LegendIt’s been a while since I last posted a great time lapse video of Iceland. This one is top notch and perhaps the best since Stiegemeier’s time lapse of the Eyjafjallajökull eruption. Filmmaker Henry Jun Wah Lee traveled around Iceland over a two week period last June shooting time lapses, mostly in the everlasting twilight period of Iceland’s midnight sun. The video was shot as a music video for the song Legend by ambient band Mono.

I like how the video shows a slightly different perspective than most. Henry’s left out many of the most common sights and instead focuses on the barren landscapes of the highlands. Still, you may recognize some spots. The first shots are of the barren lava fields around Hekla and of the colorful smoky mountains around Landmannalaugar. The steam blasting hot spring shots are taken in the Krafla area close to Mývatn. The glacier shots are all taken in the Öræfi area, showing the famous Jökulsárlón and neighbouring Fjallsárlón lagoons. The mystic dark valley in the fog is a narrow valley behind the farm Hof (It’s full of trolls). The next few shots are taken in the Austfirðir area, finally jumping across the whole country to the highly photogenic Kirkjufell mountain in Grundarfjörður. Another jump back to the northeast shows some powerful shots of the mighty Dettifoss waterfall (used in the opening shot of Promotheus). The only people visible in the video are by the Brúarfoss waterfall. Shortly thereafter there is a good shot of the Goðafoss waterfall in the north and then fresh water pouring from underneath a lava field probably in the south. Then ending shots are again mostly in the Landmannalaugar and Fjallabak area (check out these amazing 360° panoramas of that area) and the very end of the video shows the not so well know, but my favorite mountain in Iceland, Löðmundur.

If you liked this video, you should also check out the Behind the Scenes version.

All true!
amalfi:

To me, the colors of Iceland are astonishing. But here are some more reasons from Intelligent Traveler’s “Ten More Reasons Iceland is Astonishing”:
1. Though Iceland is just the size of Virginia (with a population equivalent to that of Virginia Beach), it contains 35 active volcanoes and Europe’s mightiest waterfall, Dettifoss.  2. Beer was illegal in Iceland until 1989.  3. Iceland established its first parliament way back in 930.  4. Making teachers proud: Iceland has one of the highest literacy rates in the world (99 percent for both men and women).  5. There’s a higher than average number of redheads in Iceland (and as one myself, that’s a very good thing.) The abundance of red hair is due to Celtic genes which, legend says, likely come from the Irish women the Vikings abducted and brought to Iceland centuries ago.  6. The Vikings also brought with them the patronymic naming system to Iceland: a child’s last name is her father’s first name in possessive form. For example, if I was Icelandic, my name would be, thanks to my dad Walter: Meg Waltersdóttir and my brother, Jason Waltersson.  7. Hardy islanders miraculously saved the harbor at Heimaey, one of the Westman Islands, from being engulfed by lava during a 1973 eruption by pumping sea water in front of the flow. After the eruption stopped, the island had grown nearly a square mile, a new mountain had formed, and the harbor had improved.  8. Because of its patronymic naming system, the phone book in Iceland lists folks by their first name, grouped by city or town where they live.  9. Algerian pirates raided the island of Heimay back in 1627, killing or enslaving half the population of 500 souls.  10. An example of Icelandic humor (from Jonathan’s original manuscript): What do you do if lost in an Icelandic forest? Stand up! (because there aren’t any forests in Iceland).
(Brúarfoss by Jón Óskar)

All true!

amalfi:

To me, the colors of Iceland are astonishing. But here are some more reasons from Intelligent Traveler’s “Ten More Reasons Iceland is Astonishing”:

1. Though Iceland is just the size of Virginia (with a population equivalent to that of Virginia Beach), it contains 35 active volcanoes and Europe’s mightiest waterfall, Dettifoss.

2. Beer was illegal in Iceland until 1989.

3. Iceland established its first parliament way back in 930.

4. Making teachers proud: Iceland has one of the highest literacy rates in the world (99 percent for both men and women).

5. There’s a higher than average number of redheads in Iceland (and as one myself, that’s a very good thing.) The abundance of red hair is due to Celtic genes which, legend says, likely come from the Irish women the Vikings abducted and brought to Iceland centuries ago.

6. The Vikings also brought with them the patronymic naming system to Iceland: a child’s last name is her father’s first name in possessive form. For example, if I was Icelandic, my name would be, thanks to my dad Walter: Meg Waltersdóttir and my brother, Jason Waltersson.

7. Hardy islanders miraculously saved the harbor at Heimaey, one of the Westman Islands, from being engulfed by lava during a 1973 eruption by pumping sea water in front of the flow. After the eruption stopped, the island had grown nearly a square mile, a new mountain had formed, and the harbor had improved.

8. Because of its patronymic naming system, the phone book in Iceland lists folks by their first name, grouped by city or town where they live.

9. Algerian pirates raided the island of Heimay back in 1627, killing or enslaving half the population of 500 souls.

10. An example of Icelandic humor (from Jonathan’s original manuscript): What do you do if lost in an Icelandic forest? Stand up! (because there aren’t any forests in Iceland).

(Brúarfoss by Jón Óskar)

(Source: amalfi)

uniformitarianism:

Brúarfoss, Southwest Iceland

uniformitarianism:

Brúarfoss, Southwest Iceland

(Source: Flickr / jon_oskar)