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Low light
Low light or twilight
Heidelberg castle at low lightHeidelberg castle at low light © Julian KöpkeSunset in Heidelberg or Red NeckarSunset in Heidelberg or Red Neckar © Julian KöpkeChapel RotenbergChapel Rotenberg © Julian KöpkeView on San Francisco downtown at sunsetView on San Francisco downtown at sunset © Julian KöpkeOrvieto Piazaa Duomo before sunriseOrvieto Piazaa Duomo before sunrise © Julian KöpkeDark Duomo, OrvietoDark Duomo, Orvieto © Julian KöpkeSunset medieval quartiere OrvietoSunset medieval quartiere Orvieto © Julian KöpkeNocturnal deception in the arctic mistNocturnal deception in the arctic mist at the Arctic Henge in Raufarhöfn © Julian Köpke -
Structures
Images of structures often no longer reveal a scale.
Entrance Rijksmuseum Amsterdam © Julian KöpkeEntrance Rijksmuseum Amsterdam © Julian KöpkeDrill bits or virtual skyscrapers © Julian KöpkeDrill bits or virtual skyscrapers © Julian KöpkeLate afternoon at Crater Lake impressive reflections appeared at the opposite lake shore. To some extent they ressemble to the Rorschach test method, especially when rotated by 90 degree. © Julian KöpkeLate afternoon at Crater Lake impressive reflections appeared at the opposite lake shore. To some extent they ressemble to the Rorschach test method, especially when rotated by 90 degree. © Julian KöpkeEvening at Zabriskie Point © Julian KöpkeEvening at Zabriskie Point © Julian KöpkeGlacial flows and patterns on Iceland © Julian KöpkeGlacial flows and patterns on Iceland © Julian KöpkeDetail of Dynjandi waterfall. Combination of LTE and STE. © Julian KöpkeDetail of Dynjandi waterfall. Combination of LTE and STE. © Julian KöpkeDettifoss detail western drop edge © Julian KöpkeDettifoss detail western drop edge © Julian KöpkeGlacial flows and patterns © Julian KöpkeGlacial flows and patterns © Julian KöpkeGlacial flows and patterns on Iceland. There is nothing recognizable. © Julian KöpkeGlacial flows and patterns on Iceland. There is nothing recognizable. © Julian KöpkeGlacial flows and patterns © Julian KöpkeGlacial flows and patterns © Julian KöpkeGlacier Skalafellsjökull ogives and some band ogives © Julian KöpkeGlacier Skalafellsjökull ogives and some band ogives © Julian KöpkeWater glass as a cylindrical converging lens © Julian KöpkeWater glass as a cylindrical converging lens © Julian KöpkeLoaf of bread mosaic X-ray photo lateral view © Julian KöpkeLoaf of bread mosaic X-ray photo lateral view © Julian KöpkeOverlay of light and waves © Julian KöpkeOverlay of light and waves © Julian KöpkePatterns of layers at Morsum cliff © Julian KöpkePatterns of layers at Morsum cliff © Julian KöpkePile of wood as a long wall © Julian KöpkePile of wood as a long wall © Julian KöpkePolar lights at Stocksness © Julian KöpkePolar lights at Stocksness © Julian KöpkeReflections inside from the outside © Julian KöpkeReflections inside from the outside © Julian KöpkeReynisfjara basalt formation © Julian KöpkeReynisfjara basalt formation © Julian KöpkePacific reflections © Julian KöpkePacific reflections © Julian KöpkeUpcoming clouds © Julian KöpkeUpcoming clouds © Julian KöpkeWall of Hamburg Philharmonic Hall © Julian KöpkeWall of Hamburg Philharmonic Hall © Julian KöpkeCog rail of the Zugspitzbahn © Julian KöpkeCog rail of the Zugspitzbahn © Julian Köpke -
Best Images Annuals 2021
