The Glow: 1/2

For those that may be tuning in for the first time, I am Joe shutter: a blogger, photographer and photo guide based in Reykjavik, Iceland. I always go the extra mile to get the shots and get off the beaten track to my special off the map spots. Ice cream comes as standard in all tours.  If you are interested in a photo workshop/tutorial whilst in Iceland, get in touch!


This is a story of one sunset and one sunrise, and the magical light that never ceased to fall that glorious day. I was on my way to the ice cream shop (late night snack, ice cream shops close here in Iceland at 23:00 usually, and it was 22:30) and I was strolling along the shore when I noticed some steam coming from the beach, that I had never noticed before. I thought this was really odd: I have lived in this particular part of town for almost two years now and never noticed it.

It turned out to be a geothermal, hot water effluent of cleat water running straight out into the sea. It was really warm! Iceland has be one of the few places on earth that can afford such a luxury. Its these tiny reminders that keep me here, along with many other things. The warm water nourished the moss, making it an exuberant, vibrant green. There were old rail tracks, I can't imagine how old they must be, but they were probably used to move cargo in and out of boats more easily.  Vestiges of a simpler time.

This is to say nothing of the light: magical things happen when warm summer sunlight refracts through rising steam.

And then I met a gentlemen named Alejandro. He took the portrait of me seen here in the series. He came to admire the steam too: I never saw him again, but it was a nice moment that we spent together.

Anyway, here are the shots.

Photography by Joe Shutter and Alejandro.

For your enjoyment,

Joe Shutter