Natural Bridges, Oregon Coast

f/16 | 0.8s | 29mm | ISO 100

Our journey continues up the Oregon coast to this hidden gem. A seemingly unassuming parking lot located next to the highway followed by a steep and muddy trek through the jungle brought me to this incredible scene. Perched on top of a land bridge with sheer cliff faces that dropped off into the ocean, I balanced myself as I unpacked my gear. Holding onto my tripod to gain more stability, I inched out as far as the pathway allowed and set up my shot as the evening light hit prime condition. I used a variable ND filter, which is essentially sunglasses for my camera, to capture the motion in the waves.

Cannon Beach, Oregon

f/22 | 3.2s | 70mm | ISO 100

Our final leg of the trip found us at Cannon Beach in northern Oregon. With cloudy and foggy weather the rest of the trip, we were hoping our final evening would end with a sunset. We anxiously waited as the sun slowly drifted into the perfect position and casted a soft orange glow across the waves. I ran around trying out different techniques to see what would produce the best shot.

Cannon Beach, Oregon

f/8 | 1/6s | 24mm | ISO 100

Our final leg of the trip found us at Cannon Beach in northern Oregon. With cloudy and foggy weather the rest of the trip, we were hoping our final evening would end with a sunset. We anxiously waited as the sun slowly drifted into the perfect position and casted a soft orange glow across the waves. I ran around trying out different techniques to see what would produce the best shot.

Cannon Beach, Oregon

f/22 | 15s | 24mm | ISO 100

Our final leg of the trip found us at Cannon Beach in northern Oregon. With cloudy and foggy weather the rest of the trip, we were hoping our final evening would end with a sunset. We anxiously waited as the sun slowly drifted into the perfect position and casted a soft orange glow across the waves. I ran around trying out different techniques to see what would produce the best shot.

Multnomah Falls, Oregon

f/5 | 1/40s | 102mm | ISO 100

Traveling up to the pedestrian bridge at Multnomah Falls, I got a fantastic opportunity to isolate the texture in the falling water. Between moments of wiping away stray water dropplets that were eager to latch to my lens, I captured a few shots and this one turned out to be my favorite! Where the water is the most solid, it created a brighter white color which looked like the heart of the fall.

Multnomah Falls, Oregon

f/5 | 1/40s | 70mm | ISO 100

When I am at a scene, it is easy to get sucked up in the beauty and only focus on taking wide angle shots to capture everything I am seeing. However, I’ve found that there are often many smaller compositions that make up the entirety of the location. This is why I always have a zoom lens with me. Here, I focused on the rock beneath the fall and the unique patterns that the falling water was making. Doing my best to keep my lens free of stray water droplets, I focused on one of my favorite views from this incredible location.

Redwood National Forest, Northern California

f/7.1 | 0.6s | 16mm | ISO 100

In the Redwoods of Northern California the water runs more clear and pure than any water I’ve ever seen and the colorful rocks of the creek bed were able to display their natural colors. I stepped on some exposed rocks, balancing inches over rushing water and I focused in on the colorful rock bed with the towering giant redwoods watching from the bank.

Multnomah Falls, Oregon

f/9.0 | 2s | 16mm | ISO 100

A quick stop near the end of our trip found us at Multnomah Falls. This towering fall was a photographer’s dream. The waterfall was split into two sections with a photogenic pedestrian bridge in the middle. We arrived at the perfect time and as I was packing up the site became crowded with visitors and gave the scene a very different feel. It pays to go early!

Redwood National Forest, Northern California

f/7.1 | 1/30s | 25mm | ISO 100

It took me a good 10 minutes before I was able to move. Staring wide eyed, neck craned all the way back, mouth slightly ajar, the pure enormity of the Redwood Trees held me captive. Never before had I seen something so naturally powerful and yet so tenderly serene. These ancient skyscrapers seemed to surround me as their branches blocked out most of the sunlight, preserving the prehistoric ecosystem that lay beneath. The massive trunks dug into the ground like hair on the Earth’s surface, their roots hidden far beneath the soil. As I was taking all this in, I set up my camera close to the ground, hoping to convey a similar feeling of being lost in the lush forest of prehistoic wonders.

Kvernufoss, Iceland

f/10.0 | 1/160s | 16mm | ISO 400

Located right next to the immensely popular Skogafoss waterfall, I read online that if you parked near a museum, climbed over a fence, and walked through a farmer’s field, you would find the hidden gem of a waterfall, Kvernufoss. I was definitely not disappointed. The surrounding canyon was lush and saturated with mist from the waterfall and there was a crystal clear stream running away from it towards the ocean. It was a quite incredible sight and I was grateful to only be sharing it with a couple taking wedding photos.

Seljalandsfoss, Rocky Mountain National Park

f/18 | 1/6s | 16mm | ISO 100

Not originally on our itinerary, Seljalandsfoss was one of my favorite stops on our trip. Being the largest waterfall in Iceland that you can walk behind, I was eager to explore the area. Nearly forgetting my raincoat and instantly regretting my food choice, I took the muddy approach around the fall. Each step forward was a nice dousing of ice water to the face as my raincoat became increasingly bonded to my skin. I set my tripod up as fast as I could while ptotecting my camera from fleeting water droplets. I managed to get this shot off before my lens became flooded with water and henceforth unusable.

Kvernufoss, Iceland

f/8 | 1/320s | 45mm | ISO 640

Located right next to the immensely popular Skogafoss waterfall, I read online that if you parked near a museum, climbed over a fence, and walked through a farmer’s field, you would find the hidden gem of a waterfall, Kvernufoss. I was definitely not disappointed. The surrounding canyon was lush and saturated with mist from the waterfall and there was a crystal clear stream running away from it towards the ocean. It was a quite incredible sight and I was grateful to only be sharing it with a couple taking wedding photos.

