Wish I could have experienced Iceland like your mum (of course I’ve followed her on IG) - first became besotted when I was a teenager reading then watching Desmond Bagley’s Running Blind. Ended up in Australia instead. Managed to get there10 years ago just before the boom.
Sorry for the late reply. Thank you! I completely agree—my mum would be amazing at Substack with all her stories. I’ve loved reading over 'My Morning Muse'—so inspiring to see what consistent effort can achieve over two years.
Great article and that must be a stunning archive. I had the pleasure of visiting Iceland twice in the summers of ‘88 and ‘89 for three weeks each time. I then returned in December ‘14 (and am likely to return this August). The changes were amazing - you can’t camp now where you used to be able to (eg literally under Skogafoss), so many visitor centres with cafes (at Geysir you literally pulled up, wandered around the hot springs freely and watched the watery eruption - no gift shop and no comforting hot chocolate). Oh - and the trees had grown (of course) but I was slightly shocked to see mini-forests when they were 1.5m saplings before.
Love Iceland but it’s too cold for my wife to live there!
Yeah, it's changed so much over the past 10-12 years. The catalyst was the 2008-09 banking crash, leading to a devalued currency and the arrival of low-cost airlines. You definitely got to experience the Iceland of these photos if you travelled in '88 and '89. While the country has changed so much, the landscape is the same and with a bit of research and imagination, you can avoid the crowds. The northwest fjords still receive far fewer visitors than elsewhere. Thanks for reading and sharing your memories.
Ari this is a fantastic article! Having only really seen photos of Iceland after the "instagramification" of Iceland it is lovely to see these shots. Very interesting point about even the look of the tourists have changed over time!
Thanks for taking the time to read and also restack. When I was scanning these photos, it could be nostalgia, but I felt something pure of heart about this time, but the reality was probably not nearly as glamorous. I do wonder whether people will say the same about this era in 30 years' time.
Magnificent pictures and a very interesting read. I have a far shorter time span to compare places I have travelled to than this but even in "my time" I have noticed a distinctive move toward wanky get the photo and leave type tourism.
I think after Chris Burkard blew Iceland up it was difficult to go and not end up looking like a copycat. I have never been but I would be acutely aware of wanting to discover the place rather than "do it" as many people say about a destination.
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts. Yeah, this type of tourism is everywhere these days. As technically flawless as Chris Burkard's photos are, they don't really speak to me or communicate Iceland as a lived place. Perhaps something clinical and sanitised in the look. I think the focus on “bangers” lends itself to a certain aesthetic homogeneity, like scrolling through an Instagram highlight reel of Iceland, polished to perfection but lacking the grit, the quirks, or quieter moments. There again, he has millions of followers, and I have thousands...
Your writing spoke to me first as I often think the same way about tourism. As with the Burkard thing, it's a sort of high definition version of it all it seems. Super sharp, shot from a plane and with that insane angles. It's the kind of photography I cannot afford to do. I think the bangers thing is very much what has led to a feeling of homogenisation many photographers work to, like the idle screens on windows or something. Everyone thinks they're beautiful but it's too standard. Yep, well me too. He has done something absolutely right.
I would love to sit and go through more of those images with a whiskey or two! Me and my wife just spent Christmas in Reykjavik and we loved it. It wasn’t too busy with tourists at that time but we’re going back in the summer for a road trip around the island and that’s where I expect to see the crowds. Anyway, would highly recommend going at Christmas
Wish I could have experienced Iceland like your mum (of course I’ve followed her on IG) - first became besotted when I was a teenager reading then watching Desmond Bagley’s Running Blind. Ended up in Australia instead. Managed to get there10 years ago just before the boom.
Your mum needs her own Substack she sounds really cool. Thank you for sharing these stories and memories with us. I really enjoyed this.
Sorry for the late reply. Thank you! I completely agree—my mum would be amazing at Substack with all her stories. I’ve loved reading over 'My Morning Muse'—so inspiring to see what consistent effort can achieve over two years.
Great article and that must be a stunning archive. I had the pleasure of visiting Iceland twice in the summers of ‘88 and ‘89 for three weeks each time. I then returned in December ‘14 (and am likely to return this August). The changes were amazing - you can’t camp now where you used to be able to (eg literally under Skogafoss), so many visitor centres with cafes (at Geysir you literally pulled up, wandered around the hot springs freely and watched the watery eruption - no gift shop and no comforting hot chocolate). Oh - and the trees had grown (of course) but I was slightly shocked to see mini-forests when they were 1.5m saplings before.
Love Iceland but it’s too cold for my wife to live there!
Yeah, it's changed so much over the past 10-12 years. The catalyst was the 2008-09 banking crash, leading to a devalued currency and the arrival of low-cost airlines. You definitely got to experience the Iceland of these photos if you travelled in '88 and '89. While the country has changed so much, the landscape is the same and with a bit of research and imagination, you can avoid the crowds. The northwest fjords still receive far fewer visitors than elsewhere. Thanks for reading and sharing your memories.
Really enjoyed this. The images are lovely
Glad you liked it. The photos that you shared from Iceland were great!
Thank you Ari :)
Ari this is a fantastic article! Having only really seen photos of Iceland after the "instagramification" of Iceland it is lovely to see these shots. Very interesting point about even the look of the tourists have changed over time!
Thanks for taking the time to read and also restack. When I was scanning these photos, it could be nostalgia, but I felt something pure of heart about this time, but the reality was probably not nearly as glamorous. I do wonder whether people will say the same about this era in 30 years' time.
Magnificent pictures and a very interesting read. I have a far shorter time span to compare places I have travelled to than this but even in "my time" I have noticed a distinctive move toward wanky get the photo and leave type tourism.
I think after Chris Burkard blew Iceland up it was difficult to go and not end up looking like a copycat. I have never been but I would be acutely aware of wanting to discover the place rather than "do it" as many people say about a destination.
Gorgeous scans and thanks for a quality read.
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts. Yeah, this type of tourism is everywhere these days. As technically flawless as Chris Burkard's photos are, they don't really speak to me or communicate Iceland as a lived place. Perhaps something clinical and sanitised in the look. I think the focus on “bangers” lends itself to a certain aesthetic homogeneity, like scrolling through an Instagram highlight reel of Iceland, polished to perfection but lacking the grit, the quirks, or quieter moments. There again, he has millions of followers, and I have thousands...
Your writing spoke to me first as I often think the same way about tourism. As with the Burkard thing, it's a sort of high definition version of it all it seems. Super sharp, shot from a plane and with that insane angles. It's the kind of photography I cannot afford to do. I think the bangers thing is very much what has led to a feeling of homogenisation many photographers work to, like the idle screens on windows or something. Everyone thinks they're beautiful but it's too standard. Yep, well me too. He has done something absolutely right.
I would love to sit and go through more of those images with a whiskey or two! Me and my wife just spent Christmas in Reykjavik and we loved it. It wasn’t too busy with tourists at that time but we’re going back in the summer for a road trip around the island and that’s where I expect to see the crowds. Anyway, would highly recommend going at Christmas
A true zeitgeist. Thank you, to you and your mum!