Iceland offers a lot of photo opportunities. And in winter, most of those photo opportunities require a camera that performs well in low light — there’s about four hours of full daylight and an extended dawn and dusk period. Traveling to such a destination is reminder of the capabilities of one’s camera.
For quite some time I’ve wanted a DSLR or similar high-end digital camera (I’ve been looking at the mirrorless cameras lately). In the run up to Christmas I began looking at the ads for a new camera, hoping that one that I’d want would be on sale. It never happened. Fortunately, I’ve taken some good photos with lesser cameras over the years — the basic models provided enough options for what I wanted to accomplish (though I must admit, I’d really like to use some of those filters and lenses that the high-end models have).
Without a new camera, I prepared for my Icelandic adventure with my Panasonic Lumix. I read some reviews that claimed it does well in low light (or at least a similar Lumix model). I also researched how to take better pictures in low light, specifically for the aurora borealis. I knew I needed to hold the camera steady, which meant purchasing a GorillaPod and setting the timer so I wouldn’t disturb the stability of the camera.
I found my GorillaPod (or a reasonable knock-off) on eBay for a little over $4, and it fit my camera perfectly (I met a fellow tourist with a larger version to support his behemoth camera). I thought I’d use it a lot more than I did, but it’s still a cool accessory to have for future travels. I probably would’ve used it more if I wanted to take pictures of myself, but that almost never happens.
My disappointment in my camera came to a head when I went out for the northern lights on the second night in Iceland. I was told to book early because you’re never guaranteed to see anything. I was fortunate to see the one of the best displays of the aurora borealis — tour guides were still talking about it by the time I left Iceland. Unfortunately, it seemed that my camera was missing at least one setting that would’ve helped to take photos of the northern lights.
There was a chance that fiddling with other settings might have helped, but it’s not easy to find the settings on a camera when it’s that dark. I wasn’t the only one having problems taking photos, but there were some people capturing some amazing images. I definitely began to regret not spending nearly $600 on a new camera.
While back on the bus returning to Reykjavik, I met Jess Hockey and Paul Lester from Bristol, UK. They were kind enough to email me a few shots that they got of the northern lights. They didn’t have a professional camera, but managed to get some nice pictures from the night. I certainly appreciate having some photos of that night.
Thank you, Jess and Paul. I owe you a drink when our travels cross paths again.
Very cool you were able to see the Northern Lights! My old point-and-shoot camera (the one the TSA made me throw away during the inauguration) sometimes took better photos than my DSLR, I suppose it was because I understood the settings better. What an amazing trip you had!
It was cool. Makes me want to go back in summer to see the rest of the country.
I only use my point-and-shoot camera to capture special moments when traveling. I want to get one of those hi-end DSLR, but my budget won’t allow me as of the moment. So I have to make the most out of these point-and-shoot and smartphone cameras.