“A Thunderous Silence” | Seljalandfoss, Iceland
Doing a longer exposure image right behind the Seljalandfoss impact zone is an almost mystical experience. Witnessing the thunderous sound of water crushing the earth, as it is converted into an ethereal landscape, reminds me about why I love this craft so much. Places like these teach me about patience and the sacred value of contemplation, while offering me the gift of ecstasy at the same time.
Yet another difficult photographic challenge. This shot was made during an overcast afternoon, on the 6th day of the Iceland trip, after spending half day shooting Skogafoss. Seljalandfoss is quite unique because you can actually view it from behind. The rain kept falling and the unstable strong winds made it difficult to shoot. In Portugal I would have probably refrained from shooting under these conditions, but all of a sudden it just became “normal” in Iceland…
This particular shot was made right on the base of the waterfall. None of the people there on that afternoon risked into venturing to this zone, as strong winds were constantly pushing the water right into this area. Only had a few spare seconds between each splash, but I just couldn’t pass on the opportunity to shoot Seljalandfoss from a different perspective.
This is a single long exposure, with a 3 stop ND Grad soft filter. I had to rotate the filter 45 degrees to the left, so that I could control exposure in the sky and avoid underexposing the rock. Afterward, the amazing RAW dynamic range of the base file allowed me to adjust exposure in Adobe Camera Raw, fine tuned with dodge/burn in Photoshop.
José Ramos ©
Sony a77 + Sigma 10-20mm
Aperture: f/11
Exposure: 1 second
ISO: 50
Manual focus.
Wireless remote shutter
Filters: Formatt Hitech 4 stop soft ND Grad
Manfrotto 055XPRO3 tripod, Manfrotto ballhead