Landscape Photography in Iceland - Part 1

Landscape photography in Iceland is always wonderful but particularly if you're willing to hike. In this video I take a group backpacking in the Icelandic Highlands and we photograph some remarkable landscapes. I also spend some time talking about composition and shot selection. I'll show all the variations of particular scenes and explain why I selected certain images.
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[@cloudtowerphotography815]

Really enjoyed this video! Hearing your thought process when composing and reviewing your shots is invaluable to me, as composition is what I need to work on. I only discovered your videos recently, but I don't mind saying that I'm properly inspired by them. Getting on one of your Scotland workshops in 2023 is definitely on my wish list!

[@alexnail]

Thanks, yeah I think composition is a difficult thing to unpick and it’s also extremely subjective, which makes it a great topic to discuss. But at the same time composition in Iceland is not as hard as elsewhere!

[@paulbruins9935]

Thanks again Alex, for another interesting glimpse into how you view our world.

[@alexnail]

Thanks Paul :)

[@HoriaBogdan3]

Excellent video, Alex. I really enjoyed the composition discussions and the way you showed the different photos and why one was better than the other one side by side.

[@alexnail]

Thanks Horia!

[@keithtimmis]

I agree with your comment that you want to concentrate on concepts and composition in these videos. I find that much more interesting than techniques and editing.

[@alexnail]

Yeah, I have to do a bit of a balance sadly or nobody watches! Thanks for the comment :)

[@alexlaouri]

Amazing photos and landscape. What a place!

[@golfsafetyexpert3478]

Excellent mix of search and composition / looking forward to part 2

[@alexnail]

Thanks :)

[@dcrilley9624]

It is indeed an enchanting and fortunately quiet part of Iceland where selfie sticks are seldom, if ever, seen.

[@jbairdexp]

Fascinating stuff as always Alex. It's always interesting and educational to see how other photographers go about selecting their final images. Man, do you go to some amazing locations. :-) Looking forward to Part 2.

[@JVNPhoto]

Hi Alex! Really enjoyed this video. The place you're showing in the video is also one of my favourite spots in the highlands. You got some nice conditions. I also enjoyed you "cropping" the shots you see with an overlay. It's an excellent idea.

[@berniestang2616]

Love love your presentation of photo ideas and crops ., excellent video ❤

[@sorinmarcian967]

Thank You , Alex, I really like your channel and I appreciate the way you walk us through your compositions. Also I do enjoy a lot your hiking adventures to the wonderful locations you share with us. Cheers from the other side of the pond.

[@alexnail]

Thanks Sorin, I’m happy that you like the format!

[@geoffkell7732]

Really good video Alex, I do like the emphasis on concepts & composition, a refreshing change! I enjoyed the behind the scenes views putting this place in perspective, sublime in the truest sense. Your final image was my favourite rather liking the repetitive curves from foreground rocks, to middle distance river & then in the clouds. Look forward to seeing more! (BTW, I admire your Nature First principles despite others’ comments)

[@alexslobodkin671]

Amazing!

[@aronreyn]

Great video from one of my favourite locations. Lucky you !

[@alanpinn2266]

Great video Alex! I love the way you work through the comps you're viewing. I find it very interesting when you show the entire scene with the video camera and begin to talk about your choices of composition possibilities. I stopped the video on a couple of occasions before you showed how you were going to shoot the scene - and imagined how I'd shoot the same scene. I'm happy to say I cropped and composed the scene exactly as you had in most cases. But it's certainly an effective way to illustrate the concept of looking at the wider scene and picking out the comp you'll shoot. Can't wait for Part 2. Keep up the good work!

[@alexnail]

Yes I think its quite likely that most landscape photographers would take a similar approach with scenes like this as long as they have a sense of space and balance and so on. But its certainly useful to actively go through the thought process of "what are my options here?". Thanks for the comment!

