manoumaudgal
FollowFollow me on Instagram for more: @manoumaudgal
Follow me on Instagram for more: @manoumaudgal
Read less
Read less
Views
3464
Likes
Awards
Action Award
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Runner Up in Our World Photography Awards
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in Into The Night Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in A Sense Of Adventure Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Your Point Of View Photo Contest
Member Selection Award
Summer Selection
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Superior Skill
Virtuoso
Emotions
Impressed
Top Ranks
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken during a road trip through Iceland. We toured for almost two weeks in a van and ended up driving over 2500 km down the ring road. We quite accidentally came across this place during our journey as it was not on our highlights list. The waterfall is called the "Godafoss" meaning "waterfall of the gods" in Icelandic.Time
I shot this picture at one of our overnight camping stops. We were driving somewhere north of the country and because it was already getting late we decided to find a place to park and sleep. From our camping spot we could hear clattering water in the distance so after a quick evening meal I packed my camera gear and decided to head towards the noise. We found this powerful and beautiful wide waterfall with a wonderful backdrop. At the time we arrived it was probably somewhere around 1:00 AM and we had this piece of untamed nature all for our selves. I think seeing it at night, without anybody else in the area, made it more magical.Lighting
As this was shot at night (we visited in may so it doesn't get entirely dark at night at that time of the year), I used long exposure to get the image. The tricky part was to stand very still when the shutter was open.Equipment
I shot this with a Canon 7D using a EF 15-18mm f3,5/5,6 lens and a Manfrotto tripod and a remote.Inspiration
It was just the spontaneity of the moment and the fact that we accidentally discovered this beautiful piece of nature that inspired me to take this picture. Although the fierce power and noise of the waterfall and river, there was sense of peace and silence at this place. I thought that the image would have been more complete if someone was standing on the ridge and it did. However, standing on that spot was kind of challenging because on both sides of the peak were 12 meter vertical drops right into the swirling water of the river.Editing
I post-processed the Raw file in Lightroom. I darkened the sky a bit to get a more heroic mood in the picture and lightened the peak a bit. I adjusted the colors with the curve tool and reduced the amount of blue.In my camera bag
I have a compact Evoc camera bag where I take my Canon 7D, a 15-85mm lens which I use most of the time and a 75-300mm lens. Besides that some cables in the bag I always take my tripod with with me.Feedback
This was one of the best pictures I took during our trip to Iceland and perhaps the most spontaneously. Sometimes you get your best shot when you least expect it so my main advice is to get your camera and get out and go explore, you never know what you will encounter. For pictures like this, once you have decided the composition, experiment with different shutter speeds until you get the result that you desire. Keep your ISO low rather than shooting with a lower shutter speed. And last of all... enjoy the moment!