Iceland: Basalt Cave

[Mike Buckley]

This basalt cave is on the Hljodaklettar hiking trail in northern Iceland's Jokulsargljufur National Park. For those interested in a morning or afternoon hike that is very easy except for a few moderately difficult sections, this is a must-do hike. You can probably get to the hike using a regular car, but I wouldn't do it in anything less than a four-wheel drive vehicle because of its higher clearance.

You may need to review the large image to see the rain. Though my wife and I spent the entire day hiking in a slight rain, which of course is not ideal for most landscape photography, it might have been our most enjoyable day overall.

C&C encouraged!

EDIT: Thanks to Allan for suggesting that I open up the details in the mouth of the cave. See the before and after images below.

Before Allan's suggestion:



After Allan's suggestion:

[Polar01]

From what I have seen this year from Iceland a lot of people had crap weather. I was wondering if you are able to bring out a little more detail in the mouth of the cave. I spend most of my time along the south shore of Iceland.

Cheers:

Allan

[Mike Buckley]

Sorry, Allan, but if I understand you correctly there's very little detail there. It was very dark due to the heavy cloud cover, rain and position of the sun.

We actually had very good weather. Only one day of an 8-day trip had rain throughout the entire day and that was a light rain. We had off-and-on rain on another day. No other rain. We also had a few days of bright sunshine all day long. There was even a glorious night of several hours of the aurora borealis, though we only saw a pro's pictures of it as we were sleeping at the time.

[ggt]

Beautiful! I like the composition alot. Especially the perspective given by the difference in the cave and your wife!

[Mike Buckley]

Especially the perspective given by the difference in the cave and your wife!

I get accused a lot by friends of using my wife for perspective.

[ggt]

I get accused a lot by friends of using my wife for perspective.

Technically, I think that is what wive's are supposed to do. I usually call it "being right". LOL

[Polar01]

Mike: now I am upset, you had one bad day out of 8, I had 4 days good, no good eveings out of a total of 19 days, two at the begining and two at the end. As for the cave I was thinking more of just under and around the opening of the cave not back deep inside.

Cheers:

Allan

[Mike Buckley]

Got it, Allan! I'll see about bringing out more detail in those areas. Sorry to learn you had so much bad weather.

[terrib]

I was wondering when you were going to post a serious pic from your trip. I like that your wife is in the picture to get a sense of the scale of that cave. And with her raincoat and the obviously dreary day, the B&W works for me. Although, even in the large picture I can't actually see the rain.

[Mike Buckley]

Allan: I added a revised image in the first post of the thread. Thanks so much for the improvement that you suggested!

Terri: The rain can be seen only where the black part of the cave serves as a background to the rain. If you're using Internet Explorer, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that you can't see it.

[Polar01]

Mike it gave the cave a much great sense of depth, I was not thinking that at the time only to see a little more detail in the rocks at the front. So it worked in two ways.
Waiting for more.

Cheers:

Allan

[Mike Buckley]

I completely agree about the depth, Allan. I'm grateful for your suggestion because it makes the image seem more three-dimensional.