Scale, Color, and Texture: The Different Languages of Iceland’s Waterfalls

Waterfalls are ingrained in the fabric of the Icelandic landscape.  They are everywhere and number in the thousands, if not more.  Some are blink-and-you-miss-it roadside tumble-downs that go mostly unnoticed by all but the most diehard waterfall enthusiasts.  Others are huge, dramatic plunges that can be seen from miles away, beckoning you with their majesty.  Scale surely is a recipe for the making of an icon, but it isn’t the only way a waterfall can captivate, as beauty comes in many forms.  Let me take you on a journey into what makes three of my favorite Icelandic waterfalls iconic.

Háifoss - Scale & Vertical Drama
On the road to Háifoss, the featurelessness of the landscape belies the grandeur that is so close, but not yet visible.  A walk of no more than a half mile from the parking area to the rim of Fossárdalur, or valley of the waterfall river, brings you face to face with one of Iceland’s tallest waterfalls.  Dropping a distance of 400 feet, the human eye struggles to comprehend its height, especially from the rim vantage point.  The roar of the water echoing in the canyon provides a clue, but with no trees or human-made structures around, the most you can do is guess at the size.  Just to the right is Háifoss’s slightly smaller companion waterfall, Granni.  It is a sight in its own right, yet it plays only a supporting role to the magnificence of Háifoss.  For many, the appeal of Háifoss’s scale calls them closer via a hike to the bottom of the canyon and up near the base of the waterfall.  From this angle, the power of the water blasting down from above can be felt as you completely lose yourself in the landscape.

Photographing Háifoss is less about detail and more about proportion.  From the rim, the eye follows the uninterrupted vertical drop, the surrounding rock face offering little distraction from the plunge itself.  Pulling back to a wider composition that includes some of the valley reveals how the waterfall commands its setting and defines the landscape.  And from below, looking up into the falling water, the scale augmented by sensation - the sound, the mist, the sense of being dwarfed by something primordial.  Each perspective tells a slightly different story, but all return to the same idea:  Háifoss is compelling not because of intricacy or color, but because of its magnitude.

Brúarfoss - Color & Texture
Brúarfoss offers something entirely different.  It is neither the tallest nor the most forceful of Iceland’s waterfalls, yet few draw attention the way it does.  Rather than overwhelming the eye, it draws you inward.  From the pedestrian bridge just downstream, there is no need to step back to take in the scene.  The experience is immediate and it invites a slower, more deliberate kind of looking.  A cleft in the rock bed of the river, Brúará, funnels countless rivulets and narrow cascades before they reunite into an impossibly milky turquoise current.  Brúarfoss captivates through its detail.  The eye wants to study each thread as it makes its way over the stone.  And yet, the longer you look, the clearer it becomes that its beauty does not rest in any single cascade, but in the cohesion of them all.  The palette here goes beyond the white of the falls and the blue of the river.  The deep brown of the riverbed and the green moss on rocks mid-stream help ground what might otherwise feel unreal.

Photographing Brúarfoss involves tradeoffs.  From the bridge, a tighter composition emphasizes the intricacy and rhythm of the many flows, allowing the color and texture to take precedence.  From above, a wider perspective exhibits the structure of the river itself, showing how the water is funneled into the channel that gives the waterfall its form.  Each view tells a different part of the story.  Up close, Brúarfoss feels intricate and immersive.  From a distance, the underlying geometry that makes that intricacy possible is shown.

Fagrifoss - Power & Elegance
Fagrifoss brings these elements together.  It has the vertical presence and force of Háifoss coupled with the kind of detail that defines Brúarfoss.  Fagrifoss is powerful, but it is also elegant.Its twin drops are decisive plunges that get noticed first.  But then, about half way down, the water meets massive rock outcrops and divides, spreading along the surface in thin, flowing strands.  The force of the fall transforms into texture.  Its name translates simply to “beautiful waterfall,” and the description feels more than appropriate.

Photographing Fagrifoss requires balancing both qualities in the frame.  Too much emphasis on the plunge and the detail is lost.  Too much attention to the lower cascades and the sense of scale diminishes.  The objective is to showcase both the power and grace at the same time.

Iceland’s waterfalls are as varied in character as they are numerous.  Some are defined by sheer scale.  Others captivate with color and structure.  And some combine power and detail in a way that sets them apart.  If you find yourself drawn to one of these, I invite you to visit my Waterfalls and Iceland galleries, where these images and others from this amazing country are available as limited edition prints.  Each offers a different way to bring a piece of Iceland’s landscape into your home.