12 Day Midnight Sun Photography Workshop around Iceland

Your day begins by boarding your comfortable transportation in Reykjavík and travelling towards the fascinating Snæfellsnes Peninsula in West Iceland.

You will spend two days in this awe-inspiring area surfing between the southern and northern part of the peninsula. We will be photographing craggy rock formations and columnar basalt on the coast of Arnarstapi, a fishing village where ocean waves create a great interplay with light both day and night.

You will be amazed by the huge lava field and windswept area at the picturesque Búðir hamlet where the glazed icecap of Snæfellsjokull Glacier makes a great backdrop for a scene with a little black church in the foreground. There are so many natural wonders and extraordinary vistas to be found throughout Snæfellsnes that it’s sometimes referred to as “Iceland in Miniature”.

Your accommodation for the evening will be on the Snæfellsnes peninsula.

Today you will continue your amazing exploration of Snæfellsnes discovering and photographing the outstanding beauty of the coastline which is dotted with small villages just a short distance from each other among lush fjords and steep mountains.

You will travel to visit the site, Lóndrangar, the name for two ancient volcanic basalt plugs that rise out of the ocean along the shorefront. Their unusual shape provides a popular habitat for nesting birds of all kinds and their distinctive beauty makes excellent photo opportunities. Since days are long and nights are bright we will have many opportunities to shoot the famous mountain, Kirkjufell on the northern side of Snæfellsnes.

Mt. Kirkjufell is considered to be one of Iceland's most beautiful mountains with its special cone-like shape and steep hills. The appearance of this photographer's favourite changes with the angle you observe it from, providing countless opportunities to get that perfect picture to add to your portfolio.

Once again, you will spend your evening resting up in accommodation on the Snæfellsnes peninsula.

Today we will head toward North Iceland to the wild and remote Vatnsnes Peninsula. The Vatnsnes peninsula is known for its vast and mostly uninhabited terrain with its intermingling of craggy hills and green grazing land where horses can be seen.

On the eastern side of the peninsula, you can get a great view out to the peaks of the coastal region of Strandir in the Westfjords. The peninsula is also known for its flocks of geese and as a seal breeding ground. It is actually one of the best places in Iceland to see seals in their natural habitat and since they are quite curious you can get pretty close.

The real focus for the day will be the dinosaur-like rock formation, Hvítserkur, a 15-metre high cliff rising from the sea. Icelandic legend has it that the rock was a troll who forgot to retreat from the light of the rising sun and was turned to stone, a sure fate for all trolls that make this mistake.

From some angles, it looks like a dragon drinking from the water while from another viewpoint it looks like a huge rugged troll.

Light is a vital element of landscape photography and your expert guides will take great care of timing so that the sun will be in the best place to capture the most magical shot of this particular attraction before retiring for the night to accommodation on the Vatnsnes peninsula.

It's time to head North towards the Lake Mývatn where your group will spend the next two days photographing the many wonderful natural features that characterise the region. The lake itself is very picturesque with incredible rock formations which you will have the opportunity to photograph.

Sitting squarely on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the Mývatn Basin is one of the most volcanically active regions on earth. It has produced an astonishing landscape unlike anywhere else in the country. This becomes very apparent at the Námskarð Pass, an otherworldly landscape of spluttering mud-pots, weird lava formations, steaming fumaroles and volcanic craters. 

Lake Myvatn is one of Iceland’s major breeding grounds for birds and in combination with craters and fresh lava fields this is a fantastic destination for photographers.

Your accommodation for the evening will be in the Mývatn region.

Day six and you will continue to explore the surrounding area of Myvatn travelling to Namafjall covered with a myriad of colourful hot springs and mud pools and the famous fascinating sights of the geothermal field, Hverir.

There you can capture extreme contrasts and textures especially when the light is soft and golden from the midnight sun. You will have the opportunity to see Krafla, a caldera about 10-km in diameter that includes the Víti Crater with a bright green lake inside of it.

Víti means hell and in former times people believed volcanoes gave way to hell. Moving on, two photographic gems await; Goðafoss Waterfall meaning the “Fall of the Gods” and the impressive Aldeyjarfoss Waterfall tumbling into a wide basin surrounded by extremely beautiful basalt column walls.

Since nights are bright and the sun never fully sets, circumstances and opportunities for photographers are exceptional guaranteeing beautiful photographs of these otherworldly scenes.

You will once again retire to accommodation in the Mývatn region.

Before you head east we will visit the Jökulsárgljúfur National Park to shoot Dettifoss, Europe’s most powerful waterfall.

To see it its 100-metre width and 45-metres drop is out of this world and its giant plume of spray can be seen from a kilometre away. Not only will Dettifoss give you epic and artistic photographs but it will also give you an unforgettable experience.

Once you have fully captured the majesty of Dettifoss, there is a pretty long journey ahead. You will drive through the highland desert and over a mountain pass into the beautiful Eastfjords. The landscape of this area is full of contrasts, and it is strikingly beautiful with its many mountainous fjords along the eastern coast.

You will experience picturesque fishing towns, hauntingly beautiful fjords, steep mountains, highland farms, clear mountain streams, bird cliffs and waterfalls, such as the Rjkandi Falls.

