Iceland 2024: Blue Lagoon

This year we decided to take a trip we've been talking about for years -- to Iceland.  It was my first time leaving North America since before the pandemic.  Waterfalls, glaciers, geothermal features, black sand beaches, and (hopefully) the northern lights.  A nature photographer's dream!

We flew out of Denver on a Friday afternoon and landed in Iceland on Saturday morning.  After a few misadventures with our rental car (it's been a hot minute since I've driven a standard), we were off to the Blue Lagoon to start our stay with a little relaxation.  Of course, before our spa appointment I headed out to shoot some pictures. :)
 

A small lava field dotted with geothermal seawater pools separated our hotel from the nearby spa.

The water gets its namesake color from a unique combination of silica, algae, and minerals.

Geothermal power plants generate about 25% of Iceland's electricity, so it's no surprise that there's one nearby that adds a nice touch to the scenery with its plumes of steam.

Being so far north and rather late in the year meant that the sun was going to stay nice and low to the horizon most of the day, which provides great light for nature photos.

Signs made it clear that there was no getting in the water here.  But if you stand in the right spot and compose your shot the right way, it can definitely look like you are.

Let's get the northern lights question out of the way.  Yes, getting to see them was a huge factor in our decision to visit in October.  It was the number one thing to see on Danelle's wish list.  And the aurora had been popping right before we left.  We even saw it clearly in Colorado on Thursday night!

Unfortunately, we only had two clear nights during our week in Iceland.  And the lights were only active one of the nights.  The two shots above were actually from the patio of our hotel room, which isn't too shabby.

And this was the view from where I'd shot in the morning.  Again, there's clearly activity.  Might have been more apparent if I'd shot at a higher ISO.  Just not the fireworks we'd hoped for.  Fortunately, not seeing the aurora borealis as vividly as we'd hoped is most definitely a first-world problem.  And one we can try and correct on a future trip.  Norway, anyone?

Much more to come!