Have you traveled the world to take pictures?
Unfortunately no. My life has only become financially stable on the last year. Even though I'm both a photographer and doctor, things haven't been easy in Portugal, with the economic crisis. Considering this I have mostly focused on shooting in my country, which fortunately has one of the most beautiful seascapes in the world.
What's your favourite subject?
I like many photography styles but my passion for landscape photography stands out from the rest. I've always been extremely passionate about nature, both for it's aesthetic beauty and it's capacity to teach, so it was my natural choice for specialization in the photography field.
What kind of equipment do you use?
I'm currently using Sony cameras, and I'm endorsed by Formatt Hitech filters, Manfrotto tripods/bags, Naneu bags and Terrascape filter cases.
Was this your first trip to Iceland?
Yes. It was one of those crazy sudden decisions, which I definitely do not regret. I was planning a trip to the Azores with my girlfriend, and going to Iceland had never been on my list of possibilities, due to budget restrictions. One day, out of nowhere, I decided to check flight prices and car renting fees. They were not as expensive as I thought, especially during low season, and then I just got obsessed with the possibility. It was a matter of deciding between spending two weeks in Azores, in a fancy hotel, warm weather, eating warm delicious meals, or spending just one week in Iceland, eating Bónus cheap food, sleeping in the car and enduring extremely unstable weather. Well, I guess you know what I ended up choosing…
What brought you here?
Nothing special, just the fact that Iceland is probably the most beautiful place on Earth! It's not just about raw beauty, it's also about the mystical atmosphere, the endless variety of landscapes, the powerful sense of isolation, the incredible cultural heritage and history. You can read as many books as you can, watch documentaries and glance at images, but being there is a whole different experience. Iceland needs to be felt, rather than merely contemplated.
Where did you go while on the island?
Since I only stayed there one week, I had planned to focus on the south part of the Island. When I arrived, using the Vedur.is website as a guide, weather was not good at all in the south. Considering that I would absolutely love to shoot the famous Kirkjufell mountain, I changed all my plans and headed to northwest as soon as I arrived. I'm glad I did, as I had the luck to watch the Northern Lights in Kirkjufell, and unforgettable spectacle. All of a sudden I was hooked, and just had to see as much as possible. That was when I decided to go around the whole island, which meant travelling hundreds of kilometers at night. With some stops along the way, I visited Kirkjufell, Hvitserkur rock, Goðafoss waterfall, Dettifoss waterfall, Vesturhorn mountain, Jökulsárlón glaciel lagoon (went back and forth between Vesturhorn and Jökulsárlón two times) and then Skógafoss waterfall and Seljalandfoss waterfall.
Any favourite part of the country?
Well, the Jökulsárlón lagoon and beach are absolutely incredible places. The ice crackling sound in Jökulsárlón is unforgettable, I had never been in a place like that. The road between Goðafoss and Dettifoss was also quite striking, due to the incredible alien like desolate landscapes. I wish I had more time to properly shoot these places!
Will you return?
I'll definitely return, probably in 2015, during June, right before the high season, if budget allows. I'll miss the chance to see the Northern Lights, but midnight sun and the long golden hour light is a landscape photograher's dream coming true! I think I'm addicted to Iceland, as it invades my thoughts quite often. I actually did some research about the possibility of working there as a psychiatrist, but it looks like it's not easy at all. Considering that I always defended I would never leave my country, this says a lot about how much I loved your country.
Where to next?
I'll use the same strategy I used on my first trip, which will be to flow with the weather. There's no point in establishing a rigid route, and end up staying in the car all time because of intense rain. There's nothing like feeling free in a free country, where the only thing that counts is the fully immersive experience of witnessing one of nature's most beautiful creations: Iceland.
José Ramos is a 32 year old landscape photographer from Portugal who has been taking photos for about 10 years. He lives in Lisbon and besides being a photographer is also a psychiatrist at a large Oncology Centre in the city.
Have you traveled the world to take pictures?
Unfortunately no. My life has only become financially stable on the last year. Even though I'm both a photographer and doctor, things haven't been easy in Portugal, with the economic crisis. Considering this I have mostly focused on shooting in my country, which fortunately has one of the most beautiful seascapes in the world.
What's your favourite subject?
I like many photography styles but my passion for landscape photography stands out from the rest. I've always been extremely passionate about nature, both for it's aesthetic beauty and it's capacity to teach, so it was my natural choice for specialization in the photography field.
What kind of equipment do you use?
I'm currently using Sony cameras, and I'm endorsed by Formatt Hitech filters, Manfrotto tripods/bags, Naneu bags and Terrascape filter cases.
Was this your first trip to Iceland?
Yes. It was one of those crazy sudden decisions, which I definitely do not regret. I was planning a trip to the Azores with my girlfriend, and going to Iceland had never been on my list of possibilities, due to budget restrictions. One day, out of nowhere, I decided to check flight prices and car renting fees. They were not as expensive as I thought, especially during low season, and then I just got obsessed with the possibility. It was a matter of deciding between spending two weeks in Azores, in a fancy hotel, warm weather, eating warm delicious meals, or spending just one week in Iceland, eating Bónus cheap food, sleeping in the car and enduring extremely unstable weather. Well, I guess you know what I ended up choosing…
What brought you here?
Nothing special, just the fact that Iceland is probably the most beautiful place on Earth! It's not just about raw beauty, it's also about the mystical atmosphere, the endless variety of landscapes, the powerful sense of isolation, the incredible cultural heritage and history. You can read as many books as you can, watch documentaries and glance at images, but being there is a whole different experience. Iceland needs to be felt, rather than merely contemplated.
Where did you go while on the island?
Since I only stayed there one week, I had planned to focus on the south part of the Island. When I arrived, using the Vedur.is website as a guide, weather was not good at all in the south. Considering that I would absolutely love to shoot the famous Kirkjufell mountain, I changed all my plans and headed to northwest as soon as I arrived. I'm glad I did, as I had the luck to watch the Northern Lights in Kirkjufell, and unforgettable spectacle. All of a sudden I was hooked, and just had to see as much as possible. That was when I decided to go around the whole island, which meant travelling hundreds of kilometers at night. With some stops along the way, I visited Kirkjufell, Hvitserkur rock, Goðafoss waterfall, Dettifoss waterfall, Vesturhorn mountain, Jökulsárlón glaciel lagoon (went back and forth between Vesturhorn and Jökulsárlón two times) and then Skógafoss waterfall and Seljalandfoss waterfall.
Any favourite part of the country?
Well, the Jökulsárlón lagoon and beach are absolutely incredible places. The ice crackling sound in Jökulsárlón is unforgettable, I had never been in a place like that. The road between Goðafoss and Dettifoss was also quite striking, due to the incredible alien like desolate landscapes. I wish I had more time to properly shoot these places!
Will you return?
I'll definitely return, probably in 2015, during June, right before the high season, if budget allows. I'll miss the chance to see the Northern Lights, but midnight sun and the long golden hour light is a landscape photograher's dream coming true! I think I'm addicted to Iceland, as it invades my thoughts quite often. I actually did some research about the possibility of working there as a psychiatrist, but it looks like it's not easy at all. Considering that I always defended I would never leave my country, this says a lot about how much I loved your country.
Where to next?
I'll use the same strategy I used on my first trip, which will be to flow with the weather. There's no point in establishing a rigid route, and end up staying in the car all time because of intense rain. There's nothing like feeling free in a free country, where the only thing that counts is the fully immersive experience of witnessing one of nature's most beautiful creations: Iceland.
