Winter Shadows and Light

„Winter Shadows and Light“ ------------------------- Well, I think this here will be my last image with snow for this winter season. But hey … after the winter season is always before the next winter season he he he. I can’t wait to the next winter to make some more shots with all the areas covered by a beautiful white cape. This here was made when I was with a friend of mine looking for some cool spots and we decided to make also a shot from the distance capturing the sun disappearing behind the majestic mountains. I hope you like it. -------------------------

Mood Presure

------------------------- I made this shot here last year during the winter season. I was on a hike with snowshoes together with my son exploring the area having really bad bad weather conditions and low visibility. But when we arrived at this place here the light could shine through the dense fog and clouds and produced such a mystical mood that I decided to make a shot from this moment here. Would have been a crime not to do it and I hope you like it despite the spring season has already begun. -------------------------

Winter Shoreline

------------------------- What you see here is the shoreline from the Kirkjufellfoss. The iconic mountain is exactly on my left. Really difficult to make here at this iconic place something special as it is photographed thousand times. Here I tried to make a special and not so well known vista from this place and I hope you like it as well. -------------------------

Ice Lake

------------------------- A good friend of mine (Juan), whom I met on my trip to Iceland, visited me in Switzerland some weeks ago. It was obvious that I went with him to photograph some cool spots I know in the Swiss Alps. We really had a bit of bad luck with the weather conditions (too blue) and also many areas I know were closed due to avalanche danger. But nevertheless, we had a lot of fun and I think here at the lake „Klöntalersee“ we were blessed at Sunday evening, because the weather was in our favor. But even down here on the frozen lake we could not stay too long because we were standing on a small ice island in the middle of the frozen lake and behind us the water locks to the lake were opened. We had to leave the place really quickly to have the chance to leave without having to swim. And just before we left I could make this image here! -------------------------

Sand dunes in golden light

„Sand dunes in golden light“ ------------------------- Not much to say about this well known iconic place in Iceland. I hope you like it and thanks for watching. ------------------------- For Landscape Photography Workshops please visit: - Swiss Alps 2 days Workshop - Snowdonia 3 days Workshop Further Information at https://www.manuelmartinphotography.com/WORKSHOPS -------------------------

Breath of the Dragon

------------------------- A shot I made in the Swiss Alps during this winter season when I was looking for new spots with friends. Actually, we first wanted to visit another spot, which is located behind this mountain massif. But when we saw this area here, we thought it might be better to wait here for the firework once the sun will reach this area. Our presumption was right as you can see and we were experiencing a great morning around all these rocks. -------------------------

Waterfall-Cave

------------------------- Another shot I made at the iconic place Kirkjufell. This time I show you the vista I made just below the icy waterfall. As the entire water was frozen I could place my tripod just under the waterfall. Was really cool this experience and I hope you like it as well. -------------------------

Old Lava Fields

------------------------- This area here is located in Bùdir (Iceland) and is famous because of the black church that is not far away from where I took this shot here. To be honest, I was more attracted by this old lava field than from the church. This incredible area here has as many spots as there are stars in the night sky. Finally I was lost in all the small canyons looking for the right shot. This image here is one of the many shots I made. Thanks for watching. -------------------------

Iceland Canyons

------------------------- A shot I made when I was visiting the Fjadrargljufur canyon on Iceland. For sure not the best weather conditions to make justice to this wonderful place, but I had to take what I found that day. And I’m so happy that I could see this magnificent place and I hope you like it as well. -------------------------

Black Curve

------------------------- Another shot I made in Iceland. I was in front of the iconic mountain in Vestrahorn and found this wonderful foreground. Despite the bad weather … (lol) … well I hate blue skies, because they always remind me of postcards, I could not resist and made the shot. -------------------------

White Freedom

------------------------- Well, nothing much to say about this iconic place in Iceland as it has been already photographed billions of times. But the place is wonderful and magic here at the foot of the mountain Kirkjufell. And as you can see the weather was also cool with lots of clouds and hints of light. I hope you enjoy this image from my trip to Iceland and thanks for watching. -------------------------

Ice Dancing

------------------------- A shot I made at the Diamond Beach on Iceland. Oh boy, how much I miss this area and as I’m coming from a country with lots of mountains but without any sea even more. Already to see the beach without ice blocks is a great thing and a highlight to me and having the beach with lots of ice blocks is a overwhelming feeling. Nevertheless, I hope to visit this area once in my lifetime again. Enjoy the image and thank you for watching! -------------------------

