Ken’s April 2024 Spark Show

My current Spark photo show, “Iceland, including circumnavigation by ship”, is now on display downstairs at the Peterborough Public Library. It will be up all of the month of April, (and perhaps longer, as was my 2023 Spark show).

I will be having a “Meet the Photographer” afternoon on Tuesday, April 9 – from 2 to 4 pm. I will also be at the library same time on Tuesday, April 16.

While you can see my show here on my blog (in case you cannot get to it in person), come on down to the library to see it live, and say hello on Tuesday. (The library also has books you can borrow, they say.)

Here are the pictures, plus summary and my biog. For the blog I wrote last year on Iceland go to: https://powellponderings.com/iceland-then-england-july-2023/

For further pictures you can go to: https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipM8PkvRLuoxUrpAZGvG9OIfsrBKaEv78M1q8y2vB0x2m9wFrTTwJqWTA1RYwpZx-g?key=MHZuTE02VnNqcnBCc1RYbVpQM0hwNUZyUHE4OXhR

1. Golden Falls, Hvita River (two stage cascading falls – Gullfoss) 

2. Glacier Lagoon, Jokulsarlon (with zodiak cruising in front) 

3. Dynjandifoss, the Westfjords (or “thunderous waterfall”)

4. Ice Marchers, Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon (two small icebergs beside a large one) 

5. Coastal Town, Scalanes (in distance on ocean bay with road curling down to it) 

6. Giving Me the Eye, Grimsey Island (sheep on hill)

7. Solitary Life, Westman Islands (small house on high cliff overlooking sea)

8. Family Following, southeast Iceland (5 Mute Swans with mountains in background)

9. Flaps-up, Siglufjordur  (Raucous Black-headed Gull with wings out, landing)

10. Synchronous Humpbacks, Husavik (male & female Humpback whales diving side by side)

11. Coastline Colour, Snaefellsnes Peninsula (yellow flowers and cliffs down to seaside)

12. Lots of Lupins, Kerid Crater (Alaskan Lupins against the sky)

13. Puffin Triad, Grimsey Island (three Atlantic puffins)

14. Harbour Clouds, Reykjavik (pier jutting out into ocean; mountains in background)

15. Gatklettur Arch, Arnarstapi (eroded circular coastline arch)

16. Dimmuborgir Lava Arch, Lake Myvatn (hole in lava wall; people standing in archway)

17. Nature’s Design, Heimaey Island (vertical cliff faces, along water)

18. Black Basalt Ash, Diamond Beach, Jokulsarlon (stone on black basalt sand beach)

19. Almannagja Gorge, Thingvellir National Park (Mid-Atlantic rift with deep fissure/fault)

20. Raw Terrain, southeast Iceland (raw Icelandic terrain) 

21. Puffin Perch, Skalanes Nature Centre (an Atlantic puffin sitting on ledge of cliff)

22. “Herring Girls”, Siglufjordur (woman filleting herring)

23. Arctic Terns Battle, Arnarstapi (two Arctic terns fighting mid-air)

24. Filleting the Herring, Siglufjordur

25. The Landing, Grimsey Island (Atlantic puffin coming in for a landing) [Photo on main level of  library]

Summary and Biog

Iceland, including circumnavigation by ship

In July 2023 Penny and I travelled to Iceland and spent some days initially  in the capital city, Reykjavik, and the surrounding countryside. We then boarded our ship, the Ocean Endeavour, contracted by Adventure Canada, and circumnavigated the island for 11 days.

These photos will take you on a visual journey into and around this rugged, primordial island on the edge of the Arctic Circle. The land is still forming so volcanoes, hot springs and lava fields mix with glaciers, rivers and waterfalls along with abundant sea life and birds. 

Widely known as “the land of fire and ice,” Iceland is home to some of the world’s most active volcanoes and largest glaciers. It is also the land of light and darkness, all which make for wonderful photo opportunities.

We visited a number of communities, taking shore excursions utilizing zodiacs. Lectures were presented on many subjects (culture, including the Icelandic language, sea animals and bird life, geology, geography, and history).

Iceland is located at the intersection of the constantly drifting apart tectonic plates of America and Eurasia, which are volcanically active, and we were seeing evidence of this reality. In the last few days of our journey a volcano began erupting about 30 kilometres SW of Reykjavík. Apparently, as they say, “it’s the Fagradalsfjall Volcano system awakening again”.