Fuji GFX 50 R — Rúnar “HRODI” Geirmundsson

Hi guys, been a while since I blogged. I have not been shooting or doing anything worthy of that. But now, I need to…

Being a family man that works a lot, there is no time to go somewhere for days on end. Covid has shut us down here in Iceland, yet again. No personal training for me, all photo jobs pretty much vanished. This is nothing to bitch and moan about, we have no control, everyone is affected, let’s try and make the best out of this situation and focus on the good in life. That is precisely what I have done for the past month.

Last year I drove the whole circle around Iceland, shooting a wedding up North, I had this mountain in mind “Vestrahorn” and I had been dreaming of getting a photo. I drove in terrible weather for hours, the weather cleared up as I got to the location, and with a blink of an eye, the heavens opened and it poured rain, clouds over the mountains and wind picked up. I waited on the shoreline for hours. I managed to get a moody photo, but it has haunted me, ever since.

Desperate to get a better picture, I told one of my best pals, Aron Reynisson, that I really needed to go again and I really wanted to see new things. Aron is a professional photographer of many years, working in the field of guiding high end tours for tourists from all over the world, he as also travelled to just about every place I could mention and is an endless source of information. Greenland, South Pole, Africa, you name it, he has been there. He asked if we shouldn’t just go on a trip, us two, when the weather allowed. I was very much up for that. This idea snowballed and we talked about it for about 2 months. Until he finally called and said “This is our window, finally, we need to go in the morning”.

I packed up my gear, GFX 50R, Fuji XT4 and my new baby, Leica M Monochrom (246). Grabbed my warmest winter clothes, lights, shoes, sleeping bag and headed South.

Aron picked me up in his 20 year old Ford Excursion that is absolutely amazing, a huge luxury truck that took us everywhere in comfort. We drove straight to Svínafellsjökull, as seen on the picture above. I had always just seen it, but never walked there, as I figured it was a bit to far. Aron of course had a great idea how to go there, we drove in land and then walked a road called “Batman Road”. The road got it’s name because a Batman scene was shot on the ice there below and the film cast had a road made for them to take them as close as possible. The further we walked, “Blue Hour” was in full affect. With every step, I saw more and more of the glacier, we got over the hill, and my jaw dropped.

The power you felt, by just standing there was amazing.

Sun is setting, blue hour has kicked in, you hear the cracking of the ice, the air doesn’t move. Euphoria

The sights were now set to reaching our place of stay for our 3 day trip. A place called “Steinaborgir”. A wonderful house in the middle of nowhere really. The fence around the estate was extra high, to keep out the reindeer that reside in the East of Iceland. People don’t really know we have reindeer, they are completely wild, there is no establishment farming these animals, they roam completely wild and free.

I mean, common, you can’t beat this. 3 days here.

We arrived at this beautiful homestead and cooked dinner. After that, we waited, and waited for the Northern Lights to appear, scouting all science websites. Then it started just a little bit, we drove 40 minutes to Vestrahorn. When we arrived, there are some Aurora, but nothing I had hoped or wanted. That remains an unfinished business.

I just tested the Leica M Monochrom instead back at the house. Fitted it with a 28mm Elmarit. The galaxy very visible, even with your own eyes.

After a short sleep, I woke up excited, this is the day we came here for. Aron was kind enough to drive a longer way for me to see the sunrise at “Diamond Beach” at Jökulsárlón. We came in the nick of time, I even had to run down to the shoreline and set my stuff up. The results were beyond my expectations.

A little experiment, 15 photos stitched together in one.

Now we drive back, after seeing the sunrise at Diamon Beach, I am hyped and ready for the glacier mission. That mission is really the thing we came here for. Aron has been there dozens of times guiding and hiking. When you turn off highway 1, there is a strenuous drive up into the land, there is absolutely no way to drive there unless you have a car specially equipped for that.

The walk to the cave was easy, and would recommend it to everyone who can. It was maybe like 40 minutes, and when you start seeing it, you get excited.

I feel like I have been perhaps writing to much. I want to make you all experience the pure absolutely another worldly magic this cave possesses.

ENJOY

After spending a good hour and a half in this amazing cave, my first experience, we head on out, put the spikes on our boots and set sail straight up on the glacier.

Without these, you are dead, at least every 5 minutes

After a long trek, straight over the mountains. We reach a spot they call “Treasure Island” or “Treasure” for short. You don’t fully see it until you get through the corner. Then what awaits is truly out of this world, like you have landed in Antartica. As we set up, the sun is setting, and we get golden hour at this unbelievable place. And all I can thin is, “This is a goddamn fucking privilege”

As you can see in the photos, the drastic change in golden hour to blue hour is very visible, that all happened in the matter of a few minutes !

We then walked back to the car, ecstatic and happy with how well the day went. That marked day number 2. There was only one thing left in this trip. that was my bucket list shot. A sunrise at Vestrahorn. Something I have dreamed of for years. And if I could get that, on the last day, this trip had been perfect.

Lo and behold, as we wake up on day 3, there is no cloud on the horizon, which happens about 2 times a year according to Aron. I don´t know where you can look as far, straight ahead as on that coast line. We get dressed yet again and head to Vestrahorn to make my dream come true. Needless to say, it went beyond my hopes and expectations.

There is not much more for me to say, this trip went way beyond how I could imagine and hope. I got all my desired shots besides Aurora’s over Vestrahorn. That just gives me a reason to come back. After this, we decide to go and see a plane wreck from the US Military, far from the beaten path of tourists, it was very cool to see.

We then make our way back home to Reykjavík, as the winter closes in on us fast and 2hrs away we hit a minor snow storm.

What a trip with a great friend. Thank you Aron Reynisson for everything you have taught me, showed me, I am forever grateful :)

Here below, rest of the photos will come in order. Thank you for taking the time to read this, if you actually are.

Peace. Rúnar.