Golden Kingdom of Heaven

------------------------- I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and a great beginning of the New Year 2019. I want to start this new year with this shot here I made during my stay in the Swiss mountains two months ago when I was looking for new spots with friends. We found this wonderful weather spectacle just at sunrise when the light transformed the entire area into this golden kingdom. Thanks for watching :-) -------------------------

Swiss Alps Twilight

------------------------- I especially love on thing in the Swiss Alps when I look at my picture here. And that’s the feeling of being somewhere in the northern countries. Although these lighting moods in winter are much shorter than for example in Norway, but I still have this spectacle just around the corner without having to get on any plane and to travel halfway across the world. What a fantastic vista here at over 2’000 Meters despite the freezing cold and waiting for the first lights of the day. Any effort to search for such places is worthwhile for this result in nature and for the feeling I had. -------------------------

Baby-Aurora over Stokksnes

I know … on the web there are so many stunning images with incredible auroras. Well, we were not so lucky to experience this green thing in the night sky. What you see here was taken on one of the last nights on Iceland and it was the only night with a chance to see a bit the auroras. Let me say it that way … one reason more to go back there sometime in my life ;-) Well, I think this one here will be my last upload of Iceland as Spring has finally arrived also here in Switzerland. I will be posting again shots from Iceland next winter.

Fjadrargljufur

A wonderful place this canyon called Fjadrargljufur located in the Katla Geologic Park. I can imagine how everything could look like taken in a dream land at sunrise. Well, we were not so lucky with the light, but hey … I was really happy to be there it doesn’t matter the weather. Instead of making some shots of the area I was looking for some compositions showing only some details of the canyon. I love to make such shots and I hope you like it as well.

Vestrahorn

No much to say about this wonderful and iconic mountain at this magic place. Just look and I hope you enjoy!

Area of Lomagnupur

On our way to the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon we made a short break at the area of Lomagnupur and tried to make some shots of the reflections of this iconic mountain. But the area in the sky above that mountain was not really a picturesque one. So I decided to do also some shots of the wide plain towards the glaciers in the distance. I must really say the mountains in the distance looked really nice and the atmospheric light was wonderful despite that it was just after a heavy rain.

Golden Sun at Stokksnes

One afternoon we were in Stokksnes in front of the famous mountain of Vestrahorn. What a special and beautiful place this was. In fact I can always return at this area and find always different possibilities to shoot, as the strong wind is continuously transforming the sand dunes to new structures. I found at my way to the sand dunes this piece of ice surface and I could not resist not to make a shot here.

Diamond Beach

Seriously, I would say that I have a certain understanding about photography in the mountains, as I’m always there and no matter what the weather conditions are. But to make shots at the sea … really I had no idea how to make such a shot like the one here as I’m living in Switzerland he he he. And more how dangerous those ice blocks were as they were moving when the waves came. But luckily we had two excellent landscape photographers guiding us (Enrico Fossati and Javier de la Torre). Ha ha ha … it was really funny to be there at the beach trying to capture the right moment and hearing both guides screaming at us from behind like … „You must go forward! … heyyyy!!! … more into the water! … wait … wait … let the wave overpass you … and now shoot, shoot and shoot!!! … Not so close to the ice blocks … it’s too dangerous damn!!!“. What a highlight that morning! I had to laugh all the time … how crazy and funny that morning was at the beach. And I have to thank both guides for the effort they put into us all the time.

Sunrise at the frozen lake

I just found this image I made some time ago on a frozen lake in the Swiss Alps on my hard drive. It was really icy cold that morning but also so wonderful to be there in the morning hours and waiting for the sunrise.

Opposite the Kirkjufell

Just behind the waterfall Kirkjufellfoss there was this area here in the image. Well, I think nobody will ever notice this field here as there is the Kirkjufell and the waterfall, which are stealing the show, but as all the world is busy in capturing those iconic vistas I was attracted by the fresh snow covering the entire field and the beautiful light illuminating all those very very small hills. I decided to go here for a focus length blending as the background mountains seemed very small with a wide angle lens and I hope you like it.

