Issue 1. June 2013
JUNE
2013
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Faroe Islands today
Landscape in making
the Atlantic ocean
Vanishing Culture
fotografi magazine
magazine de photographie
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THE HUNTER Hjelmer Haimeken, a hunter from Ittoqortormiit (Scoresbysund) on his dog sled. Photographer Ragnar Axelsson
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Dear readers,
w
elcome to the new cultural photography magazine here in the North. It is our intentions to bring the best in photography, regarding Nordic culture, the people, environment and other interesting aspects of what ever comes along in front of our lens. Iceland, Greenland and Faroes Islands are considered to be hidden diamonds here in the North Atlantic Ocean, a world full of life and rich culture. So come along and see how we shape the future.
Hope you all enjoy, Thorvaldur Örn Kristmundsson Editor in Chief
Contact office thorvaldur007@gmail.com innorthinvest@gmail.com hrundteits1@gmail.com
Cover image : Jonas Helgason, farmer of Aedey island protects the island from being invaded by Mink. A predator that destroys bird sanctuary’s. A big part of farming in the Western part of Iceland is harvesting eiderdown and in order to run a successful bird´s farm it needs full attention against all kinds of wild predators. Photographer Thorvaldur Örn Kristmundsson
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Issue 1. June 2013
JUNE
2013
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The golden waterfall Gullfoss is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country. During the first half of the 20th century and some years into the late 20th century, there was much speculation about using Gullfoss to generate electricity. But partly due to lack of money the plans never went ahed and the waterfall was later sold to
the state of Iceland. Even after it was sold, there were plans to utilize Hvítá, which would have changed the waterfall forever. This was not done, and now the waterfall is protected. Photo Thorvaldur Örn Kristmundsson
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THE GOLDEN CRATER When traveling the highlands you can never be surtain of an eruption in the ground, a sudden explosion under your feet throwing you into a crater full of melting lava. Or not. Most vulcano sites in Iceland are wel known and any ground movement is with out a doubt something you will notice in time. An eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano began in Fimmvörðuháls following months of small
earthquakes under the Eyjafjallajökull glacier. - The Fimmvörðuháls eruption produced a huge crack and new craters were seen erupting toward the area of Thórsmörk, a popular tourist nature preserve. The two new craters at Fimmvörduháls were named Magni and Móði, after the sons of Thor, the Norse god of thunder. Photo Ragnar Axelsson
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EYJAFJALLAJÖKULL “AY-uh-fyat-luh-YOE-kuutl-uh”
GREENLAND
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GREENLAND
Y
ou might want to bring your camera when traveling to Greenland, one of earths most exotic places to be. Not only is it the home of the polar bear but also a wilderness of pure nature in every direction you look. The locals are more than happy too share with you secrets in the nature, and most likely you will be able to taste the delicious food that is harvested every day from the ocean. The midnight sun is present north of the Arctic Circle during the summer. But even towns located further south tend to be light at night. There is never shortage of the show coming from the northern lights that light up the sky in the night. Of course it might be a good
Image : Inuit hunter on his dog sled Photographer Ragnar Axelsson
idea to bring with you warm clothes, specially if traveling in the wintertime. In general, summer temperatures are highest inland and coolest along the coasts. But you will be surprised to know that warm +20 ºC days are not uncommon during the summer. Try hitch a ride with the hunters on a dog sled but do not try to get to friendly if stumbling upon a polar bear. They might mistake you for a meal. Greenland’s National Day is June 21 and is called “Ullortuneq”, which means the longest day of the year. It is also the official Flag Day, so in addition to festivities you will see the striking flag with the red half circle flying proudly everywhere.
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Issue 1. Ju
Image: Ólavsøka, the national holiday of the Faroe Island Photographer Ragnar Axelsson
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une 2013
THE FAROE ISLANDS When Vikings from Western Norway first discovered the islands centuries ago they discovered a small paradise in the middle of the ocean. Rich with bird live and a sea full of fish gave them a perfect opportunity to colonise the islands. A good place was selected for the longships to dock and was given a name, Tórshavn. Today its the capital of Faroe Islands. In summer, and in the middle of the islands, the Vikings met here for their annual gathering. They came to settle their quarrels or impose their will, to talk together and to trade,
and gradually grew into a permanent trading area. Under Norwegian and then later Danish rule, government officials made Tórshavn their home. They built forts to protect the town and their monopoly trade from marauding pirates. It is very unlikely that you will meet a pirate but instead locals will welcome you with open arms giving anyone a taste of a unique culture. The first thing you might notice is tranquillity, you can be sure to find nature’s incomprehensible greatness and a easy access around the islands.
