - not only with my camera, but with my bare eyes. It was one of the greatest moments of my life.
Once we made it to the East Coast, we saw fewer people on the road and at different sites. We felt like we could now breathe and take our time exploring. We had no idea what Iceland would present to us at this time.
Continuing back west, but on the northern part of Ring Road, we were met with some flatter areas. We stopped to enjoy Mývatn Nature Baths (now called Earth Lagoon), and it was exactly what we needed after being in the car and camping.
The most unexpected part of our trip was visiting Snæfellsnes - the peninsula north of the peninsula where Reykjavík sits. This area absolutely blew my mind. The ever-changing landscape, the sea, the air, the light - everything about this area made it my favorite place that we visited. I cannot wait to return.
On the last leg of our trip, we had a free day, so we decided to drive the Golden Circle even though it wasn’t in our initial plan. While we really enjoyed seeing this area, it was a bit underwhelming compared to much of Iceland and WAY too crowded for us. However, I am very glad we did make the time to see it. I captured some of my favorite images during this day, and I do not regret it. It is a great day trip for those who don’t have the time to see much of Iceland (especially for those who have a long layover in Reykjavík!). It is accessible and beautiful.
What surprised me about Iceland is how much the landscape changes in a short distance. From vast mountains and rugged coasts, to flat meadow-like areas with diverse flora and smaller geological differences. The amount of waterfalls we saw was also astonishing. Some of the most beautiful and unassuming waterfalls were the ones we saw without crowds. Other, smaller waterfalls were temporary or seasonal, depending on the weather. Everywhere we looked, it seemed as though there was some sort of falling water.
Iceland is a place I will never forget. I think about it almost every day, and I cannot wait to return!
With the help of Nations Photo Lab, I was able to turn our memories into tangible products. My favorite one is the book I made with my photographs. The quality and price were both amazing, and I can now sit and look at images from our trip without looking at a screen. I intend to make books like these for all of my trips from here on out - and possibly even ones from the past!
I also got a few Giclée prints made to create a nice triptych of what we saw. These prints make the colors pop and truly show how it felt to be there. I am so happy to see them hanging in our home. I always tell my clients to make prints of their photos. It changes how you view them and truly puts a smile on your face when you present them in your home.
