Back to some photos from our 2024 Iceland trip.

After visiting Thingvellir National Park, we moved to the Gullfoss Waterfall. While Thingvellir was crisp and cold, Gullfoss was next level cold with the introduction of the wind and moisture. Traveling further east, things were a little more neutral (there is a lot of this landscape) until we reached the Geysir Geothermal Park. Less windy, just as moist but parts of the ground were boiling. The natural range of Iceland is breathtaking.

Gullfoss Waterfall

Neutral Ground

Geysir Geothermal Park

Struggled with the exposure on this one but found a balance that I was pretty ok with. A little blown out but it reminded me of shooting 1600 film in daylight back in the day. Touch of nostalgia turns a more favorable eye.

Ever since shooting with the rented Leica Q2 in ‘23, I was hooked on the Leica shooting experience. Pre-ordered the Q3 which was my EDC for the trip to Iceland in ‘24. Figured I was set for cameras from here on out … until I was able to play with an M11-P while visiting NYC for an extended weekend. Think I managed to pick up the last one from B&H at pre-tariff pricing. Took it for a walk the day after delivery to get a feel for it. I’m sure it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but damn do I love the stripped down simplicity and pure experience of shooting with it … and that shutter snap … damn.

Just a few snaps from that walk.

First full day with the Leica M11-P, working from the back porch, looked up and say Jake staring back at me from my coffee mug. In that moment, it really felt like it was time for an adventure. Snapped this shot and took the afternoon off to get more familiar with the camera. Should have a few more shots from that walk in a bit.

Earlier this week, I was reminded of something I read in an issue of LensWork magazine, years ago at our local (now closed) Borders …

“Being a photographer teaches you to look at the world differently."

Always thought it was a cool idea, one that proved to be true as I continued taking photographs. You start paying attention to how light and shadow play. You notice how colors interact, when they are vibrating and when they are missing. You notice the geometry of shapes and how they guide the eye or create abstract beauty. You pick up the tiny details often overlooked.
The day day after dinner, Leica posted The impermanence of things - Cédric Roux with the Leica Q3 to YouTube. At one point early on, I paused and made note of this line …

“I photograph whenever I have free time, to show others what they don’t take the time to see."

I’m not sure that folks don’t necessarily take the time to see, they just may not have the luxury afforded to them.
While being a photographer, even casually, may be a way to see life, it isn’t the only way. To see beyond the surface of things or simply be fascinated with the superficial is a beautiful thing, something I hope all of us have the opportunity to do, at least once in a while.

Making our way downtown and stumbled upon of some solid Einsteinian vibes. Not wrong, Albert … not wrong at all.

Back in the 90’s, when I started traveling to NYC on bus trips hosted by my dad’s work, we always started off from the Port Authority making our way uptown through Central Park before training down to the East Village. Often times, we made our turn around in the park up by the Met, crossing under this particular bridge. Back then, it always seemed that there was a violinist playing, taking advantage of the amazing acoustics. Loving NYC, Central Park and the violin, I started tossing a few bucks in the open case when passing by … starting a tradition I tend to keep with each visit. This time round, we had a saxophonist.

Maybe it’s not that uncommon but I always find joy in those moments when I can stand in the middle of a street in NYC to snap a photo and not worry about getting hit or honked at. On this (rare?) occasion, I was able to do so twice in one day.

I tend to start my days, weekend or not, with coffee, some form of breakfast and catching up on the internet … a couple of photography sites, seeing what happened on BlueSky over night, reading through my feeds on Feedly. The routine this Sunday morning hit differently when hitting the socials and the feeds. It was no more worse than it has been since it all started, maybe I wasn’t awake enough, defenses not yet fully in place. Had to quit out of the browser and move on to other things.

Fast forward to this morning, alarm going off after a night of fitful sleeping, absolute hangover feeling. Going through the morning routine, now with work email sprinkled in, discovered that reading comprehension wasn’t a thing that was happening. Decided to shuffle meetings and take the day, clear the head, maybe get some sleep. Wasn’t completely successful.

Sleep is still elusive but decided to get out for a walk on an overcast day, took the Q3 along for the ride. Solo walks with a camera always seem to shake the mood when it strikes. Think it helped.

The mood and the cloud cover pushed things into mono, snapping shots of things that felt interesting. Looking back, can totally see a theme.

First full day, waking up in Iceland. It was so very early with so little sleep and so little warmth … but was so very beautiful. The previous afternoon was spent exploring Reykjavík, now we were venturing out into the wilderness. First stop, the Thingvellir National Park. Literally translated to “Assembly Plains”, the park exists between tectonic plates and is approximately 92 square miles in size, slowly expanding by 2.5cm each year. Turn your head to the left, yeah, that’s the North American tectonic plate … insane.