This was the finalé to the night described in the last post.

Midnight sun at Hvallátur
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50 f/2 Makro Planar + Singh-Ray Reverse GND Filter

Sunset tonight a little before midnight from Heimaey in Vestmannaeyjar.

Sunset from Heimaey
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 100 f/2 Makro Planar

With its sweeping views of the Arabian Sea, the bluff at Vagator on Goa‘s northern coast is an atmospheric location. On a recent outing, I had the pleasure of recording the bliss experienced here during sundown by young and old alike. The first four images below are of my little niece Saraswati.

Taking it all in: Saraswati in Vagator
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50mm f/2 Makro Planar

Saraswati
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50mm f/2 Makro Planar

Frolic in Vagator
5D Mark II, 135L

Saraswati sulking next to her grandfather
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50mm f/2 Makro Planar

Lovebirds
5D Mark II, 135L

Contemplation
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50mm f/2 Makro Planar

Point-and-shoot
5D Mark II, 135L

Golden light: my father Motilal Parrikar
5D Mark II, 135L

Sights from our ferry on River Mandovi connecting Old Goa to Divar in the beautiful, golden moments a little before sundown today.

Old Goa to Divar ferry
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50mm f/2 Makro Planar

On its way to Divar island
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50mm f/2 Makro Planar

Ferry, Barge, Sunset
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50mm f/2 Makro Planar

When the sun sets this evening, it will close out the first decade of this century. The image below was made in February 2008 in the village of Canaguinim in south Goa. The elevated plateau here has a spectacular view of the setting sun over the Arabian Sea.

Sunset viewed from the Canaguinim plateau, Goa
5D, 300L f/4 IS

Driving along the southern coast of Snæfellsnes on an October evening, we discerned a break in the clouds, holding out the possibility of an eventful sunset. Even by the standards of Iceland’s capricious weather, Snæfellsnes represents an extreme case. The peninsula stands fully exposed to the fury of the Atlantic’s violent moods, and its own topography of mountain ridges amplifies the turbulence by creating corridors of ferocious storms. Here you can literally see the weather in motion.

We were alongside the lava field Beruvíkurhraun when the clouds caught fire. It was a scene not easily forgotten except for one wrinkle – our car was being buffeted by gale-force winds. I readied the lens, filter, and the camera settings while my guide Börkur Hrólfsson oriented the car into the wind (to keep the doors from being ripped out). With the wind gusts pounding the door, stepping out was an ordeal in itself as was keeping steady on my two feet once I was outside. Using the car as well as the Börkur’s considerable person as shelter, I pulled the old spray-and-pray trick, guessing the transition line of the filter, before retreating hastily to the safety of the car. Fortunately, a couple of takes were sharp enough. The sunset we had hoped for never came to pass for the clouds soon reconfigured and smothered the fireball.

I owe this shot wholly to Börkur without whom I wouldn’t have dared face the elements.

Late evening on the coast of Snæfellsnes
5D Mark II, 24-105L + Singh-Ray GND filter

The farm at Hlíðarendi in the village of Fljótshlið in south Iceland is famous in Icelandic history as the home of Gunnar Hámundarson of the Njáls saga. We were fortunate to catch a marvellous sunset there this autumn.

Hlíðarendi - an autumn sunset
5D Mark II, TS-E 45 f/2.8 + Singh-Ray reverse GND filter

At the same time, to my left, another instance of high drama was unfolding: the crest of Eyjafjallajökull – still steaming months after its flight-disrupting eruption – was being caressed by sweet light. Unfortunately, I was without my second camera body, having damaged it the day before in a mishap (about which I will write in a future blog post). My sunset set-up had to be temporarily re-directed to produce this sub-optimal image.

Eyjafjallajökull
5D Mark II, TS-E 45 f/2.8

Earlier in the summer, a very different ambience at Hlíðarendi.

Hlíðarendi in summer
5D Mark II, TS-E 24L II

A glorious day in Reykjavík concluded with the grand finale of the setting sun just before midnight. We got to the Sólfar sculpture in time for this shot.

Sunset around midnight in Reykjavík
5D Mark II, 24-105L, Singh-Ray Reverse GND filter

Hallgrímskirkja was draped in golden light.

Hallgrímskirkja basks in golden light
5D Mark II, TS-E 17L

Earlier tonight we stopped by Bessastaðir again. This time I made bold to ring the bell at President Ólafur Grímsson‘s door. Nobody seemed to be in and there was no response. The mellow evening light offered another perspective on Bessastaðir.

Bessastaðir, late evening
5D Mark II, 24-105L

Awhile back I posted photographs of the cemetery cross in the Goan village of Saligao framed against the setting sun. As mentioned there, I had to stake out the location for a number of days before I scored that shot. On one of the earlier ‘unsuccessful’ evenings, Nature flashed an unexpected spectacle. I call it The Flaming Cross, seen below.

Note: I have cloned out the intruding power lines in this image.

'The Flaming Cross' in Saligao, Goa
5D Mark II, 70-200L f/2.8 IS