Iceland offers endless possibilities for nature photographers. It’s the time of year, and the light changes the landscape. It makes the difference in whether the picture is good or just ordinary. It’s also good for photographers to look back and see which lens is best for a particular location or moment. After working as a photographer for 40 years, I see that the focal lengths, the lenses I use the most, become fewer and fewer over the years.
In landscape photography, I now use almost exclusively 35mm, 85/100mm, but most of all, a 50mm standard lens. It delivers the landscape as it is. In addition, 50mm lenses are simpler to build for lens manufacturers and brighter, with a larger aperture than almost all other focal lengths. Then, when you get tired of photographing a mountain or a hill, the 50mm lens is an excellent lens for taking portraits.
Iceland: A7R III, A7R IV: FE 1.2/50mm GM, FE 1.4/85mm GM
Photographs & text: Páll Stefánsson
