Henry Heerschap  

Iceland Church by Henry Heerschap

March 2025 - Iceland Church

March 2025 - Henry Heerschap

Original

About the Image(s)

Good IR subjects are thin on the ground this time of year, so I decided to plumb the depths of my IR catalog. I found this image from a trip to Iceland in 2017. I was with a group of fellow photographers exploring the south coast of the island when someone spotted this little church off to the side of the Ring Road. We decided to pile out of our two
vehicles and explore this scene for a while. I liked the juxtaposition of the church with the clouds and mountains. These little white churches are all over Iceland and make for terrific compositional elements.
Sony A6000, converted to 720nm. Sony 18-105 f/4 lens. ISO 400, 102mm, f/5.6, 1/4000 second. Shot handheld.
Processed in DxO PureRaw, Crop and basic exposure djustments done in Lightroom Classic using B&W 04 profile. Cleanup and final processing done in Photoshop.

12 comments posted

Emil Davidzuk   Emil Davidzuk
Henry,

Fabulous shot.

The straight lines of the Church against the randomness of the terrain and sky is what draws my eye.

Nicely done

Emil   Posted: 03/02/2025 11:19:38
Henry Heerschap   Henry Heerschap
Thanks, Emil. You summed up my thinking nicely.   Posted: 03/11/2025 14:03:40
Charles Walker   Charles Walker
Henry, Iceland may be the perfect location for IR shots, especially landscapes. Your photo is exemplary. Quite lovely. But here are a couple very minor tweaks to consider: to make the church standout more, darken the mountains slightly, then raise the white in the church a bit.   Posted: 03/02/2025 11:49:27
Henry Heerschap   Henry Heerschap
Good suggestion, Charles. Thanks!   Posted: 03/11/2025 14:04:10
Arik Gorban   Arik Gorban
Beautiful scene and picture. Nicely handled post processing. I like your vantage point and composition. The inclusion of the fence in the foreground is good. I tried to increase the Dehaze slider in ACR. It made the church and trees stand out without making the mountains too dark.   Posted: 03/05/2025 14:38:21
Henry Heerschap   Henry Heerschap
Thanks, Arik. I've been guilty of dehaze abuse in the past so I've been trying to ease up a bit. I agree that I probably shouldn't have been quite so cautious with this one.   Posted: 03/11/2025 14:05:51
Gary Potts   Gary Potts
Hi Henry,
I've added my adjusted version...darkening the clouds, adding to the white of the church, darkening the corners, and finally giving the church a slight straightening. In my view, this makes an already stunning composition just that much more impressive with greater impact. See what you think.   Posted: 03/07/2025 07:04:16
Comment Image
Henry Heerschap   Henry Heerschap
I love it, Gary, especially what you did with the sky. I'm going to update it accordingly. Thanks!   Posted: 03/11/2025 14:07:31
Jack Florence Jr   Jack Florence Jr
I like the high key feel to this, Henry, and don't ascribe to the darkening suggestions some of the others make. The way the white crosses stand out, even in this bright image, is so compelling to me. Unlike Arik, I'm not a fan of the foreground fence, it can't quite match the whimsical nature of the rest of the scene. Great image.   Posted: 03/09/2025 14:11:28
Henry Heerschap   Henry Heerschap
Thanks, Jack. I do like the darker sky but otherwise agree with you. I did work at brightening the crosses while trying to be too obvious about it.
I go back and forth about that fence. You may be right about removing it. I'm going to try a version without it.   Posted: 03/11/2025 14:11:26
Melanie Hurwitz   Melanie Hurwitz
Hi Henry, This has all the elements for perfect IR. I like your gentle processing, but wonder abut just lightening the church. The cross against the sky is wonderful. I'm not sure about the fence. I would look at it without to compare. It may be worth the work entailed.   Posted: 03/10/2025 09:53:13
Henry Heerschap   Henry Heerschap
Thanks, Melanie. I struggled with the church, brightening it while not being obvious about it. I was probably too careful.   Posted: 03/11/2025 14:13:04

 

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