Völundur shoots the sun at lake Mývatn.
A gorgeous night spent with our friend, Daníel, waiting for the right light, and boy…did it show up!!
Please, feel welcome to comment, or drop us a line. About anything at all; the weather, the weekend, photography…..just whatever is on top of your mind.
Always, and we say always check your backgrounds and corners for stray stuff/arms without a person attached/ half a household pet/general rubbish/a photographer etc.
You know…the elements that make a photo belong in the rubbish bin instead of being useable. Or make you reach for the crop tool.
Saying that, nobody is perfect and we never claimed we were(click on photos to enlarge-as with all thumbnails here on this page)
Hope you all had a great weekend.
Here in Iceland it was the bank-holiday weekend with numerous festivals all around the country. We headed to Siglufjörður where they had the annual Herring-adventure festival, a nostalgic trip to the days gone by when the herring fleet filled the fjords.
Monday looms around the corner, a lot of folks will be packing up their gear and heading home after a fun-filled weekend. We’ll be sweating the small stuff at the computers finishing up the post processing and tagging. Then we’re off once again.
Do check out our gallery, we just uploaded more of the Sigló Herring-adventure festival shots along with a few more. All comments are welcome 
We went for a hike up to Lavapeak/Hraundrangur and the lake at the roots of the peak, Hraunsvatn, in Öxnadalur. A fantastic day, a very very warm day, one of the days that reached record temps for the last century or so since measurements took place in Iceland.
A totally recommended hike, but it’s so much more nicer if its a bit more cooler weather than 25C and no winds. We went with our friend Daníel, who by the way has not posted any photos because of screen failure, but is an awesome photographer, even though he insists Olympus makes the best cameras 
We started the hike from the old farm at Hraun, the birthplace of Iceland’s beloved poet Jónas Hallgrímsson. A two hour hike up to the roots of the peaks, where we could play around with shouting into the wilderness just to hear the echoes (which proved handy once Völundur decided to stray a bit off-path to photograph the flora).
After having a picnic of dried-fish and fresh avocados, while thinking where the hell the creeks were (as Icelanders we were foolish enough to think we could rely on fresh water in abundant supplies running just about everywhere…not so after a couple of above-average temp weeks) we headed away from the peaks and towards the lake where Pastor Hallgrímur (Jónas’s father) drowned.
Lake Hraunsvatn’s depth varies when you look at different “reliable” sources, like maps and handbooks, but the average says it is around 50m deep. Greeting us with the soundtrack of a million gnats, and the most heavenly blue color, the fish making small circle ripples in the water; we decided to take a hike all around the the lake.
A family of Swans had taken up residence at the far side, 2 adults and 4 young ones, swimming stoically while we tried to gauge the thread-thin sheep tracks through the tightly woven fly nets on our heads while we made our way around the lake. All the while cursing as those tiny flies made the view blurred, the breathing unintentionally like eating small bits of flying proteins, buzzing in your hair, nose, ears, hair….and cursing loud as you came home to see how many the flies really were (see red circles on photo).
As the sun set we had reached full circle and decided to head down the mountainside, coming down at the farm Háls, where they run a restaurant called Halastjarnan/The Comet.
We soon found out that after spending a day at a quiet mountain lake, the feeling of walking along highway no. 1 was like a torture for all senses; the sounds, the smell, the shock wave of just another car going by felt a lot worse than cursing the numerous homely gnats flying carelessly in the sun where the small brooks gathered in a deep azure lake under the watchful eye of the peaks.
An awesome day!
Oh, and do check out the gallery link here at the top of the page, we do keep adding in as we go (and as we can), more will come in the next while.
-and don’t be shy to comment! We love your comments
……and if you hadn’t figured this out: its so cool…You can actually click on the photo’s thumbnails here on the blog and you get a much larger view.
If there are more than one photo in the post you can use your mouse to go left or right (of the photo in full view) and view them all in much bigger (and much nicer) size.