Winter Castle of the Winter King © Julian KöpkeWinter forest near House of Astronomy © Julian KöpkeWinter walk in the snowy forest © Julian KöpkeHaus der Astronomie Heidelberg im Winter © Julian KöpkeJapanese tree Lingental © Julian KöpkeDisturbing scene of ice formations (skull) © Julian KöpkeAlstromeria (Peruvian lily) © Julian KöpkeBlossoming red amaryllis © Julian KöpkeWhite Amaryllis © Julian KöpkeLight and shades of grey © Julian KöpkeTemple of Mercurius in Schwetzingen Caslte gardens. The fastest planet of our solar system is a symbol of time rush. © Julian KöpkeThunderclouds near List © Julian KöpkeLand's end near List, Sylt © Julian KöpkeThunderclouds near Hörnum © Julian KöpkeFootprints © Julian KöpkeCloud formations near Kampen ( Seagull) © Julian KöpkeSkogafoss time fusion. Walking behind the curtain. © Julian KöpkeBlack basalt coast at Hellnar (Arnarstapi), Iceland © Julian KöpkeBlack church at Budir © Julian KöpkeDiamond beach at Jökulsarlon © Julian KöpkeIcebergs at Jökulsarlon, Iceland © Julian KöpkeFoothills of Snaefellsjökull © Julian KöpkeLittle mermaid (Gullfoss waterfall) © Julian KöpkeThe rocks of Klifatindur (panorama 2 shots). Black sand beach. Vestrahorn. Estrahorn. © Julian KöpkeMorning sun at Vestrahorn © Julian KöpkeAfternoon sun at lighthouse Reykjaviti © Julian KöpkeFern leaf © Julian KöpkeMountain chain Eiger Mönch Jungfrau. There will be a weather change. © Julian Köpke -
Snæfellsness peninsula
In the meantime, 0.8TB of photo data has accumulated. It will be a challenge to process all these photos. Fortunately, I am concentrating on a few compositions, each of which will be studied in more detail. The themes of geometry, lines and planes stand alongside the theme of colour contrast, which is easy to focus on in Iceland.
The basalt rocks of Arnarstapi are ideal for this. With moderately homogeneous cloud cover, they lend themselves to long-term studies. The Phase One camera is able to do without the grey filter through frame averaging, which otherwise often leads to slight shifts in the composition.
Arnarstapi basalt cliff. 2s, Automated Frame Average. LTE © Julian Köpke I’m still not sure whether the basalt rocks of Lóndrangar look better in colour or in black and white. We had drizzle and fog again and again, but also very brief sunny moments. Icelandic weather has returned to normal.
Lóndrangar basalt cliff. 10s, Frame Average; LTE © Julian Köpke -
From Latrabjarg to Arnarstapi
A low probability does not mean that something will not happen. For a brief moment, auroras could be observed at night at Hotel Latrabjarg. However, by the time the camera was set up, the phenomenon had already subsided. The night remained cloudless and starry, and the next morning the windows of our car were a little frozen.
This very sunny day with cool air was the start of the return journey, which we shortened by taking a ferry in the evening from Brjánslækur to Stykkishólmur.
The bird cliff at the headland of Latrabjarg was completely empty. Only a few seagulls were circling without landing anywhere. The puffins had already left for the Atlantic a week ago.
Empty bird cliffs at Latrabjarg © Julian Köpke From this position you can see the rocks of the Westfjords of Iceland lined up one after the other.
Westfjord cliffs seen from Latrabjarg Our lazy day ended in Brjánslækur. This is where the Vikings first wintered in the 9th or 10th century. A historical plaque refers to boathouses and storehouses that had been built. It must have been a Herculean task to dig depressions in this stony ground. A few tree trunks anchored in the ground are left this. In the background line up the mountains of Snæfellsnes peninsula.
Landscape at Brjánslækur with a white house and historic poles © Julian Köpke Today there is a boathouse here again, with two old boats in it that nobody seems to want to use any more.
