105 days Europe Adventure

[BrownBoots]

#102 Sigríðastaðaós, North Western Iceland.
The cliff on the opposite eastern shore took on a warm golden tone of the morning light in stark contrast of the cold pebbles-lined black beach where we enjoyed a peaceful stroll.
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[BrownBoots]

#103 Námafjall, North Iceland.
Unlike the boiling mud pools, the steaming fumaroles here in the Námafjall geothermal field were not cordoned off and we could get as near to them as we want. While the gushing warm moist steam was enjoyable in the cold weather, putting your hands too close to the fumaroles could be a rather scalding matter.
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[DanMan]

Being a fan of landscape photos, I must say this is one of the best threads I've seen in ClubSnap. Noticed that most of your landscape photos are shot in the portrait orientation (no pun intended ).

 

[Heng22]

Wow..... Really stunning. Love every piece of picture.

 

[BrownBoots]

Being a fan of landscape photos, I must say this is one of the best threads I've seen in ClubSnap. Noticed that most of your landscape photos are shot in the portrait orientation (no pun intended ).

Thanks DanMan, it's true shooting landscape in portrait tend to work better for me somehow. Perhaps it's got to do with how I see things in composition or something, not sure how to express it in words. On hindsight, some might have work better in landscape instead but nevertheless, glad the images work for most of the campers here. Btw, I'll be revisiting my Stockholm memories through your thread, especially those of Skansen & Gamla Stan.

Wow..... Really stunning. Love every piece of picture.

Thanks Heng, really an honor for every piece to be loved.

 

[BrownBoots]

#104 Dettifoss, North Iceland.
A round trip in Iceland cannot be considered completed without visiting the most powerful waterfall in Europe in terms of water volume discharge, the sole reason this image survived the cut despite being among some of the underwhelming and unsatisfactory shots. Not to mention the failure of reaching the eastern bank earlier for a close feel of the waterfall powerness, heavy snow had also rendered the down cliff access unsafe in the west bank as well.

No other choices left for composition exploration except for the disappointingly limited higher vantage view, though the pretty Selfoss seen in #79 can be easily reached from here.
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[SLT33]

Hi BrownBoots,

Just to say that I really enjoyed all your pictures. Beautifully taken and such an inspiration to me. You are proof that great photos need not be a product of PP. I am new to photography and I have to say that I have learnt so much just browsing through the series thus far (usage of filters, camera settings etc), and I am certainly looking forward to more pictures of your 105 days travel in Europe. Its probably hard work on your part just to upload the pictures and write the commentary, so do know that its greatly appreciated. Cheers!

 

[BrownBoots]

Hi BrownBoots,

Just to say that I really enjoyed all your pictures. Beautifully taken and such an inspiration to me. You are proof that great photos need not be a product of PP. I am new to photography and I have to say that I have learnt so much just browsing through the series thus far (usage of filters, camera settings etc), and I am certainly looking forward to more pictures of your 105 days travel in Europe. Its probably hard work on your part just to upload the pictures and write the commentary, so do know that its greatly appreciated. Cheers!

Thanks so much for your words of encouragement. Always pleased to know my works had inspired travelers-to-be and photographers-to-be.

For someone like me who's not too articulated, the commentary is indeed a chore for me to write but I deem it necessary for viewers of my images to read about it's context whether informative materials, travel tales or photography thoughts. Maybe it's sorta like a body no matter how beautiful, cannot do without a soul thingy for me. Glad viewers actually appreciate the write-ups.

Will try to update as often as possible despite the busy year end period. Already guilty of neglecting my photoblog for sometime too. Cheers!

 

[BrownBoots]

#105 Námafjall, North Iceland.
An extraordinarily cyan blue lagoon can be found at Námafjall, 1.5km east of Lake Mývatn. Similarly coloured thermal lagoon of the Mývatn Nature Baths is available for a relaxing dip just south from the cross road here. Definitely a much better alternative to the famous Blue Lagoon, which is overpriced, crowded and very touristy. Geothermal energy can be seen being harvested in the opposite bank for some light industrial use.
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[behyx]

Fantastic photographs!

