Camera: Canon EOS 1Ds MKIII, EOS 5D MKII
Lens: Canon EF 16-35 mm. f/4.0L IS, Canon EF 70-200 mm. f/2.8L II IS

I have seen change, a lot of change during the last few years. The most obvious change in Iceland is for me the huge growth in the number of tourists visiting this gorgeous island. I can't really blame then, - can I, it's just such a amazing place, and I have been spreding the word too.

Still I mostly come here for the solitude, to be able to be alone with myself and my thoughts; but the common turist is very unlike me, - the amount of people I meet in the desolated places in the interiour I like to visit is fairly unchanged, - luckily. Landmannalaugar is a different story though, people are now cramped together in that same campsite and hikers are numerous. You will never get a fairly nice moment to yourself in the hot spring. Visit the hot springs in the interior and they are all at your service to enjoy on your own, but you need to know where to go then.

After four extended visits since 2008 I know this place better than most Icelanders. The clearest evidence of the growth in tourism is that the Dakota airplane wreck is now signposted, and a marked track leads to it from the ring road. Back in 2008 no-one really knew about the wreck; even the local bus drivers I asked for directions just shook their head and looked at me as I was crazy. All I had to guide me was a GPS-position I had found on the inter web, but after some trail and error my son and I located it. At that time there were no other people and no track at all, just vast emptiness and that well preserved aluminium airplane wreck. Nowadays you'll be lucky to have just a brief moment alone during daylight to snap some decent frames.

Iceland have surely changed, byt the jaw dropping nature is still more or less the same.

 

Location: Iceland