Below Iceland
After two great photo-vacations in 2010 i decided to visit Iceland again in 2017 the last week of September and the first week of October. The Northern Lights activity is, for a still unknown reason, always higher around Equinoxes.
Northern Lights seen on Flight AB3906 from Munich to Reykjavik during a G1 Solar Storm
All ready and packed i flew from Munich to Reykjavik. It has been an overnight flight, so always pick a window seat on the right side. Boom! At the half time of the Flight a green glow appeared on the Horizon. Seeing the Northern Lights from an Airplane is something special. Photographing it too, because it's hard to use a tripod in an Airplane - i had to shoot it handheld.
Lonely House & Landscape around the Snæfellsnes Peninsula
The weather is usually a bit tricky in Iceland, and could be different in the whole country. If the north is sunny, the south is usually rainy - and the other way around. We just arrived right with 5 clear days and nights in the south and then switched to the north.
Ring Road #1 near Jökulsárlón with Glacier in the Background
Speaking about the Northern Lights again. Short before our arrival, a Coronal hole turned towards earth, and sparked three strong Geomagnetic Storms in a row.
Strong Aurora Borealis at Kirkjufellsfoss at Grundarfjordur due to a KP6 Solar Storm
The first week has nearly been over, so the good weather in the South. Time to drive up to the North. While the south features a kinda soft and gentle Landscape, the North is a bit more rough on this. The Myvatn area is in the center of the North Volcanic Zone in Iceland. Here you find a lot of Mini-Geysirs, Mud-Holes and Bright blue Lagoons.
Rough but minimal North-Icelandic Landscapes
Volcanic Activity & Mud Holes near Myvatn
Two of the Highlights in the North are of course the big Waterfalls Dettifoss and Goðafoss (translated "Gods Waterfall). I had to skip Goðafoss the first two times when i was in Iceland before. This Time my Goal was clear: Shooting it together with the Aurora Borealis.
Goðafoss Long Exposure at Sunset
Blessed already with the great Weather at the first week, the seccond week was a bit more Challenging. Especially the Nights, as strong Winds blew in Sea-Fog. The Aurora Forecast didn't look so promising too. I was staying in a B&B near Myvatn, in a small town called Reykjahlíð. The day was sunny, the night cloudy. I pretty much stayed outside for 4 hours with no results :-(
You should never give up, one of my goals in Life. After a nice Whale-Wathing Tour in Husavík my plan was to drive to Ólafsfjörður. I stopped on the way back home at the Waterfall (Image above). The weather was still great and it was short before Nightfall. Despite the weather forecast, it was like a race against time. The dawn and Nightfall takes quite long in the northern fall. At one point it was clear and dark at the waterfall, but the Northern Lights just didn't want to dance with me.
Clouds were coming closer and closer, my chances looked again pretty bad. I was happy with the first week, so i decided to pack my stuff and leave.
Already in the car, some kilometers further, suddenly the sky lifted up and unveiled a beautiful Aurora. I drove back so fast and ran to the same spot, just to get this magic shot.
What a great time in Iceland.
The long awaited Shot, Goðafoss & the Aurora Borealis
Teaser-Video auf Instagram & Facebook