Boat shed at Brjánslækur © Julian Köpke On a gentle hill, at the foot of a perhaps nameless mountain, stood another small church with a red roof. These buildings seem almost like a toy landscape when the mountains make them small.
Waiting at Brjánslækur for the ferry boat to Stykkisholmur Brjánslækur. © Julian Köpke The ferry ride was sweetened by a multi-coloured sunset. We drove between the small islands via Flatey to Stykkisholmur. The clouds, however, were to prevent the Northern Lights from appearing when we arrived in Boudoir.
On the ferry to Stykkishólmur © Julian Köpke -
Winter is coming
The drive from Flateyri to Latrabjarg is in sunshine with intermittent light cloud. Winter is coming: warm autumnal colours dominate. In Iceland, you walk at sea level and look at glaciers or year-round snowfields.
Flateyri autumn colors. White hut. © Julian Köpke The cloud formations change more every day, appear dishevelled, a thin sun shines, the land no longer gets warm.
Looking back to Flateyri (Arnarfjord) © Julian Köpke The second visit to Dynjandi made us stay down. The colours of the sea were strongly reminiscent of the Caribbean, still warmly outshone by the land in the late morning light around 11am.
Sunrise at Dynjandi fjord © Julian Köpke After the short second visit to Dynjandi in the morning on the way through, we came across the well-known shipwreck of the whaling ship Garðar BA 64. The weather cleared incredibly quickly and we were able to capture the rusting material as HDR. With a fisheye lens, the wreck deformed slightly in an arc under the circularly arranged clouds.
Wahler shipwreck Garðar BA 64 © Julian Köpke Shortly before the turnoff to our accommodation at Hotel Latrabjarg, the path led us to a red sandy beach. There are at least two of these, the other is on the south coast near Vik with the grave of a young Viking around 18.
The red beach is called Rauðisandur in Icelandic. It lies far in front of the sea. Between the beach and the mountains is a marshland with farms, siels and cows.
View from Rauðisandur to Snæfellsjökull © Julian Köpke 
Saurbæjarkirkja near Rauðisandur © Julian Köpke -
Westfjords
A long drive of about 400 km covered this day, which continued with clouds and streaks of rain after a short dry spell. Brief moments of light were replaced by dark, low-hanging clouds. In Kollafjarðarnes, on the 68, we came across a small church, which must have belonged to a farm, along with a small cemetery. A cold sky with a warm, yellowish lawn contrasted with the red of the church roof.
Kollafjarðarnes Kirkja © Julian Köpke Some roads were unpleasant to drive because, despite roadside boundaries, the sloping landscape could not be assessed. And sometimes there was thick fog on top of that. On a sloping gravel road, the fog dissipated and revealed a fjord in glorious turquoise.
Ice Blue Westfjord in Iceland (Arnarfjord) © Julian Köpke In the late afternoon in full autumn light with clouds and haze we reach Dynjandi. Wikipedia reports: „Dynjandi or Fjallfoss is a waterfall of the river Dynjandisá in northwest Iceland. It is 100 m high and broadly fanned out. In summer, 2 to 8 m³/s plunge down here, and in winter about half that. The waterfall is 30 m wide at the top and 60 m wide at the bottom.“
We approach quickly to get ahead of the impending darkening of the sun by the clouds. Due to the fanning out of the waterfall, we find an area with many small and medium-sized waterfalls, which extends over several floors and shines in magnificent colours.
Waterfalls Dynjandi in autumn light © Julian Köpke 
We are like ants in this environment © Julian Köpke The combination of long time exposure (LTE) and normal exposure (STE) on a waterfall creates a special dynamic that makes it appear more alive. In this image, one shot was stacked at 1/750s and one at 1/15s. The post-processing in colour and black and white each has its own charm.
