A friend has been keeping up with my Facebook shares this past week. She has noticed that I am sharing many Iceland photos that I come across. Her encouragement, knowing I am a photographer, is for me to get myself over to Iceland and begin making my own photographs. It is a good kick in the pants. While I do want to go, in doing so, my friend was unaware that I would be returning to Iceland. I have had four days to myself in Iceland, in April, 2016. I let my friend know that I had been to Iceland. I told her I would include some of my photos in my Facebook posts.

So, four days in Iceland. My Iceland images were the first images I post-processed without using Lightroom presets. In editing those images I would use all parts of the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom (Lightroom) editing menu with my photos. I would still create some High Dynamic Range (HDR) images, but most would be single image edits. That first work with editing took place in October and November, 2016. Those images became part of a Photobook, ‘Four Days in Iceland – 2016.’

Following interaction with my friend, I now had to find my Iceland images. I had not transferred them to my current 16Tb external hard drives. Two matters complicated working with these images. First, with last year’s wildfire and evacuation, I packed my external hard drives taking them with us. Until last week, they remained in storage boxes in the garage. Next, back when I edited the images, I had limited external drive space to work with. I often shifted images between hard drives to create space for different projects. In this past week (and since that first edit of Iceland photos) I have had a difficult time locating the images on any of my external hard drives. Within the intervening years, I have changed things. First, where I had used Lightroom 5.0, I now work with the subscription version of Lightroom Classic. It’s been a good choice. The subscription allows the app/software to update each month and stay current. Next, where I had used many external hard drives, I now work with two large 16Tb external hard drives. They will be able to handle most upcoming photos and projects for a while. Last week’s challenge was locating the external hard drive holding the Iceland photos. Once found, I transferred the images into the Lightroom catalogue. All got done – Good. I have wanted to work with these images for a long while.

So, the current COVID-19 question … what to do? In Alberta, our summer break is smarter with physical distancing and a mask. It is smarter to be more at home than in the public throng. I have that itch to be out with my camera(s) in places I have yet to explore. I have to consider how that might work best. For now, the best opportunity to take advantage of is to look back through my Iceland photos and to edit images I did not edit in 2016.

In this past week I have been editing some of my other Iceland images. While editing I have listened to Robert James Waller’s ‘The Bridges of Madison County.’ I have been able to listen to a cool YouTube vlog ‘Light from Rock Music vol. 3’ while editing. I have listened to radio around the world while editing – CKUA in Edmonton, CBC Vancouver, BBC Radio Ulster, Fine Music Radio. While editing I have attended a virtual concert with Brian Houston. Through Zoom I was able to access synchronous (live) and asynchronous (recorded) formats of the concert. Brian introduced all songs from his upcoming album for release in August. Imagine being able to listen live with fifty others to a concert in Belfast, Ireland. Imagine being able to interact with Brian and concert go-ers by Zoom chat within and after performance. I did need to recognize that an 8:00 p.m. Belfast concert translated to a 1:00 p.m. Alberta time possibility. I could attend and take part. Cool.

Brian Houston – In the early 2000s Steve Stockman introduced me to Brian’s music. Steve had air time on BBC Radio Ulster from 8:00-9:00 p.m. each Sunday from September to June. Steve’s program, ‘Rhythm and Soul’ is a place I found myself following my reading of his book, ‘Walk On, the Spiritual Journey of U2.’ I found myself interacting with the music of Lucinda Williams, David Gray, the Vigilantes of Love, Martyn Joseph, Bebo Norman, Billy Bragg, Wilco and many, many more artists. Brian’s songs found airplay. ‘My Debts is Paid’ and ‘Next to Me’ are current songs I find my way to from time to time. There are many others. I am impressed by the range of understanding, imagination and intention I encounter in Brian and his songs. Last week’s virtual concert was something new. Brian sung each new song from his upcoming album and talked through how each came about. I am liking how Brian has come to terms with owning his songs and that Life experience is foundation from which to build songs. I am liking that Brian’s versatility and musicianship allow him to cover other’s songs well and make them his own; his Van Morrison work from a few weeks back was exceptional. Right now, his song ‘Ivory Tower,’ is streaming on Spotify. If you can, give it a listen.

Iceland and edited images – there are a few images here, more are of a documentary nature; some hold a quality of wanting to pull you in, a visual narrative that will hold your curiosity. Thanks for looking in. Please stay safe.

Quote to Consider / Inspire – “The composition happens as the work progresses. Often the messy background makes it easy to disperse shapes as needed. I’d rather it took over me than I took over it (Myfanwy Pavelic).”

Listening to – Carrie Newcomer’s ‘Lean in Toward the Light,’ ‘A Shovel Is A Prayer,’ ‘Cedar Rapids 10 AM,’ ‘The Beautiful Not Yet,’ ‘Three Feet Or So,’ ‘Sanctuary,’ and ‘Help In Hard Times.’