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Benjamin Klormann
”It’s not about snapping or shooting a picture. It’s about the capture of a moment, just a split of a second, which is unique, and will not appear again.“ Benjamin Klormann, born 1987, is a self-taught photographer from Zurich, Switzerland. Inspired by nature and his commitment to science, his work focuses mainly on travel and landscape photography and his passion leads him to the most remote places around the world. In 2016, he became a Phase One ambassador.
It’s not about snapping or shooting a picture. It’s about the capture of a moment, just a split of a second, which is unique, and will not appear again.“
This is a quote I once wrote down during a hiking session. In the last few decades, a lot has changed around us - the way to communicate, the way to buy things or order a taxi and the way of travelling. What we considered a decade ago as a most isolated place in Europe is today quite easy to reach. But, still, there are places which are not yet to touristy and still a new experience, like a rough diamond. One place I consider like this is the eastern European country, Georgia. This country has untouched landscapes and unbelievable facets, from half deserts to tropical areas and glaciers. I just visited it for my Birthday in January and greatly enjoyed the hospitality they give.
Traces to Azerbaijan
David Gareja desert
Alaverdi Monastery
This year I sought a new destination, something in the north which is still not photographed that much and as previously mentioned not yet too well known, and at the same time an exciting experience. Taking these aspects into account, the Faroe Islands came to my mind, far out in the Atlantic, an island of volcanic origin with breathtaking and unforgettable Landscapes and scenery. Located halfway between Norway and Iceland at 62°00’N, it rises majestically from the sea and with the highest sea cliffs in Europe and where you are never more than 5 kilometres from the sea.
When thinking about this, it was clear that the weather may not be the best, it could be a lot of rain and fog or maybe not the best light. I selected a date bit before the main season in the hope that I will have the great weather like I had during my last journeys. While I was planning which route I will flight I saw that I could choose between Edinburgh and Copenhagen. In this case, I thought I will do a stop in Copenhagen and say hello to my friends, Capture One who also managed to organise a project for me which included another photographer, Anja Wurm, with fashion photography from local Designers.
In addition to my normal Equipment, which is a Sony SLT-A58 with a Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 Lens or a Sony SLT-A99 with a Sony 50mm f/1.4, some Hoya Filters and a Cullmann Tripod, I got supported by some partners for this project. Capture One provided me with a Phase One XF IQ3 100MP XF System a Schneider-Kreuznach 35mm LS f/3.5 and Schneider-Kreuznach 80mm LS f/2.8 Lens; The Swiss distributor GMC Trading with various Hoya Filters and GraphicArt Zurich with an Induro Tripod Carbon Series 2 CLT203 and the BHD1 Ball Head. And Microsoft Switzerland with a Microsoft Surface Pro 4. In addition, a big thanks to Visit Faroe Islands and Atlantic Airways for the support and the helicopter flight. Moreover, it has paid off; the Faroe Islands offers breathtaking and unforgettable landscapes, from majestic mountains, mighty waterfalls to beautiful coastline and fjords. I've written about my journey and why it was maybe even harder than I thought, so let the images take you to one of the last secret corners of Europe.
When we reached the Faroe Islands from Copenhagen on Tuesday 16th May, we first did some extra rounds with the plane because of the fog. After landing on the Island of Vágar where the Airport is located we picked up our car and took the undersea tunnel to the Island of Streymoy where one of the smallest capitals, Tórshavn, is located. There we had a first contact with the Designers and preselect some clothes for Anja’s Fashion Shooting on the weekend. On the Way to Strendur, where we had our house for the next few days, we took the old road and wanted to visit the wind farm above Tórshavn. Some days later we saw that we were standing just 75 meters from them but couldn't see them because of the fog. After reaching the Island of Esturoy the clouds began to open and next on to Strendur for a warm welcome to the Faroe Islands in form of a rainbow. But that did not last long and in the evening the fog came back.
ælabogi
On our first full day in the Faroe Islands, the morning started with some clouds over Strendur and we decided to discover the Island of Esturoy. After a stop in a village called Fuglafjørður we drove in direction of Gjógv and it started to rain and we drove to the harbour and I checked out the spot and the frame. I went back to the car and picked up the 80mm and a ND100 Filter. I finished the first image and went back for a 35mm and a circular polariser. Unfortunately, it still rained and we sat inside the car but luckily, we had some tea with us. Another half hour was around and I spotted a small hole between the clouds and saw my chance, I decided to take it. I went down to the harbour, set up the camera and the polarisation filter, did a zoom in at 100% and so I could manage the complete depth of field. Exactly at the moment, I shoot the Image I felt some drops and went back to the car. We decided to drove around Esturoy but quite often it was very cloudy or even rainy, also the weather radar showed no good spots and we had not such a luck with the Landscape on this day.
