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NORTHERN LIGHTS PHOTO EXPEDITION
ICELAND
4 years of Road to dream.
JOB CAN WAIT TRAVEL CAN’T
Yes, you heard it right. It took me 4 years to turn that dream into reality for myself. I had been keeping this dream alive and safe inside me since 2012, since I had started the photography more seriously and more passionately.
It was my dream to capture the beauty of ICELAND through my camera and bring it more closer to the people and to those who dreams the same like me of going there One day.
I had been watching the photos of Aurora and Iceland since years, so it became like a big dream destination for me, but one thing that had made me surprised a lot that only few Indian photographers had made it there and captured the beauty of that Paradise. So I had planned to make this dream possible for me and captured the wilderness and nature of Iceland and bring it to the people.
Very Rare professional Photo story by An Indian Guy on Northern Lights in Iceland.
I always asked myself what if a child dream of something big, what if a person wants to be different from others, not what others choose for him but he intend to achieve great in his life by his own choices, beliefs and actions.
So after my dad death, life left me with only one thought that it could end very soon or any day, it would you who decide either you would go like nothing or you would leave some marks and examples for others before you leave this world. So I preferred to change my life and my choices and led the life into more different and difficult ways, the ways that would bring more possibilities of happiness, success and wisdom and Inspiration for others.
For me those ways are “ traveling and Photography”
I made traveling my religion and Photography my Bible.
I had mixed up both to make my path more enlightened and enjoyable, Photography is now my voice in this big lost world. I would love to talk to the people through my Photos and my travelogues. I connect to them through my stories, what I had lived and survived and how I travelled is my BIOGRAPHY now.
ICELAND was the best way to prove that for myself and for others too, that’s why I took off for that journey but never knew that it would be one of the most challenging and toughest journey and Photography of my life.
Iceland- In my words beauty everywhere and Northern lights, I never knew what was northern lights and what it looked like until I had started Photography, I had always seen them in photos or on television and social media, In India I guess 90% of the people still not aware of what is it exactly, so I thought why not bring it to my People and make them aware of this gesture of mother Nature that exists somewhere in the corner of the World, that’s why I named my Journey
ICELAND- NORTHERN LIGHTS PHOTO EXPEDITION
I worked very hard day and night to make this dream possible for me and to buy the flight ticket for myself first, the cheap and the best way to travel in Iceland is to travel on sharing basis and that’s what I did it there, accommodation and car renting etc. I had shared everything with other travelers like me.
I opted for the month of December to travel in Iceland as it was the best time for the Aurora (northern lights) but nature had its own ways and plans. I spent 15 days in Iceland to hunt down the Auroras (northern lights) but it wasn’t so easy as it looked like to me before this trip in the photos and stories of others. Now I know what it takes to capture the photos of these Auroras and how tough and challenging photography is this for any Photographer. I really keep huge respect and appreciation for the Photographers who had already brought this to us so that we could see and experience the other side of the NATURE.
I lived the same challenges and toughness while hunting the Northern Lights in Iceland, why I said that it was one of the most challenging and toughest journey of my life because in Iceland weather could change anytime especially in December when everything goes against Photography and travelling like heavy winds, freezing temp, snow storms and hail storms and even cloudy weather that would kill all the activity of Auroras.
Reykjavik – Grundarfjordur- Selfoss- Horsgland- Hofn- Raudaberg- Jokursalon- raudaberg- Steig- Skogar- grundarfjordur- Reykjavik.
I drove around 4000kms in 15 days to hunt down the northern lights and Capture the beauty of ICELAND.
From the city of Reykjavik to southeast cost, it was one of the hell of the trip for me, I had never ever lived under these kind of conditions and weather before. All was memorable on this one trip from roads to snow storms, from aurora activity to Ice cave visit and at last from freezing temp to near encounter to Death.
STORY 1 – DEATH.
