22nd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Kirkjufell Mountain Reflection Sony Ar73 Tamron 17-28 1/30 sec f/11 ISO 500 22mm

Sunset Reflection on Kirkjufell. This image was captured around 11:45 pm during the midnight sun in Iceland last summer. Typically Iceland is very windy and reflections are nearly impossible but luck was in my favor. When I first arrived to the parking lot the sun was just about to set along the horizon. Seeing the crowd of people at the top of the waterfall, I opted to find a different composition. I spotted a small body of water at the base of the waterfall which appeared to be calm. Scrambling down the hill,I managed to find the perfect spot to compose my image.I lowered myself to ground level, set up my shot and watched the sky explode. I studied the clouds as they began to transform into a v shape over the mountain resembling a volcanic eruption. Iceland is known for having consistent volcanic activity so these cloud formations seemed perfect. Volcanos are common in Iceland whereas there are only a few mountains. Kirkjufell mountain is one of the mountains in Iceland which resembles a volcano in shape.She is commonly refered to as the Witches Hat. Quickly as the light was changing, I was able to capture the reflection perfectly before the light was gone and the wind picked up.It was time to wrap it up and head home.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 06.2024
Date Uploaded: 12.2024
Photo Location: Grundarfjordur, Iceland
Camera: ILCE-7RM3
Copyright: © Kathleen Croft