An azure colored lake provides color in the Iceland highlands.
The Iceland highlands are known for their relatively bright colors. Most of the color is from low growing mosses, contrasting with the black volcanic sands as well as rich, colorful mineral deposits. These colorful highlands were not a destination for us. Rather they were simply something to fly over to get to the next collection of abstract rivers scenes. However, we liked them so much we returned the following day.
This photo represents sheer joy for Greg and me. We had traveled maybe a quarter way around the world to find the abstract designs of the water runoff of the Icelandic glaciers and were giddy with excitement with our success in photographing these crazy abstract river designs, Iceland from the air.
We had both seen similar scenes in books of award winning photos and were drawn to the abstract designs of Iceland from the air. Greg did ALL of the planning and driving. I happily tagged along. It was pure joy when we got up into the airplane and realized our hours of travel and Greg’s hours of planning were a success. Below our tiny airplane were crazy, inexplicable, myriad of designs. Somehow, these were formed by the glacier river runoff. White, blue and brown designs were all equally confusing. We knew our Iceland journey was going to be a success.
The Black Sand Beach in Iceland is a tourist destination along the main road in southern Iceland, east of Reykjavík. Here you can expect wedding photographers, tour buses, food trucks, patrolled paid parking and a few avid photographers.
Winter is a better time of year to visit the Black Sand Beach of Iceland. There are some wonderful hotels nearby. Winter is best from a photography point of view because the light is better with the sun lower in the horizon, bigger storms and larger icebergs on the beach. During the summer months, the iceberg remnants are having a contest to see which can melt away the fastest. In the winter it is a struggle of survival for the heartiest photographer. I visited in the winter of 2015. Iceland Winter Visit. Our goal in 2024 was to photograph Iceland from the air, from both an airplane and a helicopter. But first we need to travel to our tiny inland airport, photographing southern Iceland along the way.
The salts fields of Bolivia or Salar de Uyuni, is a shallow basin of reflective water sought after by many tourists and photographers.
After numerous days of 10 hour drives, we finally arrived at the salt fields of Bolivia or Salar de Uyuni. We started our journey in northern Chile and had driven on many miles of dusty roads and crossed mountains over 16,000 feet. We had been taking medications to minimize the effects of high altitude. However, by this time most of us had either experienced food poisoning or altitude sickness. I was down a day from dehydration. We were dead tired from photographing stars through the cold mountain air and then driving for hours through mud hut towns to our next destination. Now the fun was about to get into high gear….
Reserva National de Flamencos overlook for sunrise near San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.
This is one of our first photography outings while acclimating in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, on our way to the much anticipated salt fields of Bolivia. Our goal was to see the tens of thousands of acres of salt flats of Bolivia or the Salar de Uyuni. These salt flats are submerged in 4-8 inches of calm reflective water. My desire to drive to the salt flats of Bolivia resulted from Art Wolfe showing beautiful, unique photos through his TV series, Travels to the Edge. So much of the Uyuni salt flats of Bolivia have changed since then and not necessarily for the better. (Please note you may click on images for a larger viewing)
The melting snow reveals snow fall layers from many prior seasons and Antarctic abstracts.
In one small section of this coastal area we spotted varied Antarctic abstract designs. The melting snow was revealing the layers of previous years of snow, creating interesting designs. These muted color patterns in the cliffs were several stories tall.
We often saw penguins making long, arduous treks for no reason apparent to us. Where is this guy going?
On board the Greg Mortimer expedition ship we continued to cruise among giant icebergs and islands, looking for penguins and seals. The photos in these Antarctica blogs are shown in the approximate order in which they were taken. So you are seeing the trip unfold as I saw it. The best is yet to come…
Photographs similar to this are the goal of many whale photographers. The whale tail only pops out of the water when the whale is on its way down, diving deep into the ocean to feed on plankton.
The whale tail coming up and out of the water happens much less often than the more common breaking the surface for air and feeding near the surface. Seeing the tail out of the water like this indicates the whale is diving down deep to feed. All the photographers set their camera to motor drive and press the shutter down time after time and get no sign of a tail. One in 20 sightings, or so it seems, result in the whale fluke rising out of the water.
A lone penguin stretches and seems to take in the view.
Many tourists visiting Antarctica fly one way and cruise the other. That is exactly what we did. We flew from Punta Arenas, Chile to Antarctica and cruised the Drake Passage to Ushuaia, Argentina on our return. However, just getting to the take-off point for Antarctica from Punta Arenas is no easy task. Weather conditions flying from Punta Arenas are very uncertain, casting doubt on any planned take off. The weather window must be constantly studied and adjusted. Continue reading
We visited Antarctica in March of 2024. I’ve completed a journey to all seven continents now. Whoopie! Our visit was at the end of the southern hemisphere summer cruise season, with only one excursion later than ours. Ours was a cruise full of penguins, leopard seals, more penguins and best of all, singing whales. But first, we have to get there…. Our Antarctic quest would begin by flying from Atlanta to Punta Arenas at the southern tip of Chile, then flying on to Antarctica, then cruising back to Ushuaia, Argentina.