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Ólavsøka The national day in Faroe Island is Ólavsøka. Almost everbody celebrate this day and join the crowd in a national costume. There is singing and dancing in the program, a cultural event that brings the best out of these friendly people. Faroese consider themselves most like Icelanders i the scandinavian group. Wen you listen
to the language it resembles Icelandic in many ways. The Faroese love to take things easy and are not at all worried about arriving on time. But if you ever find yourself in the mood for a night out in town, you will find that Tórshavn caters for your every need with its great shops, bars, cafés and restaurants.
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Image: A Faroe woman with here child at Ólavsøka, the national holiday of the Faroe Island. Photographer Ragnar Axelsson
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MEET THE LOCALS It麓s fair to say that the Faroe Islands are not overcrowded, the population is around 48.600 spread over 100 towns and villages in different sizes, most in the capital T贸rshavn and Klakksvik. A easy drive on the main island gives a
good opportunity to meet the locals. Farmers and fisherman could give you a small introduction of the community and who knows, they might offer you a taste of the notorious Faroese aquavit.
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Image : An elderly farmer in Funningur, a town on the northwest coast of Eysturoy, Faroe Islands. Photographer Ragnar Axelsson
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Driving the west coast Photo Thorvaldur Ă–rn Kristmundsson
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Traveling to the west side of Iceland brings you through a lot of different places. Old factories, small fishing villages and narrow roads leading to steep fjords and sometimes you would have to drive over snow ridden mountains. Bring a shovel, a flashlight and a warm blanket even
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though traveling in the summertime, just in case. Most likely you will need a mosquito net, a sunblock and a swimsuit. Take a notice that almost every town you pass has a warm nice geothermal swimming pool. Get ready to have a good time.
Picture : The harbour at Brjรกnslรฆkur, essentially for ferries to Stykkishรณlmur via Flatey island in west Iceland, though there is a snackbar at the ticketoffice in a small wooden building on the main road by the jetty.
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When you think about food villages in Iceland, well I guess you might find
INSIDE
Looking at the window in the local store “ sjoppa “ ( kiosk ) in Isafjördur town, you might find many interesting things other than your daily face, Photo Thorvaldur Örn Kristmundsson
reflected in the glass. This beautiful town reflects its history, food culture, industry and other exotic things that you might find in Isafjördur town.
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some delicous junk food and fine looking fresh fish, straight on the grill.
OUTSIDE
Looking outside the window in Reykjanes Hotel, located in a fjord named after ice, you get sunshine in your eyes. The summers in Iceland are most often Photo Thorvaldur Ă–rn Kristmundsson
warm and reflect the best of what nature has to offer. Specially in the western part of Iceland, the green grass and a calm sea with a fresh taste of wilderness.
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THE LONLEY BUILDING An Icelandic skyscraper, located in Raufarhöfn fishing village, on the northern penisula called Melrakkaslétta. Photo Thorvaldur Örn Kristmundsson
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NEXT TO THE ARCTIC CIRCLE Hraunhafnartangi lighthouse is the northernmost lighthouse in Iceland. It is located about 800 meters south of the Arctic Circle. Bring your boots and get ready for a good walk from the main road. The lighthouse is on the northeast coast of Iceland, about 10 km northwest of the town of Raufarhรถfn, the northernmost town in Iceland Photo Thorvaldur ร rn Kristmundsson
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FEELING LOST IN ICELAND ? Photo Thorvaldur Örn Kristmundsson
There is no need to be lost in Iceland. Follow the stone piles in the countryside, located everywhere in the mountains, in the highlands or close to the highway. - In the eastern part of Mýrdalssandur is small hill, near the highway. There you have a excellent view over the area with sand in all directions. What really captures the eye is a spectacular view to Hjörleifshöfði and glaciers in the distance. Bring your packed lunch and a look around. There is an old tradition to throw a stone or two in one of these rock piles for luck and safe travel. Well, there are not many available rocks around today but its quite funny and interesting to watch people go a large distance to scavenge a stone. Foreign tourists look surprised at these structures, but are immediately willing to participate when they are told that it might bring enormous luck.
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Travelers take the stone piles on another stage. What used to be a silent guide in the fog, a pile of stone could lead you to a safe direction, is her a reminder on travelers from abroad seeking some luck and taking part in an old tradition.
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THE ISLAND Photographs by Thorvaldur Ă–rn Kristmundsson
Iceland holds a magical nature, beutiful landscape and a rich culture. A true uniqe place on earth. It´s surrounded by sea, the food cheast that kept Icelanders alive for centuries. The sea shapes the island, in a most spec-
tacular way, the nature architect with no rules or formulas. Claming lives of hundreds of seaman that lost the battle against harsh weather conditions on the Atlantic ocean.
