Iceland – Svartifoss

Part of a series of posts about my travel in Iceland, including visits to eleven waterfalls.

Svartifoss waterfall is impressive, in part for its 20-meter free-fall from the cliffs at the head of a deep gorge.  The horseshoe-shaped wall behind the falls is made of columnar basalt, providing a dark, geometric backdrop to a dazzling chaotic flow of whitewater.   Hundreds – if not thousands – of tourists hike the short trail to these falls, pausing on a low bridge across the stream below the falls, or on a metal platform cantilevered on the cliff off to one side.  Signs ask people not to approach the falls at water level, but with some careful maneuvering I was able to find a spot where I could balance myself on boulders, place my tripod feet in the stream, and get some clear shots.  In the photo below, I include a person on the viewing platform at right; although they are closer than the falls, it provides some sense of scale. Read on…

See four other photos in the gallery; I recommend slideshow mode!

Reference: I learned about this place from a guidebook, Photographing Iceland, by Einar Guðmann and Gyða Henningsdóttir; translated by Abigail Charlotte Cooper. JTV útgáfa 2019.