Nature: Landscapes (AMATEUR) - HONORABLE MENTION
The Gnome's Playground
Photo © Ryan Shanley
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The mossy lava fields in Iceland were giving off a perfect green luster just as the sun began to rise; I had never seen anything quite so vibrant. I was driving along the Ring Road, passing every kind of landscape imaginable when there it was, the fields of mossy lava I had read so much about. They sneak up on you after miles of flat landscape and then it seems the lava clusters go on forever. For this frame, I was about 15 feet off the ground and about 100 yards into the fields. I began pouncing around the mounds, looking for an interesting angle through the fields, back towards the mountains. I assumed the mounds would be solid and hard, but they felt more like sponges. I'd take a step and have to watch my balance because each one felt like a spring board.
In this frame, the clouds were dense and the light wasn't great yet. Every shot seemed to blow out. I waited 30-45 minutes for the clouds to shift and finally the sun started to rise a bit and came out from behind the mountain. I knew I'd have the light for very little time as it looked like rain was going to start at any minute. I bracketed some shots and climbed my way out of the fields. I reached my car just in time to chuck my tripod and camera into the passenger seat. Alas, downpour started just before I reached the driver's side.
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The mossy lava fields in Iceland were giving off a perfect green luster just as the sun began to rise; I had never seen anything quite so vibrant. I was driving along the Ring Road, passing every kind of landscape imaginable when there it was, the fields of mossy lava I had read so much about. They sneak up on you after miles of flat landscape and then it seems the lava clusters go on forever. For this frame, I was about 15 feet off the ground and about 100 yards into the fields. I began pouncing around the mounds, looking for an interesting angle through the fields, back towards the mountains. I assumed the mounds would be solid and hard, but they felt more like sponges. I'd take a step and have to watch my balance because each one felt like a spring board.
In this frame, the clouds were dense and the light wasn't great yet. Every shot seemed to blow out. I waited 30-45 minutes for the clouds to shift and finally the sun started to rise a bit and came out from behind the mountain. I knew I'd have the light for very little time as it looked like rain was going to start at any minute. I bracketed some shots and climbed my way out of the fields. I reached my car just in time to chuck my tripod and camera into the passenger seat. Alas, downpour started just before I reached the driver's side.
About author:
I'm a landscape and travel photographer based in New York City.BACK TO GALLERY