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Get to know this northern island by using Google. Huge amount of information reveal the scientific part of this magical rock. Let´s take a look at some statistics. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a midocean ridge, a divergent tectonic plate boundary located along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, and part of the longest mountain range in the world. It separates the Eurasian Plate and North American Plate in the North Atlantic, and the African Plate from the South American Plate in the South Atlantic. The section of the ridge which includes the island of Iceland is also known as the Reykjanes Ridge. The average spreading rate for the ridge is about 2.5 cm per year.
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The ice, floating on this southern icelandic beach is a traveler from thousands of years ago. Its journey is now coming to an end, starting before the settlers came to Iceland, kept in a glacier for centuries. The circle of water continues as it slowly melts to the ocean. Now in the age of modern time, glaciers are melting faster than ever before. Everybody should at least once in there life go to the edge of a glacier, touch the frozen water, feel the last breathe before it slips away into the unseen future. Global warming has become a reality, the end of ice and perhaps the beginning of new global perspective. Still there is plenty of ice left for future generations to come, how many though remains to be seen.
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Landscape IN MAKING Building dams in Iceland has becoming a some sort of a national sport. No problem transforming mountains and vast area of land into a water reserve, not suitable for drinking though. The economy and nature often conflict, most of the time it is nature that has to suffer on the cost of good living for the inhabitants.
A bulldozer clears a mountain hill when construction started, building the Kárahnjúka Dam. The largest of its type in Europe, standing 193 metres (633 ft) tall with a length of 730 metres. Photo Thorvaldur Örn Kristmundsson
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Landscape IN MAKING An avalanche barrier is buing build in Bolungarvikur town on the west coast of Iceland. During certain conditions, avalanche risk is somtimes high in wintertime in towns and villages. The nature is beeing transformed into a man made structure that is soly used for protection, not great for the eye though. Photo Thorvaldur Ă–rn Kristmundsson
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Landscape IN MAKING “ We are on a road to nowere... “ A higway in northern part of Iceland photo Thorvaldur Örn Kristmundsson
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VANISHING CULTURE Photographer Thorvaldur Ă–rn Kristmundsson
documentary
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The story depicts the life of the farmers, deserted farms and the landscape of one the oldest farming communities in Iceland. Where hardship and harsh weather conditions have put a mark on their daily life from the times of the first settlers came to Iceland. This community has been under decline in recent years and today only few farms are now inhabited. Here in Iceland as elsewhere in the world people seek to the bigger towns and cities for more opportunities in their daily life. What connects this declining farming community close to the Arctic Circle is that the same trend can
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be seen globally; traditions, heritage and knowledge die out since there is no one to take over the family farm. This is the story of the inhabitants, the farmers and there surroundings, who live in a remote part of Iceland. Its one of the oldest farming community’s in Iceland, dating back to the settlers time. Now its culture and the farms are soon coming to an end. The message reflects on the changing culture here in the North. How life in isolated community’s changes when technology, science and progress in industrialization transform social awareness.
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The farmer in the sheaphouse
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Sheep round-up in West Fjords. Every autumn, the remaining farmer´s gather there sheep’s from the mountains for a round-up. For more than twenty years ago, tens of thousands of sheep’s where herded every year but today it is only less than seven hundred.
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On the farm in Vigur island, cows are put out in the morning time to roam the island for fresh grass and some exercise. There are few farms left in the fjords that keep cattles. Today it is mainly sheep farms left and in the summertime some locals tend to gather eiderdown to increse the income of farming.
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Adalsteinn Valdimarsson, farmer Strandseljum stands inside his old sheep house, build over 100 years ago. He is one of the last remaining farmers in the community.
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Jonas Helgason, farmer of Aedey island protects the island from being invaded by Mink. A predator that destroys bird sanctuary’s. A big part of farming in the Western part of Iceland is harvesting eiderdown and in order to run a successful bird´s farm it needs full attention against all kinds of wild predators.
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Jon Gudlaugsson is the farmer at Laugabol. After decades of farming and living in peace and harmony with his stock and nature, now its time for him to quit, sell his sheeps and retire. Jon and his grandson ride a horse, that is not fully tame but old and wise.
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Driving down
sunset boulevard in southern part of iceland
The mountain Hjörleifshöfði, southwest of Myrdalssandur, is named after the viking Hjörleifur Hróðmarsson who settled land there in 874. Photo Thorvaldur Örn Kristmundsson
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