Driving High Along the Fjords The roads in Iceland normally follow the bottom part of the valley. Here, in this particular area, the road was about halfway up one of the mountains, which gave me a bit of a downward perspective. Every few miles there is an interesting, old, weather-beaten barn like this one to set the scene. It may not even be so old, and maybe the weather there is so rough that it makes things look old before their time.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
The Polar Extremes I’ve never been all the way to the North Pole or South Pole. I am curious, but I don’t think I’m into the extreme cold. Also, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of good photo ops for all the trouble you have to go through. So, anyway, this is about the closest I have gotten, up at the northernmost tip of the Northwest Fjordland of Iceland. I know you can get even further, but not without a series of boats or flights…This photo was taken about 4 AM during the summer solstice. - Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Tableau Vivant Of Wild HorsesIt was about 2 A.M. and the sun was just dipping into the horizon for a short stint. These horses were frolicking about in a huge flat field a bit inland from the end of the fjord. They were all so lively and alert, jumping and posing here and there. And then they set up in a very interesting configuration, and I barely had time to put on the right lens before it all drifted apart.- Trey RatcliffRead the entire post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Waterfall of Certain DoomThis has become one of my favorite remote waterfalls in the world! Whenever I am taking photos of these places, I spend a lot of time there. I often imagine what it would be like to tumble over the edge… wondering various ways I could survive… if I’d get caught in a whirlpool underwater… or if I would just pop up like in the movies.If you are ever near Akureyri, I suggest you visit this spot… if you are feeling bold, clamber down the side of the waterfall like I did here to get this shot…- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the entire post, including an announcement of a new eBook at, at the Stuck in Customs blog.
The Beginning of Time I spent most of a weekend working on this photo.  One common question is, "How long do these photos take?"  They take me anywhere from a few minutes to a few days.  It's not contiguous work, of course, but some are so challenging that I have to keep returning to them time and time again.This spot in northern central Iceland is a bit perilous to reach.  It's so perilous here at Godafoss, in fact, that I am glad my mom didn't see me getting into position.  Is the water cold?  Yes,  yes it is.- Trey RatcliffRead the rest here at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Epic Iceland I have many things in common with Tom.  One of them is the love of “Epic” scenes.  These mostly come from movies, but it spans many different pursuits.  He’s the only other guy I met that can also quote scenes from Lawrence of Arabia.So, obviously I do like to find epic scenes in the world, and I feel like Iceland is full of them.  Capturing them the right way is another ball of wax, but that is most of the fun.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Horse in Landscape Remember what I said a few days ago about reasons for no stopping for almost every horse photo in Iceland?  Forget I said that.  I don't know what I was talking about.  Go ahead and stop...  I mean, how on earth can you pass this buy?These horses remind me a bit of the sirens in Odysseus, distracting me from my destination...  But, really, that analogy falls apart because I had no destination in mind, so I allow myself plenty of wonderful distractions.- Trey RatcliffRead more here at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Flaxen Horse at Sunrise The problem with horses in Iceland is that you can't pass a farm with them frolicking about without...wondering...hmmm...I wonder if I could get a good shot.  And then, of course, something in you tells you that Yes, of course, you could get a good shot.  And then, you have to come up with reasons not to stop at every farm and take photos of every horse, since they all come out interesting.So, naturally, this is a strange situation, in which you have to willingly force yourself to drive past something that you know would be amazing.  But, well, you do it with the low-risk gamble that you will see something else amazing a bit down the road.- Trey RatcliffThe rest of this entry and information on an upcoming photowalk is here at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Oceanscream
Early one morning while weaving through the fjords, a cell of dark clouds roiled across the sky.  The low sun kept them in impossible colors and the air vibrated with a coming storm.  This is up on the edge of the arctic circle where one fjord may be covered in clouds while the next is wide open and clear.  There are hundreds of little microclimates that change from one hour to the next, so if things don't look good in one fjord, just spend 30 minutes driving over to the next one, and maybe something different will present itself.  Surely by now, you see why I like Iceland so much in the summer...

- Trey Ratcliff

Read more, including some info on how you might snag a Google+ invite, here at the Stuck in Customs blog.

Driving High Along the Fjords


The roads in Iceland normally follow the bottom part of the valley. Here, in this particular area, the road was about halfway up one of the mountains, which gave me a bit of a downward perspective. Every few miles there is an interesting, old, weather-beaten barn like this one to set the scene. It may not even be so old, and maybe the weather there is so rough that it makes things look old before their time.

- Trey Ratcliff

Click here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Click here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog." href="javascript:openLB(2442461696,'',XLarge,'',1024,620);">Driving High Along the Fjords The roads in Iceland normally follow the bottom part of the valley. Here, in this particular area, the road was about halfway up one of the mountains, which gave me a bit of a downward perspective. Every few miles there is an interesting, old, weather-beaten barn like this one to set the scene. It may not even be so old, and maybe the weather there is so rough that it makes things look old before their time.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.

Driving High Along the Fjords


The roads in Iceland normally follow the bottom part of the valley. Here, in this particular area, the road was about halfway up one of the mountains, which gave me a bit of a downward perspective. Every few miles there is an interesting, old, weather-beaten barn like this one to set the scene. It may not even be so old, and maybe the weather there is so rough that it makes things look old before their time.

- Trey Ratcliff

Click here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
See photo in original gallery.