Wish to see more of Svalbard photos, I'm heading there in May 2012.

Did you go for dog-sledding, ice caving and snow-mobile trips? If so, which operator do you recommend? Spitbergentravel?

 

[Faithfu7]

Hi my first post! i really really really like your photos! keep sharing!! i have fallen in love with sweden.. hahah.. thanks for sharing!

 

[Faithfu7]

hi again, can i ask your crop factor? your photos are very neat =)

 

[BrownBoots]

Fantastic photographs!

Wish to see more of Svalbard photos, I'm heading there in May 2012.

Did you go for dog-sledding, ice caving and snow-mobile trips? If so, which operator do you recommend? Spitbergentravel?

Thanks behyx. Svalbard weather in May will much more forgiving than going in March as I did, although you might be missing out an unforgettable arctic winter experience (purely morraines & snow landscape with zero vegetation)

You visit the thread at the right time, my Svalbard filler series is concurrently on-going with my Iceland chapter.

I signed up for dog-sledging, mountain hiking and a 3D2N snow mobile expedition. Despite Spitbergentravel being the main tour organiser here, I ended up signing up with other operators for my tours. Here's a link to a list of the tour operators for various activities. Travel to Svalbard and Tour organisers - How to go to Svalbard

My tour operator for:
Dog-sledging :: Arctic Adventures ::
Mountain hiking Svalbard Wildlife Expeditions -
Snow mobile expedition Poli Arctici - Spitsbergen, Svalbard

Here's my blog entry for the first day in Svalbard. BrownBoots: Day 08.2

Hope these helps.

 

[BrownBoots]

Hi my first post! i really really really like your photos! keep sharing!! i have fallen in love with sweden.. hahah.. thanks for sharing!

hi again, can i ask your crop factor? your photos are very neat =)

Thanks Faithfu7, I too have fallen in love with Scandinavia. Body is back but heart still there.

Using a 450D, so crop factor would be 1.6x. Glad you like them.

 

[BrownBoots]

#106 Spitsbergen East Coast, Svalbard.
On the second and final evening, the expedition team rode up a hill slope not far from our campsite, which can be seen in the distance somewhere in the middle of the frame, to enjoy a glorious view of a sunset over the arctic landscape. We had spent 3D2N riding across the desolated frozen plains in a 8-member team consisting of the Italian and Norwegian guides, an Italian film-maker, an Irish lady and a Swedish couple.
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[BrownBoots]

#107 Spitsbergen East Coast, Svalbard.
Crystal blue icebergs of various sizes and shapes, some as high as 10m, were immobilized by the frozen sea off the east coast of Spitsbergen. We had seen plenty of frozen lakes and such but seeing the vast sea frozen beyond the horizon was the first. During the summer, there would be canoe expeditions just to row close enough to these magnificent floating icebergs.
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[BrownBoots]

#108 Skaftafell, South Iceland
Icelandic vegetation over the plains south of Skaftafell. There is a danger of mega flooding here in the event of glacier bursting during a volcanic eruption, which last occurred in 1996, destroying all the roads and bridges running through the region.
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[hairyice]

Being a fan of landscape photos, I must say this is one of the best threads I've seen in ClubSnap. Noticed that most of your landscape photos are shot in the portrait orientation (no pun intended ).

I agree with this man. I am bookmarking your thread. Also, can't wait to see Zurich!

 

[BrownBoots]

I agree with this man. I am bookmarking your thread. Also, can't wait to see Zurich!

Thanks hairyice. Will be starting the Switzerland chapter after I'm done with Iceland.

 

[BrownBoots]

#109 Longyearbyen, Svalbard.
The only decent shot of Longyearbyen, the main settlement of around 2,000 inhabitants in Svalbard, taken from the balcony of my hostel building. Aside from the extreme coldness after sunset although the sky doesn't get totally dark from March, increasing incidents of polar bear wandering into the town at night probably searching for food made night shooting slightly unsafe.
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