Iceland is a land defined by violent changes: weather and volcanic activity. Lava flows, frozen in time, dominate the landscape. These formed ragged mountains under glaciers, arches carved by sea and wind, basalt cliffs and islands. Nothing is small here except the tiny buildings that mark man’s presence.
I’m drawn back again and again to try to capture this place.
In September 2021, my most recent visit, I used my Canon 6D camera converted to full spectrum by Kolari Vision, with their IR Chrome filter.
How IR Chrome Transforms Iceland’s Landscape
The filter captures light reflected from green leaves and grasses and turns them orange to red, mimicking the red molten rock that once flowed here.
I found that the filter perfectly emphasized the lava flows and grassy plains leading down to the sea. It turned seaweed bright red, which highlighted the sculpted basalt rocks, building blocks of the landscape.
Ragnar’s Castle and the Mythic Mood of Iceland
Someone named the abandoned house in this series “Ragnar’s Castle” after a mythical/historic figure in Icelandic lore. This is certainly Ragnar’s land.
About Elizabeth Ryan
Elizabeth Ryan is a fine art photographer living in Massachusetts. Her work includes night and infrared photography, light painting and drawing. Ryan’s photographs have been exhibited in many shows across the US. Her images have been featured in print and digital publications including NASA’s APOD, Fraction Magazine, and The Literate Image. Ryan offers workshops and is a lecturer and competition judge. She has been co-organizer of the Greater Boston Night Photographers Meetup since 2014. You can find her at lisaryanphotography.com.
Iceland Infrared Photography FAQs
What Is Ragnar’s Land About?
Ragnar’s Land is an infrared photo essay by Elizabeth Ryan about Iceland’s dramatic natural landscape. The article describes Iceland through violent changes in weather and volcanic activity, with lava flows, glaciers, sea-carved arches, basalt cliffs, and tiny signs of human presence.
Who Created The Ragnar’s Land Photo Essay?
The photo essay was created by Elizabeth Ryan and published on Kolari Vision on June 7, 2022. Kolari describes Ryan as a fine art photographer from Massachusetts whose work includes night photography, infrared photography, light painting, and drawing.
What Camera And Filter Were Used For Ragnar’s Land?
Ryan says she used a Canon 6D converted to full spectrum by Kolari Vision with a Kolari IR Chrome filter during her September 2021 visit to Iceland.
How Does IR Chrome Change The Iceland Landscape?
The IR Chrome filter turns reflected light from green leaves and grasses into orange-to-red tones. In this essay, that effect visually echoes molten lava and helps emphasize grassy plains, lava flows, red seaweed, and sculpted basalt rocks.
Why Is The Photo Essay Called Ragnar’s Land?
The title comes from an abandoned house in the series that someone called “Ragnar’s Castle,” after a mythical or historic figure in Icelandic lore. Ryan connects that name to the feeling that this volcanic, rugged landscape belongs to Ragnar’s world.
