![]() ![]() I recently got off an expedition with fellow pilot and mentor, Nick Greece, who told me about a very small yet enthusiastic paragliding community in Vik, Iceland. With no cameras or agenda, I stepped off on my first flight in Iceland, a flight I will remember for a lifetime. It almost felt too easy as a 5mph wind blew straight up launch. After finding the perfect spot, I laid out my 17m Ozone LightSpeed and clipped into my harness. It felt like I was walking through a story book, Where The Wild Things Are. Barely able to keep my eyes open on the drive, I quickly found a new sense of energy as I hiked along the ridge passing waterfalls and sheep grazing on the tall green grass that covered the slope. I had only been in the country for 3 hours as I packed up my 4lb mini wing and started up what would be my first hike and fly on the island. If it’s not raining there is a good chance you will find a flyable summit or ridge within an hour’s drive. The topography and weather in Iceland is dramatic and quickly changing by the minute. Duffel bags full of winter camping gear exploded in the back seat as I dug around to find my mini wing. Looking over to the sloping hill by the falls, I noticed that there was easy access to get above the waterfall, with wind blowing in perfectly up the hill. However, soon after driving out of town, we stopped to photograph a waterfall. We set off in our little rental car stuffed to the gills with all my bags from my previous shoot in Chamonix and started down the road. He had spent some time in Iceland before and was itching to get back to explore more of its landscapes. I was joined on this trip by Canadian photographer Chris Harder. A week layover in Iceland seemed like the perfect habitat for a novice landscape photographer to grow. I needed to harness my inner Ansel Adams and create landscape images that I could be proud of. As an adventure photographer I was in dire need to bolster my portfolio with more than just extreme sports and expedition photos. The focus of this trip was to tick off as many beautiful landscape photo opportunities as possible. ![]() This often leads to the greatest adventures, but can leave you stranded in a strange country with no idea on where to go. Waiting in the airport for my bags to arrive, I truly had no idea what I was getting myself into, and that’s how I typically travel flying by the seat of my pants without an itinerary. I was confronted with a social contrast that left you feeling like you were in a cold war stricken town somewhere in Eastern Europe. It has become the most hip place to travel to for the Instagram generation of photographers today. My lack of research only left me with visual impressions of lush green landscapes and raging waterfalls. When you take a look at the placement of Iceland on a map it leaves you feeling like you have traveled to outer space. When I first landed in Reykjavik, I had to make sure I was in the right country. ![]()
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