Yes you heard it right, I almost die during this trip while taking photos of KIRKJUFELL waterfall, I slipped on the ice while taking photos and went down under the waterfall almost but people ran towards me to help me and took me out of it, safely came out but became one of the most amazing memory of the trip. Photography sometime cost lives too I realised on that day.
STORY 2- LOOSING HOPES.
Hunting Auroras was one of the toughest challenges of this trip; weather was not in my favour most of the time. First 2 days were really disappointing and finally 3rd day I got lucky to see some activity and 4th day was amazing with Good Northern lights in Horsgland village.
Next day we were stuck in storm and spent whole day at hotel, hoping for good weather in upcoming days but nothing was helping me out to get the story and Photos I was looking from ICELAND and at last had started loosing hopes and feeling negative in what I had put myself into.
Later on I realised that Photography in Iceland is all about patience and never loosing the hopes, so I raised myself again with positivity and Hopes. ICE CAVE VISIT on 6th day was the 2nd biggest reason to come to Iceland in December. It was one of the most adventurous activities that one could live in his life but there also my luck wasn’t in my favour. When I reached there it was full of tourist and people, clicking photos under -7 degree with people that I didn’t plan at all but I had to do it for what I came for, So I waited and waited long to get the shots I wanted inside the cave under -8 degree, with the decreasing temp I had been loosing my patience and hopes too but I didn’t give up so easily, I said to myself that I had waited so long to come to Iceland and had made this visit possible for me with so many ups and downs, so I stood inside the cave till to the last with decreasing temp and got the photos what I wanted. It wasn’t easy but I realised that sometime you had to be stubborn on your wishes and dreams.
STORY 3 – BURDEN OF TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPGER.
My biggest wish of that trip was to click the beautiful photos of Auroras and made my story more interesting, inspiring and successful for myself and for those who were expecting Beautiful ICELAND through my camera and through my eyes. Sometime I felt the burden of their expectations and hopes on myself, As a travel Photographer it’s my duty now to bring something to the people that they have never ever lived and seen, what I live they live, what I see they see and what I feel they feel, no matter how far I go and how hard and tough it is for me but I have to keep doing what I am up to now. Its my moral duty now to Inspire people and leave something great for them and make my life an example for others, help others to move forward in life and achieve their dreams too and Bring the world closer to Them through my Photos and stories.
STORY 4- LAST LIGHT OF SUCCESSS
After 4 days of bad weather and snow storm, 31st December last day of my trip had brought good and clear weather and last hope of shooting the Auroras but still didn’t know that I would be able to find them or hunt them on my very last night in Iceland. So I had to choose between the New Year party in Reykjavik or going out of the city for the Auroras. I made it very clear in my Mind what I wanted from the first day so I skipped the New year celebration although in Reykjavik its one of the most craziest and happening New year celebration of the World with great firework and parties. So I went off outside the town in – 12 degree to hunt it and after 45 min I got lucky to see some activity and had started clicking photos.
The toughest challenge in Aurora Photography is that one could never guess from where it comes out and for how long, it could come out for 5 min to 5hours, its very unpredictable and very small windows sometime. So I had to move all the time all the dark places to look for them and driving the car in all the direction with the hope to see some great activity, Finally last light of Success had appeared in the sky, Whole sky turned into green and lights came out suddenly, dancing, moving and changing colours. I set my camera and tripod and clicked all what I could, only one feeling I got at that time “AWESOME “
That night was the most strong and memorable night of my Life. Watching these Auroras with my own eyes its one of the rare and most adventurous experience that one can Live. In despite of freezing fingers and -12 degree temperature and cold winds, the Joy of clicking those Lights was warmer than Cold winds.
So that was my STORY, a story of INDIAN BOY on the hunt of Auroras in ICELAND, A story of a guy who believes in Dreams.
IT WAS MY STORY NOW IT’S YOURS…
Very special Thank to my friend who helped me a lot in this Trip
from sharing knowledge to Motivating me during the journey, without him it wasn't possible all. Abhinav Pratap Singh.