The Jökulsárlón lagoon and ice beach are among the world’s most magical places.
They were featured in 007 – James Bond A View to a Kill (1985) and 007 – James Bond, Die Another Day (2002) according to the Iceland Travel Guide 8 places in Iceland you will recognize from famous movies.
The answers to the three questions you are most likely to ask are as follows: Yes, Yes, Yes.
- Yes, the ice really is that blue. Glacial ice is compressed and has a different crystal structure that makes it look blue.
- Yes, the water is cold.
- Yes, I got wet, which is why I can properly testify to the previous question.
Feature Image Details: Canon 16-35MM F4 L Lens. I shot at ISO 500 at 24mm for 0.8 seconds at F16. If I had to pick one lens and one lens only, this lens would be at the top of the list. I see things from a wide angle perspective.
The color of that sky lasted only a few frames. Here are a couple more images right before the sky turned.
The third image looks like it’s black and white.
Five Keys
- Getting very close to the subject
- Willingness to get wet
- A tripod
- Taking exposures of about 1 second or so
- Waiting for the right moment. Experience shows the right moment is just as the waves are receding.
When the waves are coming in, the ice is moving and it will be blurry. Grab the shot as the water recedes and hope the weight of the ice keeps it in place.
Warning
The ice is dangerous. If a big wave comes in, get out of the way. This ice is dangerous. It can break your tripod, or leg, whatever it hits first.
Aurora Borealis Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon
We were in Iceland for 8 days in March of 2017. We only say the Northern Lights on two evenings. The above image represents the weaker of the two by far.
Additional Iceland Aurora Images
- Iceland Northern Lights, Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Búðir
- Iceland Northern Lights, Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Búdir, Búdakirkja Church
- Iceland Northern Lights, Snæfellsjökull National Park, Malarrif Lighthouse
Second Trip
This was our second trip to Iceland. We returned specifically to see the Northern lights. We caught a very good display on the last evening (the above links).
Here are some links of Jökulsárlón Ice Beach and Glacial Lagoon from our first trip to Iceland during the Summer Solstice.
- Iceland in 16 Days: Day 3-4, South Region, Jökulsárlón Ice Beach
- Iceland in 16 Days: South Region, Day 3-4, Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon
- Iceland in 16 Days: Day 3-4, South Region, Jökulsárlón Arctic Tern Nesting Site
- Iceland in 16 Days: Day 3-4, South Region, Jökulsárlón Lagoon Elder Ducks
Equipment List
Those interested in my equipment and recommendations can find it here: Mish’s Equipment List.
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Mike “Mish” Shedlock