It’s going to be a scorcher in Southwest Florida today — record breaking 92 degrees in the first week of April. What a perfect time to enjoy the frozen waterfall Skogafoss in Iceland — where I shot these photographs in January.
Be sure to scroll down to enjoy all four photographs. The last one may be your favorite.
I knew I was in Iceland. The sun was up for just four to five hours during our stay, and the sun followed a low path along the horizon. So the light was golden all day, you might say. (In early January, the day was four hours long. The day got noticeably longer during the 10 days we were there.)
Enjoy this golden light in the foreground of these snow-covered mountains in West Iceland.
The Icelandic people really know how to name their glaciers! It might be better to call this glacier the one we visited on January 16 at sunset. Allow me to treat you to a wide view of this awesome sight and a detail of the icebergs on the frozen lake at the foot of this frozen giant.
Detail from the lower left of this scene, including two photographers near the lakeside icebergs.
In Florida, I watch pelicans and osprey dive for fish, and sandpipers run from the approaching wave on the beach, but I have never witnessed a whole flock of birds jump the waves. That’s why I was intrigued by this sight in Iceland.
First of all, it amazes me that horses, birds, reindeer and seals can withstand the bitter cold and gale force winds of the Iceland winter. I saw all these types of wildlife roaming free and feeding on what Nature provides.
Then, I found myself at the foot of Vestrahorn on a black sand beach at dusk, which is mid-afternoon in January. I was photographing the mountain towering over the beach and reflecting in the wet sad. But a flock of birds floating near the shore caught my eye.
I liked the rosy tones in the sky, the snow in the mountains and the repeating waves approaching the shore. What do you like about this image?
Waiting for the Supermoon to rise into view this evening, I was driving a golf cart around the course, looking for the best location I could find. The official rising time of 5:26pm had passed, but I did not have a clear view of the flat horizon. Killing time, I clicked a few photos of a great blue heron.
I kept checking the alignment of my shadow, to make sure I was looking for the moon rising in the right location, and suddenly… there it was, and it DID indeed look big.
This was one of those moments that I wish a friend or family member was at my side to share the excitement. “There it is!” I murmured to myself.
Just in case the clouds block my view of the Supermoon setting over the Gulf of Mexico tomorrow morning, I wanted to be ready to photograph the Supermoon tonight as it rose, at virtually the same time as sunset.
I chose a location with distant trees for my foreground, and used my Tamron 600-150 zoom lens mounted on my Nikon D800 and a tripod for a grand view of the rising moon. The moon rose above the trees, directly opposite the setting sun as I stood watch on the Royal Poinciana Golf Club in Naples, Florida.
As the sky darkened after sunset, the moon rose higher above the trees and shone brilliantly showing the detail of its surface. Here is my image of the Supermoon, just after it crested the palm trees tonight, while the low sun bathed the trees in warm light.
This photo is a low resolution image for quick loading. A higher resolution image will appear on my website, http://www.cathykellyphotography.com
“In January comes the snow, when trees are bare and wild winds blow.”
Shakespeare’s words are bouncing around in my head, and this scene in Sewickley Heights brings them to life for me. I was driving past Allegheny Country Club’s golf course last evening just before sunset, when I saw the sun, partly obscured by the moon behind this bare tree. I stopped the car and hopped out with my iPhone 6 to take a photo.
Today I brought that image into Photoshop and experimented with a few filters. I settled on the saturation and contrast I could achieve with Nik HDR Efex and some dodging and burning of my own.
Enjoy the coming snowstorm, friends in the Northeast, and don’t forget to get outdoors and take some photos!
Tree and setting sun at Allegheny Country Club
Blog: Cathy Kelly Photography 