Road trip
Gjógv
The second day we had a sunny start in Strendur but on the Road to the Island of Streymoy, some clouds come over us. Then, on the way to Tórshavn, we decided again to take the old road and had a stop again at the wind farm which was this time clearly visible. After a short meeting in Tórshavn and some dinner the sun came back again and we drove around the east part of the Island of Streymoy and because of this excellent weather we decided to drive again through the undersea tunnel to Vágar and going to the largest lake of the Faroe Islands the Sørvágsvatn or Leitisvatn (depends on which side). We walked up the whole lake and I captured some great Images of the free standing rock Geituskoradrangur and the waterfall Bøsdalafossur and we saw this great sun and thought of the sunset. Before we arrived in the Faroe Islands, I saw some pictures of the waterfall near the small Village Gásadalur in the western part of Vágar and hope to capture this with a nice sunset. In this moment I had a watch at the clock and calculate we need 45 minutes back to the car and around 20 minutes to drive and the sunset will be in around 1 hour and 15 minutes, what means if I want to realise this Image I have now only this one chance as I saw the weather from yesterday. And as you can see we managed to capture it as planned.
Vindur
Geituskoradrangur and Bøsdalafossur
Sunset behind Gásadalur and Árnafjall
On Friday, the day started with fog (again) and I was curious about the planned aerial shoot with such a weather. Again, on this day we went to Tórshavn to take the Atlantic Airways Helicopter via Skúvoy and Dímun to Froðba. The Helicopter on the Faroe is something like public transport, especially for the two families living on Dímun the smallest Island of Faroe, because by boat it's quite hard to climb up the cliffs. We had a short stop in Froðba and after we went back the same way. To shoot Aerial by this weather was quite a challenge but with the Phase One IQ3 100MP XF System it was good to master. Back on the Heliport in Tórshavn it was still foggy, we had a look at a spot for Anjas Fashion shooting on the next day and picked up some clothes. By using the weather App Meteo Blue with the Where2Go function we found a small spot with some sun exactly near the village of Tjørnuvík with a great view to Risin og Kellingin. In a legend, it is said that the giant and his wife are trying to haul the Faroe Islands to Iceland, but in the first rays of the morning sun became stone.
Stóra Dímun
Endless sea
Risin og Kellingin
Saturday was the Day of Anja’s Fashion Shooting, so on this day, I was just the assistant until the shoot was finished. We woke up quite early, picked up the model, then sorted out the make-up, the hairdresser, chose the dresses and went to the shoot. Luckily the morning had some sun between, after bringing back the model to Vestmanna a village on the east of Streymoy the sun disappeared and some clouds came up but with some pretty structures. I had a short stop at Kvívík which is one of the oldest settlements on the Faroe Islands to capture these fascinating clouds. Later we planned to reach a cave but the tide crossed the plans and it began to get super foggy later this evening.
Kvívík
Rough sea
Our fifth Day, Sunday started again with a bright sunshine, which was good for Anja’s second Fashion shooting. And again, after bringing back the model to Tórshavn we had some hours quite nice weather and during a hike, the weather changed again to cloudy and later it rained again the whole evening.
Skeiðsskarð
On the fifth day, we were lucky to start with sunshine. We drove to the Airport for the second Helicopter flight, this time to Mykines a small Island which lay in front of the bay of Vágar and its full of birds, especially the cliffs in the west near the lighthouse. On our hike back the clouds came back again and turned to rain. We had to turn back, rain becoming our cursed adversary.
The Bridge
Mykines Lighthouse
Imperial Cliffs
On our last Day, Tuesday, we went back again to Vágar, this time for a story about Fisher which was captured by Anja. Unfortunately, this day started as it ended the day before, with rain. We packed the Phase One System into a plastic bag and protected the lens with a Hoya UV Filter. This rain changed later in some fog which was ideal for an Image of the farm Dúvugarður which I captured already on the first day, but with this fog the farm from the 17th century gets a special mystical atmosphere. After reaching our house in Strendur we decided to visit the last small point of Esturoy which we didn’t visit so far, the small village Hellurnar, not mention in the Tourism Guide but has a very nice harbour and fjord which it is worth.
Dúvugarður farm with fog
Hellurnar
Thanks to Benjamin for this photographer's diary story - the Faroes is definitely getting a little more popular now and we hope it doesn't end up like Iceland. Fancy submitting an article? We'd like to hear from anyone who has found their own special locations for landscape photography and don't forget, if you need any help or feedback writing an article, just get in touch. Our community contributions are really important to us.