Donal Boyd Wildlife Photographer | What Nature Taught Me
In Icelandic folklore, there is a legend that trolls tried to dig a passage to separate the rest of Iceland from the mesa area of Westfjords in the northwest.
The troll is a giant man-eating creature in Norse mythology, but its weakness is also obvious - it is afraid of light.
One of the trolls made a mistake while carrying out the excavation plan and did not return home before dawn. As a result, the sun came out and in an instant, she turned into stone. Fortunately, Iceland is intact.
The trolls' conspiracy failed. Iceland has experienced countless changes over the centuries and has preserved its incredible scenery as if by magic.
In the summer of 2015, a cheap air ticket and a whim brought photographer Donal Boyd to Iceland.
He documented the flowing water, blooming flowers and arctic foxes of the Westfjords. Who would have thought that this trip to Iceland would completely change Donal's fate...
"I was struck by the country's majestic natural landscape and ever-changing climate. A feeling of strong connection with nature that I had never experienced before grew within me. "
Donal recalled that he was completely fascinated by the nature of Iceland in front of him. "At the end of that adventure, I felt that I could not live anywhere in the world except Iceland."
In the past 18 months, he has traveled to four continents, in Brazil, South Africa, China, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey. But Iceland became a place he couldn't let go.
Chemical Engineer’s “Icelandic Dream”
At the end of 2015, this 25-year-old adventure photographer from Boston, USA made a seemingly crazy decision: he quit his job as a chemical engineer in Boston and moved to Iceland.
In March 2016, with 10 years of experience in part-time photography, he realized his dream – to record the beauty of Iceland – with the sponsorship of a car rental brand.
This cooperation opened the door to social media for Donal, and the brand provided him with an off-road vehicle. Donal drove it to travel, take photos, and post on social media.
It is precisely because of this powerful off-road vehicle that he was able to travel through most of Iceland's remote wilderness, explore the most remote scenery, and take countless precious landscapes.
"Roaming from the coast to the plateau glaciers, all my gear was in this off-road vehicle, and I even lived in it for a while. I wanted to learn as much as possible about my 'new home.'"
Thanks to social media, Donal has become a well-known local photographer with his works. Even the Faroe Islands Tourism Bureau and the Namibia Nature Reserve came to collaborate with him after seeing his Instagram account.
He has also been invited as a lecturer in photography studios around the world, with Iceland and Namibia in Africa being the two main bases.
“I love communicating with photographers of all levels, whether they are professionals or amateur photographers, and they will teach me photography techniques on the road.”
Whether caught in torrential rain on a safari in Namibia during the African rainy season, or exploring the remote central highlands of Iceland under the rays of the summer midnight sun (the spectacle of the sun hanging above the horizon at midnight), Donal is always ready to make new friends Let's go on crazy adventures together.
Later, he simply settled in Þórsmörk, a remote location in the southern part of the Icelandic plateau mountains, and founded a photography adventure company in Reykjavik, responsible for leading tourists on adventure photography activities ranging from half a day to 10 days.
In a country with just 330,000 inhabitants, and only 30 professional photographers among them, Donal looks like a native Icelander.
He often wears a lopapeysa, a traditional sweater made from the wool of Icelandic sheep, and enjoys licorice-flavored ice cream in front of a gas station.
Except for auroras and glaciers
The most beautiful place in Iceland is here
For Donal, no matter what job he is engaged in, whether as a photography instructor or an adventure guide, he just wants to take the most perfect photos every time he sets out. However, this is not always a simple proposition.
Iceland straddles the Arctic Circle, and its volatile climate is a weather forecaster's nightmare.
"The sun shines on the ground for 5 minutes, then it rains, and then it clears up again. You will experience a special in-between moment, where the rain has penetrated the grass and the coast, and there is a super strong light shining down. I really Be inspired by those unique moments! Don’t get excited yet, you still need to be patient ”
Donal explained that such weather changes do not always come, and half of the time it will rain and filming will be impossible.
Donal's philosophy of life is to "live in the moment" and he is always delighted by the connection he feels with nature.
The central highlands of Iceland are Donal’s favorite photography spot. “There are unforgettable landscapes here; rolling mountains covered with green moss, ferns and birches in mixed earth colors, rivers flowing through black sand, The undulating and jagged peaks of the highlands, the ice tongues flowing down the mountains, the winding valleys..."