Detail of Dynjandi waterfall. Combination of LTE and STE. © Julian Köpke 
Detail of Dynjandi waterfall. Combination of LTE and STE. © Julian Köpke After Dynjandi, we reached our accommodation, Holt’s Inn, via good roads. A lady from the southern Palatinate, who had not made herself at home in Cologne, worked in reception. It was so comfortable to talk to a native speaker. Outside it was slowly getting darker, clouds and haze settled over the nameless mountains.
Evening at Holts Inn near Flateyri, Westfjords © Julian Köpke -
Hvítserkur
After a day of almost complete cloud cover, the day in Akureyri started with a clear night and an intense morning red. The fog in the valley below our hotel looked like a flood that kept rising and finally hid the morning red. This progression seemed to be a good sign.
Akureyri sunrise © Julian Köpke 
Akureyri sunrise in the mist © Julian Köpke Our first stop was in Siglufjörður, a small harbour town whose heyday was in the 1930s. The beautiful houses had been renovated with great effort. I had to stop in front of this white house. Melodic piano notes came from the neighbouring house.
The white house in Siglufjörður © Julian Köpke From Blönduos to Hvítserkur we drove as fast as possible. The tide was supposed to be at its lowest when we arrived. After a sunny day along the northern coasts, the clouds closed in again. The stone monument gives room for imagination.
To me it looked like a grazing giant animal, similar to a water buffalo. The size and mass would be comparable to a dinosaur. Few rays of sunlight fell on the creature from time to time and made it shine.
Hvítserkur with reflection at low tide © Julian Köpke The two interruptions of the figure become window and door on closer inspection. A kind of Mother of God niche. At some point the interruption will be too big to carry the whole load.
Hvítserkur detail © Julian Köpke -
Cold composition
On the drive from Raufarhöfn via Husavik to Akureyri, we moved along the coast for a long time. The sky was completely overcast and small showers were falling.
Iceland’s public sculptures are always clearly visible along the roads . The colours blue and green created cool compositions. The image of the coastline with waves warmed up a little or harmonized by the cliffs.
Public sculpture at Kopasker (85) (Presthólalón) © Julian Köpke 
Coastline near Husavik (Cold composition) © Julian Köpke -
Arctic Circle and Arctic Henge
After this hot year, it’s starting to get cool, although Iceland is also uncharacteristically warm at the moment. With twists and turns we finally reach the hotel in Raufarhöfn via the 870 with stops in Raudinupur, Skinnalón and the Arctic Henge.
To reach the lighthouse in Raudinupur we had to walk 6 km there and back. Just arrived, the sunny weather changed and a thick, icy fog surrounded us. We became unsure which would be the right way back. The chattering of the gannets did not stop.
Lighthouse Raudinupur © Julian Köpke My personal highlight of the day is the abandoned farm Skinnalón. It lies at 66 degrees and 31′ north latitude, which is only 1′ below the Arctic Circle, just a few steps from the Arctic Sea. The area was closed off to vehicles, the footpath uneven and a strange smell drifted over to me the closer I got to the former farm. My eyes quickly became irritated and a headache set in, as if an allergic reaction was taking place.
Abandoned farm Skinnalón © Julian Köpke 
Collapsed storerooms in Skinnalón © Julian Köpke The Arctic Henge has been under construction as a work of art since 2002 and is unfinished. Somehow the goings-on at the construction site are reminiscent of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, perhaps because the stone arches are irregular, but geometrically very precisely arranged.
Arctic Henge in Raufarhöfn. Wikipedia tells: "The Arctic Henge is an Arctic monument planned in 1996 by the artist Erlingur Thorodsen, which has been under construction since 2002 and is up to 11 m high. The name Arctic Henge is based on the name Stonehenge. The Icelandic name is Heimskautsgerði." © Julian Köpke In the early evening, a fog began to settle over the place, so we went to Arctic Henge again at nightfall. For a long time I looked at the arch as a gate with a little moving person in the background. Only during post-processing did I recognise a stone.
Nocturnal deception in the arctic mist at the Arctic Henge in Raufarhöfn © Julian Köpke