You will settle down for the evening in the small picturesque fishing village of Djúpivogur known for its charming harbour and well-preserved old buildings surrounded by beautiful mountains.

From Djúpivogur your journey continues in the direction of Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon where you will be spending the next two days in the incredible area of the Vatnajökull National Park with endless opportunities for your camera.

The park encompasses not only all of Vatnajökull Glacier but also extensive surrounding areas from Jökulsárlón in the south up to Dettifoss and the Jökulságljúfur canyon in the north. This area of Iceland is protected because of its uniqueness and natural cultural heritage.

Few other places in the world offer such a wide range of natural wonders as Vatnajökull and you will make the most of the never-ending Midnight Sun to witness many of the phenomenal glaciers and glacier outlets. At Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, you will see floating white and blue icebergs drifting along on the clear and tranquil waters. 

Huge blocks of ice regularly break off Breiðamerkurjökull glacier and nothing is more picture-perfect than the sight of floating icebergs adorned with the light of the rising or setting sun.

Since the light is ever changing, you will spend a fair amount of time at this attraction to get the best possible photographs.

Just a stone's throw away is the Diamond Beach, a stretch of shoreline where the icebergs from the lagoon wash up onto the shore. The ancient and impossibly clear chunks of ice crystals washed ashore illuminated in the Midnight Sun resemble diamonds; a sight guaranteed to take your breath away.

Wildlife enthusiasts will also be happy to hear that many seals inhabit this area and it might be possible to catch them playing in the surf.

After taking many excellent photos, you will retire to your accommodation close by.

Not only we will be photographing icy scenes in Vatnajökull National Park but we will also have the chance to explore the impressive black dune beach at Stokksnes and the majestic peaks of Mt. Vestrahorn.

The picturesque Mt. Vestrahorn on the southeast corner of Iceland is a steep 454-metre high mountain, gorgeous in appearance with dramatic summits and slopes made of gabbro rock that give you endless opportunities with your camera and photographic skills.

The strong waves of the Atlantic Ocean crashing on the beach give the scenery an extra wild quality. In the southeast area of Iceland, puffins and other seabirds nest around Ingólfshöfði Cape.

As the tour is flexible, your guides will always look out for the best possible opportunities to spot these critters taking into consideration both time and light. Another location that you may explore is the Skaftafell Park on the west side of the glacier lagoon. This area is a treasure trove of breathtaking peaks and glaciers, waterfalls, rivers and wild protected flora and fauna.

You will spend the evening once again in the Jökulsárlón area.

It's time to say goodbye to Vatnajökull National Park and travel along the South Coast all the way to the charming village of Vík which is surrounded by high, beautiful bird cliffs.

The Icelandic South Coast holds some of the most stunning natural attractions of the island. The area boasts a unique mix of volcanoes, lava fields, glaciers, wild black beaches, epic cliffs and sea stacks along with some iconic waterfalls.

Puffins can also be spotted across the dramatic coastline as well as many other seabirds. On the way to Vík, you will capture the mossy lava field of Eldhraun where the lava is up to 12-metres deep and completely overgrown with moss.

This is an excellent location to immortalise this dramatic and otherworldly scenery with your camera. The black beach at Vík is a magical spot, home to the mysterious Reynisdrangar basalt sea stacks.

Legend has it that these were trolls out fishing too late that turned to stone when exposed to daylight. Iceland is full of magic and no words can describe how beautiful it is to photograph and enjoy these rock formations during the golden hours.

Around the corner from Vík is the black beach Reynisfjara where you can view the Reynisdrangar sea stacks from a different perspective. Marvel at the mighty columnar basalt cliffs and admire the waves as they crash into the shore adding a powerful element to this already extraordinary environment. You will come to understand why Reynisfjara has been rated as the most beautiful non-tropical beach in the world.

You will spend the evening in accommodation in the village of Vík.

Today you will be heading back to Reykjavik but on the way, there are plenty of cool and interesting spots to photograph.

First, you will check out the Dyrhólaey headland which offers endless photogenic views of the South Coast. Dyrhólaey is located close to the village of Vík and the view from its heights is breathtaking.

From there you can see the columns of Reynisdrangar from a new interesting angle along with more epic cliffs and stacks in the ocean. You will have an exquisite view over the endless black beach stretching what seems like endlessly west.

You will also see a gigantic black arch of lava reaching out to sea which gave the promontory its name. It's also possible to see puffins at this location and your guides will take some time to help you get a good shot of these charismatic little critters.

You will visit and photograph two famous waterfalls; Seljalandsfoss where you can take some cool shots by walking along the recess behind the waterfall; and the majestic Skógafoss with a drop of 60-metres and width of 25-metres where you can photograph it both from the ground or from the top by climbing the adjacent staircase.

You will also pass two active volcanoes one of which is Eyjafjallajökull, the glacier volcano which erupted in 2010 notoriously halting air traffic across Europe for days. The second, Hekla, is far more infamous; its devastating blasts throughout history has earned it the name "gateway to hell".

As you arrive back into the city of Reykjavík, you will be taken to your accommodation for the evening where you can unwind and consolidate your Iceland experience.

After a hearty breakfast at your hotel, you will catch your airport transfer back to Keflavík International airport with many wonderful memories and even more pictures.