A short reminder; there are still a few postcards left from the summer collection if you’d like a couple, a few types are about to be sold out (as in only a couple left and literally so…). So if you want some, let me know!
We went to the Hornstrandir area of the westfjords for a hike from Aðalvík to Hesteyri.
During World War II the farms were abandoned because of social changes and in 1975 the Hornstrandir reserve was established.
To get there we went on a boat, the weather looked pretty dire as we carried our gear from the car and onto the pier in Ísafjörður. Once the boat was outside the harbour the sea stopped looking all nice and nearly-tourist-friendly and quickly resembled a mad man’s foodmixer slushie. The boat jumped around like a small pebble being thrown about, hitting the sea hard each time it jumped over the waves.
We kept trying to convince ourselves this was just like riding a horse……a very bad old horse.
Once we landed in Aðalvík, the weather had just turned worse; lashing rain, storm. -the el cheapo ponchos we grabbed with us at the Bonus store did come in handy.
Reaching the Fannadalslægðir mountainpass the sun started breaking through the clouds, bringing smiles to every hiker and providing us with a magnificent view of Jökulfirðir fjords.
Wading the icy cold river of Sléttuá (thanking the almighty for having remembered to bring our Crocs and Teva’s for the wading part) brought a wonderful fresh feel to our feet.
We sat down at the banks of the river and had a bite to eat; flat rye bread with smoked lamb, oranges and avocados. All washed down with water from the river.
The old abandoned village (now a summer cottage area) of Hesteyri greeted us in the sunshine, after walking over the mountains we came down to a beautiful sandy beach and walked towards the village where we got coffee and pancakes in the old physician’s house. Hesteyri was the seat of a physician, the assembly place of the county and the centre for telecommunications during the last few years of its existence.
After recharging our batteries and having a look around the place for a little while we walked through the never-ending forest of Angelica that covers most of Hesteyri village.
A fantastic trip from start to finish, a wonderful adventure we will not forget. All of us dressed in our broadest and best smiles on the boat trip back as we watched the puffin stare at us in amazement while we all dreamed about hot showers and comfy beds promising ourselves that we would go back some day.
There once was a small village on Hesteyri,between 1920-1940 lived about 80 people with a school , shop, postoffice, telephones, doctor and a clinic. The Norwegians ran a whale station at Stekkeyri from 1894 until 1915 when a 10 year whale hunting ban was put in force in 1915 around Iceland. In 1927 a company from Reykjavík called Kveldúlfur hf. bought the whaling station from the Norwegians and changed it into a herring fishmeal factory.
Then the herring disappeared so in 1940 the factory closed down which was devastating for Hesteyri as it was the main employer.So with no work people started to leave and by 1952 Hesteyri was finished. There is still 10 houses which are used as summer houses by their old inhabitants and their relations.
from Sjóferðir’s page on Hesteyri
Ísafjörður was at it’s best this morning, this shoot was “kayaking in Skutulsfjörður“. The captain is Rúnar Helgi from Ísafjörður Sailing Club, he guides tourists, and teaches kayking and sail boating.
We headed for the valley of Hörgárdalur for a photosession, trying to photograph as much as we could of the landmarks and places(a bit like capturing the sights,sounds and smells).
A short stop at the Bakery at the Bridge in Akureyri provided the snack for an improv picnic at a field below Hraundrangar, enjoying the view from the “behind” of the famous peaks, usually admired from the next door valley of Öxnadalur.
For a perfect end to the day we made a sunset trip to Lake Mývatn where we spent a good time in Höfði with hot tea and chocolate while waiting for the perfect light.
At 3 in the morning we headed home after having enjoyed a wonderful sunset all around the lake.
Tomorrow it is junior league soccer. -a bit different.
We went to Siglufjörður to photograph the big finale show of the weeklong folk music festival.
The sun was shining, we have started to think that the people Siglufjörður have made a special pact with the weather gods because the last time we were there the weather was fantastic.
