Just got back from my trip to Iceland (PIC HEAVY)

Over the past few years my wife and I haven't been able to save to go on our Honeymoon, and with my two sisters getting ready to move out of my parent's house my father and mother decided it would be a good idea to take us on "one last family vacation".

Both my parents and all us kids are avid travelers, yet my wife has yet to ever be on a plane, or outside of the province we live in (despite desperately wanting to travel). In the end we decided to go to Iceland, which is a place no one in my family, or extended family has ever been. My wife and I spent the first few days with my family before we rented a vehicle and toured the country for the following week.

We are very interested in nature, landscapes, and ancient history, so we stayed away from cities (other than to get supplies) and tented across the country, totaling around 2400km over 7 days. In that time we saw upwards of 14 major waterfalls, one being Detifoss (considered the most powerful waterfall in Europe), Snorkeled the Silfra Fissure (a fissure of the separating North American/Eurasian tectonic plates, filled with glacier water with perceivably unlimited visibility), drank from the glaciers, walked on the black sand beaches, slept under the aurora borealis, and saw never ending farms of sheep... so many sheep.

If you are ever traveling to or from North America/Europe I highly suggest making Iceland one of your stopovers. In the week we were there we saw a great deal, and such interesting landscapes, but certainly not enough and plan to one day return. We made our way around the ring road, and more, and are both avid photographers, so out of the roughly 1400 photographs we took, here are some we feel you'd enjoy. And don't be shy to ask if you want a new Desktop Background! Just let me know which photo and your resolution and I can PM it to you

Due to just how many photos I'm posting, they are in THUMBNAILS, please Click on the thumbnail to open the full image



~ Sólheimasandur Crashed Plane


~ Sólheimasandur Crashed Plane


~ Sólheimasandur Crashed Plane


~ Sólheimasandur Crashed Plane


~ Sunset Near Þórsmörk


~ Herding Horses Near Þórsmörk


~ Landscapes of Iceland


~ Plants of Iceland


~ Plants of Iceland


~ Viking ship (Viking World Museum)


~ Waterfall near Seljalandsfoss


~ Seljalandsfoss waterfall


~ Skogafoss Waterfall


~ Climbing up Skogafoss Waterfall


~ Skogafoss Waterfall


~ Reynisfjara shore (black sand beach)


~ Night time at Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon


~ Svarifoss (Black Falls)


~ Glacier Lagoon


~ Diamond Beach


~ Melting in the cold Sun


~ Road to nowhere


~ Mountain range towards Detifoss


~ Slow traffic


~ Arora Borealis Near Detifoss


~ Arora Borealis Near Detifoss


~ Arora Borealis Near Detifoss


~ Arora Borealis Near Detifoss


~ Arora Borealis Near Detifoss


~ Detifoss (you may recognize this from the opening scene in Prometheus)


~ Selfoss


~ Selfoss Panoramic


~ Never ending


~ Plants of Iceland


~ Plants of Iceland


~ Mushrooms Of Iceland


~ Mushrooms of Iceland


~ Glymur Hike


~ Glymur Hike


~ Glymur wife


~ Geysir


~ Panoramic


~ Faxi


And there you have it! Iceland!

Let me know what you think!

a reply to: Ghost147

The plants and fungi are my favorite, but the views and landscapes are jaw-dropping as well.

I would love to drink from a glacier one day - sounds like the trip of a lifetime!

Can I ask what you used to take these photos?

S & F Ghost, thank you for sharing this amazing experience

wow... astounding photos.

i spent three days there in 92' - didnt get to see much. thanks for sharing

originally posted by: FamCore
a reply to: Ghost147

The plants and fungi are my favorite, but the views and landscapes are jaw-dropping as well.

I would love to drink from a glacier one day - sounds like the trip of a lifetime!

Can I ask what you used to take these photos?

S & F Ghost, thank you for sharing this amazing experience

Thanks!

We have a Cannon Rebel T2i and the two lenses we used for this trip was a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro (macro for the closeups), and a Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 IF ED UMC Lens (wide angle lens for landscapes, but specifically for astrophotography)

All three are very affordable as far as camera equipment goes. We're looking to go back with a drone and a telephoto lens next time

a reply to: Ghost147

Awesome - I have a Canon EOS 6D and I love it, but it's been awhile since I've gotten to play around with it. Thanks for the info - a drone with an HD lens would be just freaking incredible. I hope you're able to go back and make it happen

Interesting Viking ship. No wonder they conquered, they had their own invasion fleet, too.

OP pic

Interesting 'shroom, too. For those in the know...

Amanita Muscaria

a reply to: Ghost147
Great photos, glad you had a good time. Traveling is the best. I did a lot in my younger days.

a reply to: FamCore

Definitely. We also need to grab a new GoPro. I had brought my old one, which is the first generation, and was planning on using it for the Silfra dive, but for some reason it fogged inside once in the water and all the water shots turned out very blurry.

Shame we'll have to do it again. A true shame *packing my drysuit*

originally posted by: intrptr
Interesting 'shroom, too. For those in the know...

Amanita Muscaria

Ah! Good! I was wondering if there was any mycologist here that could give a name to it

Thanks for sharing

Some amazing pictures, it's easy to see why Iceland is being a hotbed of tourism

originally posted by: thinline
Thanks for sharing

Some amazing pictures, it's easy to see why Iceland is being a hotbed of tourism

thanks! Yes, we were actually shocked at the level of tourism there. It's practically 100:1 tourist to local

wow, just wow.

very beautiful country, great pics !

Ghost, I can't say thank you enough for the breath of fresh air in the sea of politics lately...

now I have to decide which screen saver, decisions. decisions. I'm kind of leaning toward the horses...

a reply to: Ghost147

fantastic pictures. Sounds like an amazing time.
Thanks for sharing with us.

originally posted by: horseplay
now I have to decide which screen saver, decisions. decisions. I'm kind of leaning toward the horses...

Hahahaha. How very unexpected of you

Do you know what resolution you need? or would you like the full Raw image and just play around with it?

a reply to: Ghost147

sure, the full raw image would be cool. I have an ancient small monitor here at work which can't last much longer. I hope.

Can I bother you for the pic of the ice up close too? that one is so pretty, lots of color in it.

thanks !

originally posted by: horseplay
a reply to: Ghost147

sure, the full raw image would be cool. I have an ancient small monitor here at work which can't last much longer. I hope.

Can I bother you for the pic of the ice up close too? that one is so pretty, lots of color in it.

thanks !

Here you go! We actually had several more photos of the horses, here are the top three in our opinion.

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And here are the two images of the ice

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a reply to: Ghost147

Every day I experience bizarre synchronicity.

Like last night I spoke to a guy for two hours and we discussed how awesome it'd be to move to...
Iceland.

The odds someone would post this here and I'd find it immediately following that conversation seem near astronomical as I calculate it.

I guess I'm going than.
Thanks for sharing your trip and bewildering me.
The pics are beautiful.

a reply to: muzzleflash

The truth is, I'm just stalking you

a reply to: Ghost147

Oh yeah, and being I've had this big theme with "Communication from the Ghost" going on, it's even more uncanny that someone named Ghost is the one communicating the Icelandic synchronicity.

Impossible I say!

I bet all of your pics hold important symbolic meaning that corresponds to my current situation, why not? I'll have to identify the flora and translate the names. So fascinating and "Ghastly"...

originally posted by: Ghost147
a reply to: muzzleflash

The truth is, I'm just stalking you

I knew it lol!

How hauntingly surreal, Hahah