Creating Iconic Locations
Iconic locations are named as such for a good reason; they offer exquisite views, outstanding viewpoints that draw the eye to breathtaking scenes and, quite often, provide easy access for everyone. So, when you see a picture of an extraordinary location taken by a photographer, it is natural to want to visit that same place and create your own version of that picture.
There is a catch, though. Your picture will likely look very similar to those taken by previous photographers, and the next, and the next. This leads us to the point where we have a picture that looks almost identical to someone else’s. What is wrong with that, you may ask? Absolutely nothing; most people do it, and they are delighted.
However, wouldn’t it be nice to also have a few pictures that are uniquely yours? Pictures that carry your own style and trademark? Pictures that you would be proud to say you worked hard to capture and that no one else has taken? I believe it would be rather lovely, don’t you agree?
New destinations
During a trip to Iceland, I created an itinerary with places I wanted to visit. Many of those locations are indeed iconic: Skogafoss, Jokullsarlon, Stokksnes, to name just a few. However, I also included a few destinations that are pretty far off the main track, or the main road, as some would say. One of these was Langisjor Lake. This is a fair trek and a spot that can only be reached with a very capable 4×4 vehicle. The journey requires driving through lava fields, crossing rivers, and slaloming through volcanic craters.
Along the way, there were various stopping points, many offering breathtaking views of our planet in its raw state. We saw streams of water flowing from underground, hot spring sources, and tiny plants desperately trying to survive in this rather harsh environment.
Langisjor Lake was our final destination, which also marked the end of the track. I had never been there before, but I had seen snapshots taken by some walkers in the past. So I had a rough idea of what the place looked like, and I must admit I really liked what I had seen.
I had already done my research and knew there was a small hill at the end of this rather long lake, an easy hill to walk up. Indeed, upon arrival, I walked to the top of that hill. I am not easily impressed by views, but I must admit that the view took my breath away. It was a pretty clear day, and the eye could reach all the way across to the other end of the lake. What I also realised was that I could see one of the Icelandic glaciers located almost in the centre of the country.
There is no need to say that I took some wide-angle pictures to capture the entire view of this ‘future’ iconic location; I am certain that, at some point in the near future, it will become iconic. However, after taking all the much-needed wide-angle pictures, it was time to put the camera with the long lens on the tripod. It was time to start looking for the pictures ‘beyond the iconic’, the ones that many people who know me call the ‘Dimitri’s style’ pictures.
There were quite a few options available, so, as you can imagine, quite a bit of time was spent photographing the location.
The ‘future iconic view’ is the one you can see below, but for me, a more iconic and personal view is the one accompanying this post, and it is all mine.
Locations become iconic for a reason. However, it is advisable to try to capture the smaller parts of these iconic locations. The parts that, once discovered, can allow us to add our own personal touch to an image.