And there was coffee, and music. And general jolliness over the nice weather and a successful festival.
Taking time out while waiting for the next show to come on stage, at Aðalgata or Main Street, in Siglufjörður. What else can you do but fool around with the camera?
And did you know that you can always see the photos on this page large if you just click on the photo?
Cool eh?
Völundur found a red comb in the church while the University of Iceland Choir was performing a cappella folk songs.
Red combs must stand for good luck or at least good times, since later that evening we headed to the sportshall for the big finale concert, all participants in the courses at the festival displayed their newly acquired skills; egyptian drumming, woolworking, old Icelandic rhyme singing, yodelling, sound sculptural improv groups, the young musicians that were staying at the academy, the Balalaika ensemble and more.
We got to twirl around among the people learning Appalachian Flatfoot and Square dances before heading away with the brilliant midnight sun following us home.
The weather here is slowly getting warmer, quiet fog crawling in tonight as we set all batteries for a charge and pack our bags once more to go on a day away shooting.
A lot of prints are being framed somewhere in town, to be sent away down south. Also if you want to purchase prints, licenses or postcards, drop us a line!
We are working on the photos page now, so stay tuned for updates on that.
Yay for those country roads again. They’ll take us home again. Eventually.
We’d love to hear from you, dont be shy to comment here! Be it good or bad, or just to say yay.
—in Ólafsfjörður. This weekend the people of Ólafsfjörður got the chance to celebrate the blues in all it’s forms with the annual Blues Festival.
We headed out there on a cold and rainy saturdaymorning with views of white in the mountains, the night had brought sleet, which brough snow on higher ground.
Even though it didnt feel like the last weekend of the month of June, we were looking forward to the day’s job. So many awesome musicians were to perform from early on and all the way through the night.
We made the first stop at Tjarnarborg, Ólafsfjörður’s “félagsheimili”; a hall that once was built for meetings, arts, theatre and dancing like in most small places around Iceland. This saturday afternoon it housed a market where you could buy beautiful handmade things, herbal creams, smoked lumpfish, woodcuts, knitted goods, sweets etc etc. The candy floss stand in the entrance hall attracted a lot of attention for the youngsters while the man selling hung sharkmeat just outside the door (because of the aromas from the meat) attracted just as much attention and business.
As the sellers at the marked packed up their things we decided to head outside and have a look around town.
By the mainstreet there is a pool full of all kinds of birds, but at this time of year the small ducklings swim around in big yellow fluffy formations. Some of them were practicing base jumping from the edge of a wall and into the water, some were practicing their diving skills, others were just doing what ducklings do; acting all cute and fluffy. This guy decided to check us out.
Ólafsfjörður’s church was built in 1915 and served as a wonderful place for the afternoon’s concert.
The singer and siren Ellen Kristjánsdóttir and her husband, the pianist Eyþór Gunnarsson, performed beautiful psalms, blues songs, folk songs and more to an enchanted crowd. Beautiful music that brought a little light into everyone’s soul.
While we waited for the evening’s big concert to start we took a little drive up to Kvíabekkur church, where Helga’s great grandfather is buried. It is one of those tiny old countryside churches that never lock the doors, where you can go inside, have a look and a think, enjoy the silence -and write in the guestbook.
As we stepped out of the car, armed with cameras and all ready to photograph, the weathergods decided to send us a lot of rain, all at once by the way it sounded and felt. -oh, and yes, we did sign the guestbook.
The old Kvíabekkur church was built in 1892 and served as the main church for Ólafsfjörður until Ólafsfjörður’s church was built (see above).
The churchbuilding is considered the oldest building in Ólafsfjörður and was renovated in 1974. The bright colors of the interior are considered to be close to the original interior decoration.
Very bright and lively. While this day, the outside was all grey apart from the common snipe trying to sing us away as he circled the tower.
The festival’s big concert had a great line up:
We had a great time photographing the bands, the musicians, the atmosphere and listening to the music.