[@Hemlck]

Just discovered your channel from your critique of Nigel Dansons images. Great video with excellent structure …showing and discussing different versions of your scenes really works for me. Subbed 👍

[@brendanlynch7296]

Fantastic video again, amazing scenery and great photography. The fact that you have to hike to your location makes the difference for me ... nothing against honey pot locations, but taking the effort to reach a more remote area adds that something extra to the experience.

[@comeraczy2483]

Thank a lot for this excellent episode. Fantastic sceneries. I really like the comparative commentary on the different takes of each frame. 15:20 is a very funny comment - edited so that I don't half spill the beans, just in case I did miss the point.

[@alexnail]

Yeah, I think you missed the point I’m afraid, but I’m glad you got a laugh out of it at least! Glad you enjoyed the video :)

[@MichaelShainblum]

Awesome video Alex!

[@alexnail]

Cheers Michael! I’m only 90k followers behind. Absolutely chomping at your heels :P

[@steviem8466]

Great places to take lanscape photography, but there must be plenty of similar locations without the need for extensive hiking and roughing it in a tent.

[@berniestang2616]

Love your style in your videos …. ❤ SUBSCRIBED !!!!

[@koenpijpersphotography]

Absolutely stunning man, I like your style a lot as Well kinda suits mine. Kinda jealous I also want to go to Iceland, but La Palma real soon!

[@alexnail]

Thanks Koen. Enjoy La Palma!

[@stevef2114]

Great work... interesting view when it comes to naming locations... as much as we landscapers love our remote and only us being in location, we dont have autonomy over the landscape. Its there for all to enjoy.

[@alexnail]

I don’t think you really understand, sorry

[@stevef2114]

@@alexnail oh sorry thoughts that why you said not to name the location?

[@richardpesce5325]

Enjoyed the video. Really like your thought process about mood and composition. Learned about your channel from the Nigel Danson critique today. I did subscribe to your channel.

[@alexnail]

Thanks Richard!

[@bartjes2509]

Nice video, perfect conditions. I was at that very mountain in 2021 during a sandstorm creating a dark brown haze over the lower parts of the landscape, surreal too ! At 6:12 you shortly show the colorful mountains of my favorite national park in the world, did you leave that out on purpose or did I just give you a reason to go back again ?

[@MaciejMarkiewicz]

cool to see my buddy Alfonso :D

[@NicolasAlexanderOtto]

I wonder where you got dropped of that you needed a full day to get to that hill. Either way, still need to go that route as well, only been up there once and didn't get anything near as awesome as you did.

[@alexnail]

Yeah the goal was not to get there as quickly as possible of course!

[@adamthomasphotography]

Hi Alex, great video and I’m a new subscriber but I don’t understand why we must ‘hide’ the name of these mountains? It’s a shame creators think they are so special that they must hide locations from their viewers, especially when the locations are not ones they have discovered themselves for first time. Where did you learn about this location?

[@alexnail]

Hi Adam, I understand your frustration. I just don’t want to contribute any more than is necessary to the popularity of these places. If everyone treated them with respect then I would, but it’s pretty clear that around the world nature has been damaged, sometimes severely, by the impact of photography or tourism stemming from photography. It’s very well documented. At the moment I have a relatively small subscriber base on here, but I like to be principled in what I do. To answer your last question: I looked at a map.

[@wallystellmacher6794]

I can understand Alex‘ viewpoint. Iceland‘s most famous Canyon „ Fjaðrárgljúfur“ was nearly destroyed by too many visitors because it was part in a video by Justin Bieber. The authorities had to close the Canyon for more than 6 months to the visitors. By the way it is very hard to get to the lonely mountain. You need a big four wheel drive. So 99,9 % of all the tourists have never seen the mountain that shares the same first Capital letter. 😉

[@alexnail]

@@wallystellmacher6794 thanks! It’s not clear cut but I am just trying to do what I think it’s probably the right thing!

[@gubivd9236]

Amazing scenery! What’s the route or area called?

[@briantam4386]

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