"In addition, the climate in the valley is relatively warm and humid. When the cold air descending from the glacier meets the warm air rising from the ground, mist will be produced, adding a mysterious sense of mystery to the valley. "
" All natural and unadded scenery is like a landscape painting made by the Creator to show his artistic attainments. Relics of volcanic eruptions can be seen everywhere, including old and new lava flows, steam vents, and boulders walking in the wilderness. You can feel it. The power of nature at your feet.”
Access to the core areas of the Central Highlands is difficult, with many areas only accessible after the snow melts in the summer.
The weather here changes violently and without warning. One minute it is sunny and cloudless, and the next minute you are greeted by heavy downpours and hail.
Many of the filming locations must be reached by 4x4 vehicles, while most areas close to the glacier are accessible by river.
Donal emphasized that driving in plateau areas is very dangerous, especially where rivers cross. Without professional local knowledge or experienced tour guides, you should never try it alone.
"Although this remoteness and difficulty have enriched my adventure experience, I still advise people who are interested in visiting this place to hire a professional tour guide to take you there safely."
In the eyes of Donal, who has shot countless blockbusters, aerial photography is the most special perspective.
"Aerial photography provides the ability to capture unconventional views of the landscape. Often, especially in Iceland, observing a new aspect of an area from above helps me gain a better understanding of the formation of the landscape."
Among his countless moving works, a series of photos of Arctic waters titled "Between Two Worlds" is his most important achievement so far.
"I really like this image, the contrast between the movement of the humpback whales and the stillness of the sea, and the other 5 photos in the series of Arctic waters have been shared countless times on social media. I'm in North Iceland The unique photos taken in the Westfold area have also been recognized by many netizens ”
wild namibia
In addition to Donal's current home, Iceland, his favorite travel destination is Namibia in Africa.
The contrast between cold Iceland and wild Namibia is stark.
This half-sand, half-sea, wild hot land under the dark starry sky contains the oldest desert in the world; there is also the local warm sunshine and the characteristic dance of the indigenous people; lions and cheetahs are stationed here, and every sunset and early morning, you can Hearing the screams one after another seems to be the wild nature of Africa.
In 2012, Donal, a chemistry major, came to Namibia to work on a renewable energy project for a local NGO. He lived there for a while and fell in love with the country and the wild animals living there.
In 2016, he returned to Namibia from Iceland. In addition to his daily work of photography, he is also engaged in wildlife conservation work.
Donal said that among the many interesting scenery in Namibia, his favorite is the local rainy season.
From observing frequent wildlife in the lush green savannah to the towering sand dunes and gorgeous night skies of the barren coastal desert, Namibia has so many photography opportunities.
"Even if you spend two months walking around this country, it's not a deep journey."
▲Donal captured this rare moment, with a leopard right in front of him, his eyes a little dull. Most of the time, these creatures hide low on the ground, stalking in unseen shadows
He traveled deep into the Erindi Private Game Reserve, a reserve southeast of Omaruru, known as a "sustainable natural wonderland" and located on Namibia's stunning Central Plateau.
Over 70,000ha of area; over 10,000 animals, over 300 species of birds; including lions, leopards, hippos, elephants, giraffes, wild dogs, wildebeest, honey badgers, baboons, antelopes, impalas, crocodiles, leopard tortoises wait.
Donal fell in love with this reserve. “I was fascinated and moved by the wildlife, culture, local residents and their commitment to protecting and restoring nature. I like photographing animals, as animals have unlimited potential to create unique scenes. , each subject has a special story and emotion."
He spent countless hours in the jungle with elephants, zebras, lions and more, which allowed him to develop an intimate connection with the animals he shot.
His animal works were praised by the British Daily Mail website as "amazing portraits of the most beautiful animals in the world."
Much of his work now focuses on wildlife conservation, and he aims to continue working on meaningful projects that benefit threatened ecosystems around the world.
He is also working on projects related to the conservation of Iceland's interior highlands, the protection of the world's oceans, and several key wildlife reserves on the African continent. "I'm always looking for new projects and new social organizations to share my passion for nature."
Donal is looking forward to the opportunity to get up close and personal with humpback whales. "I would like to take more photos of the underwater world. Tonga is the place I want to visit, and humpback whales are my favorite marine mammal."
For the future, he wants to have more new attempts, "One of the shortcomings of many photographers I see on Instagram is repetition and imitation. They can eventually find a style that gets great participation, and their efforts are just In order to make work that others recognize.”
Donal believes that for any artist to grow, he must master his own artistic style. He said, “Don’t just post things you think people will like, post things you think will surprise them.”
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