Ice Cave Addicted

Oh man! It was a very cool and special day with a small hike of one hour on the Vatnajökull glacier and the visit of some ice caves. I had no idea that the visit of the caves wold be so impressive. I fell in love with such places here in this wonderful country he he he. And I must confess I’m addicted … I want more ha ha ha. It was so amazing to see so many different blue and green vibrant and bright colors, but it was also so challenging to capture everything sharp from front to back and to handle the big dynamic range with the cam. What you see here is a focus stacking image (handblended) with different exposures to capture everything of the scene. As I was standing in darkness I had to handle the dark areas around me knowing that just behind me on the roof of the ice cave there was a small hole letting in some daylight. And then in the distance there were two similar holes and finally the sun shining in the cave from the entry. A very cool experience and I hope you like my image here.

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon

During our trip in Iceland we were not so lucky with the light due to heavy rain during two days. Well, what should I say … one of this days were exactly here at the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, which is full of icebergs flowing to the sea from the Vatnajökull, the biggest glacier of Europe. How challenging experience it was with that bad light. But, it is as it is … at home in Switzerland I can always get back to the spots as much as I want to capture the spots with wonderful light because it is near for me, but on such a trip I have not this chance. It’s more „Take it or leave it“ he he he. So I made a lot of shots because I have no idea when it will be the next time when I have the chance to visit this area again. In my imagination I had a certain idea of the images I wanted to capture … as I saw a lot of them in the web, but here … with this light? Well, it doesn’t matter. The light was given and for nothing in the world I would miss the opportunity to make shots here at this incredible and so beautiful place no matter how the weather is. I hope you like my vision of this iconic place.

Rushing Water under the Mountain Peak

Just another shot I made in the area of the Kirkjufell. Well, to be honest it was Enrico Fossati who found this spot here. It was impressive to see how he works and how he enters a new area for some special and unique views. He called me to join him and to make with this this special view. We were both lying on the ground as the underground was frozen and we had only a vague idea where the ice was thick enough to hold our both weights. And then also Javier de la Torre joined us as he wanted to make some test shots with his new lens (SigmaArt 14mm 1.8) … by the way … a monster lens. For those interested in that particular lens I recommend to follow him on Facebook as he is writing a review about his experience with that lens. Well, finally I think most of the group made the same shot from this spot he he he. But as you can see it was worth to be there the morning I made this photo. I can only repeat … what a stunning place and I hope you like my vision here.

Horse’s Neck

One afternoon we visited the area of Bùdir with the famous black church. And it was really unbelievable to see a lonely black church in the middle of nothing. This contrast between the wider plane and this church was burned into my memory. Of course I started to make shots, but there was something more than just this church. In fact I had a little troll in my head and this little creature started to talk to me „Look, there’s an old lava field not far from the church!“. „Nonsense, I’m taking shots from this cool church now!“, was my answer. But again and again I heard this little troll talking to me. And hey, how many times have I already experienced to stand in the middle of a lava field? It was obvious … I disappeared from the scene and I found me again in all the small canyons of this huge lava field. And it was there where I found this spot here.

Classic view of the Kirkjufell

Well, as you can see I was on a workshop in Iceland. The workshop was guided by two great landscape photographers (Javier de la Torre and Enrico Fossati). Beside that they both are great photographers I must also say that they are such nice and fine guys and I enjoyed so much the time with them and of course also with the great group we were. If you visit their pages you will know what I’m talking about, and for sure I can recommend every workshop they lead! This here in the image is one of the many iconic places that Iceland can offer to all landscape photographers. And I decided to go for a classic one and for sure I hope you like it.

Winter Thunderstorm

I’ve really rarely experienced a thunderstorm in a winter. But when I took this image here it was just one of such a rare moment. But the bad thing was that unfortunately I did not catch a lightning when I was waiting for the sunrise. But nevertheless the experience I had was unique and wonderful and I hope you enjoy this shot here. By the way … this will be the last image for two weeks as I will be traveling abroad. Take care everybody.

Breathing Space during a Snowstorm

First of all … Happy New Year 2018. I hope everybody had a fantastic time during the last days of the last year. Well, seriously … I have no idea what the hell I was doing that day I made this shot here. There was a huge snowstorm and I had the desire to make a short hike during my stay in the mountains. Of course the visibility was zero and after two hours of hike I decided to go back home as it was senseless to go on looking for a cool spot. But then there was this really short break … this really short break of only a few minutes and I took this opportunity to make this one shot here before the storm started again.

The lonely cottage

Well, it was clear that I made more than only one shot in the Swiss Alps during my stay two weeks ago. I think winter is definitely over now in Switzerland and this will be my last shot with snow for this season. I hope you enjoy and I thank everyone for passing by ;-)