10 Day Photo Workshop in the Highlands & South Coast

Day two represents the official beginning of your photo tour. Your journey begins by boarding your comfortable minibus in Reykjavík and setting off for the central Highlands in the heart of the country.

There will be many photo opportunities throughout the day, one of which will be at the Hverarvellir geothermal area and nature reserve known for its beautiful azure hot springs, smoking fumaroles, multi-coloured rock features and bubbling mud puddles.

One of the day’s highlights will include photographing the mystical mountains of Kerlingarfjöll, which are made of rhyolite and appear to glow different shades of red and yellow depending on the light conditions. 

You will also visit the beautiful and thundering waterfall Gýgjarfoss on the Jökulfall river. This waterfall measures at only 5-metres tall but it is over 20-metres wide and boasts a stunning backdrop of epic, snow-tipped mountains looming on an imposing horizon, making for an excellent photo opportunity.

Your accommodation for the evening will be in the Kerlingarföll area.

On day three you'll be heading south towards Landmannalaugar, a stunning, mountainous area in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve only accessible with a 4WD. There you'll photograph more rhyolite peaks, the area’s black lava fields and the mighty Hekla volcano that stands a little to the west.

Although Hekla is an active volcano with a pretty ominous nickname (“Gateway to Hell”) the area’s multi-coloured mountains and barren landscapes make it a photographer’s wonderland. Your professional photo guides will talk you through everything you need to perfectly capture the many contrasting shapes, colours and textures.

You will be spending the next three days exploring the rich and varied scenes on offer in the Landmannalaugar region. Please be advised that the order in which you see the following sights may vary day to day. 

The magical crater lakes of Bláhylur and Ljótipollur in Veidivotn are easily two of Iceland’s best-kept secrets. Despite translating as “The Blue Puddle“ and “The Ugly Puddle” respectively, they are both a whole lot more breathtaking than their names suggest! Especially impressive is Ljotipollur, with its red sand slopes giving way to a cool blue pool.

Your exploration of the Landmannalaugur area continues! You will spend plenty of time photographing the Háifoss waterfall. It’s known as “The Tall Falls” and is Iceland’s fifth-highest, with a torrent of water cascading down from a height of 122 meters.

Háifoss falls down into a deep gorge on the Þórsá glacier river, so there are plenty of spectacular angles, along with a watery haze, that we can use to create a perfect composition. Another waterfall to discover in this part of Iceland’s highlands is Hjálparfoss on the river Fossá.

The unique, twin basalt structure means that the river is split into two for a matter of seconds before falling into a calm oasis. The whitewash of the falls gives a fantastic splash effect for our photographs, with the (hopefully) blue sky and rolling hills offering a wonderful backdrop.

You will once again spend your evening in the Landmannaugur area.

On this day, you will continue your exploration of the Landsmannalaugur area. This area is one of the most popular and photogenic resorts in Iceland, with hot springs, natural baths, glittering rhyolite mountains, rock formations, lava fields and rich vegetation.

You will have plenty of time to photograph the vast array of scenes, and there will be two specific visits that you will make to some of the famous local sites.

The first is the ridge over Frostastaðavatn lake, which offers wondrous views of the water and surrounding landscape. The second is Sigöldugljúfur canyon, where countless waterfalls meet and fall together down the cliffs and into the river below.

All that photography is hard work, so your guides will make sure there’s enough time for a visit to Landmannalaugar’s natural baths. Your accommodation will be in the Landmannalaugur area.

On the sixth day of your Icelandic Highlands adventure, the group will head along the South Fjallabak highland route to the north of Mýrdalsjökull glacier.

This ice cap covers the active volcano Katla, and, as you might expect, you will encounter a diverse volcanic landscape with plenty of opportunities for great photography. Among your subjects will be the otherworldly black lava sands, the deformed lava statues that have stood for thousands of years, and the imposing mountain of Öldufell.

With the right light and weather conditions, Öldufell’s cone-shape and the green valleys at its base look like something out of a fairytale.

Our next stop will be the Axlarfoss waterfall, which pours over basalt columns into the Hólmsá river. A photogenic contrast here is provided by the vivid green landscape and the volcanic cliffs that jut to either side of the falls. The final stop on day six will be a quick exploration of the world’s largest volcanic canyon, Eldgjá.

To gaze down the canyon is almost to see the world itself splitting into two pieces. The canyon is 600-metres wide and 270-metres deep, stretching from the Mýrdalsjökull glacier to peak of Gjátindur. Your accommodation for the evening will be close to the village of Kirkjubæjarklaustur.

Day seven will begin with another incredible Icelandic canyon. Fjaðrárgljúfur may not be as deep or as wide as Eldgjá, but the spectacular rock formations that run along its border make it an irresistible subject for landscape photography.

Afterwards, the tour will head further east to the mystical Vatnajökull National Park. Here you will skirt the boundaries of volcanoes and glaciers, taking in the natural wonders of Skaftafell Nature Reserve. Your accommodation for the evening will be in Vatnajökull National Park.

On day eight you have one simple mission: to see and capture as much of the Vatnajökull National Park as possible. Unsurprisingly, the park is one of Iceland’s most photographed places and the majority of your day will be spent capturing what is often referred to as the 'Crown Jewel of Iceland', Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon.

Here, giant icebergs break away from their mother glacier tongue and float serenely on the waters of the lagoon, gently out to sea. Each iceberg is unique in shape and colour guaranteeing that no photo is the same. It is often possible to spot resident seals weaving past the ice.

Next to the lagoon is the world-famous Diamond Beach; a stretch of coast where icebergs from Jökulsárlón wash up on the shore where their glittering crystalline appearance contrasts beautifully with the black sands upon which the rest. Your final subject for the day will be Mount Vestrahorn which can be found on the Stokksnes peninsula.

This elevation is famous for its multiple angular peaks that seem to erupt out of the Atlantic ocean and make for exciting and dramatic photos. You will once again spend the evening in the Vatnajökull area.

Day nine will mark the beginning of our journey back toward the capital. You will drive along Iceland’s picturesque south coast, which is dotted with dramatic shorelines, impressive waterfalls and rock formations sculpted by time and the elements.

You will be able to capture the beautiful sea stacks Reynisdrangar from Reynisfjara black sand beach, a location that was once voted the most beautiful non-tropical beach in the world. Marvel at the hexagonal basalt columns and watch as the waves crash in on the shore.

You will also see the majestic waterfall Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss, both of which fall from 60-metres from the Southern Highland interior but take very different forms. Skógafoss falls in a wide thunderous curtain whereas Seljalandsfoss cascades over a concave cavern, allowing visitors to walk behind it.

After your trip through Iceland, you will return to accommodation in the capital city, Reykjavík.

On day ten you will wake in Reykjavik and say your goodbyes. You will then take a quick and comfortable airport transfer to Keflavík International Airport, laden with memories, photographs, and photography tips from an unforgettable adventure.