Some of the most incredible places on earth are also paradoxically the most fragile. When I saw the first photos of this place I was obsessed with witnessing it in person, as it looked like the ultimate landscape design project of a talented God. A deep canyon, filled with lush greens, leading to a perfectly centered mountain peak covered in snow, almost looking too good to be true. Fortunately it was real…
This place has sparked some controversy, being called by many as the “secret canyon”, with most photographers not wanting to disclose its location. I have always been absolutely against this type of secrecy, but for the first time I think I understood it was necessary for this specific place. Not only the whole ecossystem of the long walk until the spot is as beautiful as it is fragile, but also the platform from where this photo can be made is covered mostly in extremely fragile Icelandic moss, which when damaged takes decades to fully recover.
After witnessing what happened to similar places soon after they became famous, with access to the best viewpoints suddenly blocked for nature protection, I have started to realize we must draw a limit in disclosing some specific locations. Those who really want to find a certain place will put enough effort to actually find it, just as I did for this one, will endure the long and poorly signed hiking path that leads to the shooting spot, and will even eventually return there a second time (like I did too!), to finally shoot it in proper light conditions.
More important than all of the above, I hope that those who visit places like this one will not only elevate their spirits through the awe and wonder of the view, but also step on every inch of its land with all the reverence and care it deserves. During present days, it unfortunately became essential to start spreading this kind of message when creating and sharing landscape photography.
Technical info: Sony a7R + Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 with LA-EA4 adapter, Focal Length 50mm, Aperture f11, Exposure 2 seconds, Nisi 4 stops Medium Grad, Nisi 4 stops full ND, FLM Tripod.
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