Hvítserkur, Northwest Iceland

Hvítserkur is a 15m high basalt stack along the eastern shore of the Vatnsnes peninsula, in northwest Iceland. The rock has two holes at the base, which give it the appearance of a dragon who is drinking. The base of the stack has been reinforced with concrete to protect its foundations from the sea.  We were at Hvítserkur on 16.09.2018 and we had to put up a night in a nice little town of Blönduós, because it is quite a distance to travel to the next location, the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.

Legend has it that the rock is indeed a troll that was turned to stone by the rays of the sun. And speaking of sun, the midnight sun in midsummer is particularly nice for photographing the monolith, as well as photographing it it by sunset and sunrise. We've had glimpse of the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) that night, dancing their quiet and colourful dance across the arctic north facing sky.

Vatnsnes itself is a mountainous peninsula, adding further to the scenery and seals may be found in the area, Hindisvik and Osar being two good places to seek them out and nearby, at the town Hvammstangi is a seal center, well worth visiting. Also on Vatnsnes and highly recommended is a natural fortress basalt columns natural called Borgarvirki, with further opportunities for great photos.

I only had one setup, my α7RIII and my SEL1635GM lens, with NiSi CPL, NiSi ND8 and NiSi GND .9 Soft filters.

Photography Tips:

• There are basically three ways to go down to the Hvítserkur monolith. First was is the steepest i.e. just follow the Hvítserkur ​signboard there (please refer to the image above). You would need a good hiking shoe to go down the steep slope. Be careful of that one particular cranky bird that "guards" the Hvítserkur. The second way is farthest, but least steep. Recommended for those with knee problem. Personally, I would choose the third route which is in between, in terms of steepness and distance.
• Respect your fellow photographers. Remember that everyone is there to get a cool photo, just like you. Don’t get frustrated with the other people there, just work around them – or with them – as much as you can.

• Watch for the tides. That will determine how close you can get to the Hvítserkur. Your waterproof hiking shoes will do just fine here.

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