Budir Black Church, Budakirkja, Iceland

f/9 | 1/320s | 28mm | ISO 400

It would not have been a trip to Iceland without visiting one of the iconic black painted churches. After driving for what seemed like ages, out of nowhere this costal church stood brilliantly, breaking up the endless stretch of grassland and beach. There is a beauty to the minimalism of the scene and I love how the could and grass seem to angle towards the church. It almost seems like God reaching out with his fingers towards the church.

Vatnajökull, Iceland

f/2.8 | 1/320s | 4mm | ISO 100 (Stitched Panorama)

As we drove around the perimeter of Iceland, it was hard not to stop and take pictures around every bend. Nearly everywhere we looked made our jaws drop in awe. The sun began to set as we drove the final stretch of the day and I finally convinced Madison to let me stop and fly my drone for a brief moment. It was nearly impossible to capture the scene in one image, so I tried out the panorama program that was built in my drone. The moody clouds gramed the mountains in a beautiful fashion as the glacier-melt river rushed directly towards us.

Make sure to view as large as you can!

Iceland

f/2.8 | 1/500s | 50mm | ISO 100

Out in the middle of nowhere, we happened across this abandoned barn. I was fascinated by the way the triangle and rectangle stood out against the majestic grassy peaks of the surrounding mountains. It looked like a scene out of a google desktop wallpaper.

Iceland

f/2.8 | 1/500s | 50mm | ISO 100

Out in the middle of nowhere, we happened across this abandoned barn. I was fascinated by the way the triangle and rectangle stood out against the majestic grassy peaks of the surrounding mountains. It looked like a scene out of a google desktop wallpaper.

Fjallsarlon, Iceland

f/13 | 1/400s | 65mm | ISO 640

There is, in fact, ice in Iceland! One of the last stops of the day found us at the edge of the enormous glacier, Vatnajökull. This is the glacier that takes up 10% of the entire country. The pristine glacier water perfectly reflected the surrounding mountains, only interrupted by the occasional iceberg.

Panorama images vary in sizing, I will contact you to confirm final measurements.

Snæfellsjökull National Park, Iceland

f/8 | 1/160s | 35mm | ISO 1000

Towards the end of our trip, we made out way through Snæfellsjökull National Park. Along the coastline, there were some unique and beautiful rock formations that I just had to stop and photograph. Not eager to dig my coat from the luggage in the back, I rushed to the cliffside to grab the shot and quickly rushed back to the warmth of the car.

Black Beach, Vik, Iceland

f/22 | 1/3s | 35mm | ISO 100

The Black Beaches in Iceland were mesmerizing to watch. The one hour we spent there felt like a couple minutes as we watched the frothy waves soothe in and out, doing their best to swallow our boots. I took multiple attempts to get this shot as I had to time it just right with my long exposure to capture the contrast of the black rocks and the white receding waves.

Vatnsnesvegur, Iceland

f/22 | 1/4s | 24mm | ISO 100

Along the coast of Iceland, there are incredible rock formations that sometimes lie in the middle of the water. These unique sea stacks become interesting subjects to photograph and I had a lot of fun playing with long exposure and neutral density filters.

Kirkjufell, Iceland

f/2.8 | 30s | 16mm | ISO 640

I visited this location 4 times in 1 day. Without realizing it, we had rented an Airbnb that was neighboring this popular photography location in Iceland. It was our last day and I was eager to capture this scene bathed in beautiful light. Unfortunately, both sunrise and sunset were duds, but we were in Iceland at the end of September (the beginning of northern lights season). I arrived to this location just after sunset and sat in my car for a while, thinking it was too early to see the northern lights (and anxious not to go outside and sit in the cold). After 15 minutes, I peeked out the window and I was glad I did! The northern lights were shining brightly even with the last rays of sunlight still in the sky. I quickly jumped out of the car and set up my shot. I shot a few before cloudy skies quickly moved and obscured any more chance at seeing northern lights. As I sat and waited to see if they would show up again, lots of people arrived, having missed the perfect placement of light over the mountain, Kirkjufell.

Vatnajökull, Iceland

f/9 | 1/50s | 53mm | ISO 640 (Stitched Panorama)

As we drove around the perimeter of Iceland, it was hard not to stop and take pictures around every bend. Nearly everywhere we looked made our jaws drop in awe. The sun began to set as we drove the final stretch of the day and we passed by this pond. I pulled over at the closest available safe area and jumped out of the car with my tripod and camera. The jagged mountains reflected perfectly in the pond as the sunset colors filled the clouds in the sky and the low fog hugged the ground.

Make sure to view as large as you can!

Fagradalsfjall Volacano, Iceland

f/2.8 | 1/20s | 4mm | ISO 100

Fun fact, lava creeping across the ground sounds like glass being shattered continuously.

I wish we had spent more time viewing the volcano, but right before we had to go to the airport, we decided to check out what the Fagradalsfjall Volcano was all about. At nearly 40 degree and raining hard, I barely got my fingers to operate the drone controls. The rain kept obscuring the lens, but I was able to fly closer to the lava and the heat evaporated the drops off the lens. I flew for only a few brief minutes and I was so glad the rain water did not damage my drone!

Fjallsarlon, Iceland

f/13 | 1/640s | 200mm | ISO 640

Zooming as far as my 200mm lens would allow, I tried to capture the striking jagged ice on the edge of the glacier. Staring for quite a while, my imagination started to take control and it felt as if the ice was about to stand up like the backbone of some ancient slumbering beast.