Reykjavík Grapevine - 29.07.2011, Page 10

Scene From The City
Photo enthusiast Skarphéðinn
Sæmundsson is constantly tak-
ing in Reykjavík from differ-
ent angles, camera in hand.
Reykjavík, in turn, keeps yield-
ing interesting scenes and new
viewpoints. You'll find more of
Skarphéðinn's photos on his
website, Skarpi,net.
"I hadn't taken any pictures for
years when I picked up a small,
pocketable, digicam last year.
That rekindled an interest in
film photography so now I carry
an old analogue rangefinder ev-
erywhere I go."
"My pictures are mostly docu-
ments of my walks around
Reykjavík. Rather than seek out
spectacles, I like it when the or-
dinary and banal presents itself
to me in an unusual way."
"A scene like this, with everyday
elements arranged in odd ways,
has me instantly reaching for
my camera."
www.skarpi.net
Pictured:
Reykjavík's planning is a weird
thing. 20Th century office build-
ings stand next to 18th century
timber houses, with streets that
seem to be plotted without rhyme
or reason. Óðinstorg would be a
great example of this. Located just
east of Skólavörðustígur, it's a tri-
angular intersection-cum-patch of
asphalt that seems like it spent the
day wandering the town, lost, be-
fore deciding to settle on this spot.
So naturally, people started using
it for parking. The city didn't want
people to do that, so the solution
was: benches! Benches facing in
totally random directions, without
rhyme or reason. Much like any-
thing else planned in Reykjavík.
10
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 11 — 2011