Complete Two Week Winter Photography Workshop in Iceland

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Description

Summary

Tour starts

Reykjavík, Iceland

Duration:

14 days

Ending place

Reykjavík, Iceland

Languages:

English

Difficulty:

Easy

Available:

Feb. - Mar.

Minimum age:

18 years old

Description

Join this amazing one-of-a-kind 14-day winter photo tour of Iceland and you will have the chance to capture the Northern Lights across all corners of Iceland. This workshop is the perfect option for those who want to visit the very best sights of Iceland while developing their camera skills and building a breathtaking portfolio.

This is the most comprehensive Iceland photo tour on offer and it covers the largest number of epic locations. You will travel aboard a comfortable and spacious bus and in a modified super jeep that will take you to the most beautiful locations.

Iceland in the wintertime is a frozen land draped in a blanket of snow and ice making for stunning vistas to capture on camera. You can look forward to breathtaking glaciers, surreal ice caves, frozen waterfalls, majestic mountains, marvellous coastlines, influential geothermal areas and quaint fishing towns to name a few highlights.

It's possible to encircle the island by driving Iceland's famous Route 1 Ring Road while stopping at all the best-known as well as some more hidden locations. Included will be a two-day exploration of the wonders of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, often nicknamed 'Iceland in Miniature' for its many natural attractions.

This is a great opportunity to travel and photograph all over Iceland while learning new techniques as your award-winning photoguides help you to take your photography skills to a higher level. You will have a whole two weeks to spot the Northern Lights and expert guidance on how to best capture them on camera. This tour is appropriate for both amateurs and more experienced photographers alike.

Immerse yourself in the beauty of Iceland and sign up for this 14-day winter photo workshop for a once in a lifetime experience and the perfect pictures to prove it. Check availability by choosing a date.

Included

Professional Photo Guide

Transportation in a comfortable vehicle

Accommodation in hotels and guesthouses. Rooms with private bathrooms.

All breakfasts; Group dinner on day 1 and day 13

Map

Attractions

Iceland

Activities

Northern Lights

Photo Tours

Photo Workshop

Daily itinerary

Day 1

Tjörninn pond in downtown Reykjavík freezes over in the winter and it is particularly romantic when it's also covered in snow.

Day 1 - Arrival

Upon arrival at Keflavík International Airport, you will take a quick and comfortable airport transfer bus to Reykjavík. Once you are settled in, you will meet your group and guides in the lobby of your hotel. From there, you'll go out for dinner at a nearby restaurant to get to know each other and discuss your upcoming adventure all over Iceland.

Day 2

Icelandic horses nuzzling each other under the strikingly beautiful Mount Kirkjufell.

Day 2 - West Iceland's Snaefellsnes Peninsula

You will be picked up in Reykjavik at 8 in the morning. You will start the tour by travelling to the awesome Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland where you will spend two nights discovering the wealth of natural attractions in the region. You will have a chance to photograph the jagged rock formations and columnar basalt pillars on the coast of Arnarstapi, a quaint little fishing village where you can watch the ocean waves crash into the shore which when lit correctly, makes for stunning results. The black church of the Búðir hamlet is your next destination and photo subject. The powerful snow covered Snæfellsnesjökull glacier volcano serves as a perfect backdrop to this beautiful building and serves as a wonderful contrast. To cap off the day, you will travel to the northern side of the peninsula to discover Mount Kirkjufell, one of Iceland's most beautiful mountains with its special cone-like shape and steep hills. Hopefully, the Northern Lights will make an appearance at this stunning location so you can capture them as they dance across the sky behind Kirkjufell. You will spend the evening at accommodation in the area.

Day 3

Mount Kirkjufell changes in appearance depending on which perspective you view it from.

Day 3 - Kirkjufell Mountain

Today, you will continue your exploration of Snæfellsnes, visiting any locations you didn't get to fully relish the day before. You will explore and photograph the extraordinary coastline dotted with small villages, the iconic fjords and the majestic mountains around the area. Get ready to take an amazing shot of Lóndrangar, the ancient volcanic basalt plugs that rise out of the ocean, defiantly withstanding the waves. You will once again spend the night in accommodation on the Snæfellsnes peninsula.

Day 4

Hvítserkur rock formation is an inspiration for many photographers visiting Iceland. Your guides will show you how to best capture its beauty.

Day 4 - Hvitserkur Rock Stack

On this day, we will head to the North of Iceland to the wild and remote Vatnsnes Peninsula which is known for its vast and mostly uninhabited land punctuated by some rocky hills and snow-covered grazing lands. There are a great many horses in the area and it is likely you will have the chance to see and photograph them in their shaggy winter coats. As you head to the eastern side of the peninsula, you might encounter some seals in their natural habitat along the coastal region of Strandir in the Westfjords. The central focus of the fleeting daylight hours, however, will be the rock formation Hvítserkur. This 15-metre high basalt stack rises from the sea and some say it resembles a drinking dragon, or when looked at from another angle, a huge troll. According to legend, Hvítserkur is the petrified remains of a troll who got caught out in the light of day and turned to stone. This mysterious rock has a great photogenic appeal and your guides will make sure that you arrive in time for the best possible lighting. You will spend the evening at your accommodation on the Vatnsnes peninsula.

Day 5

Goðafoss waterfall resembles an icy gnarled monster in the depths of winter as it freezes in places.

Day 5 - Godafoss & Lake Myvatn

After an early breakfast, you will be whisked away to the waterfall, Goðafoss for a sunrise shoot. At this time of the year, this "Waterfall of the Gods" should be covered with ice, making the falls more divine and scenic for a sunrise shoot. This is one of Iceland‘s most popular and stunning waterfalls with its elegant semicircular arc shape. Afterwards, the adventure continues as you move on towards the lake Mývatn, which was formed by a huge basaltic lava eruption creating volcanic landforms, lava pillars and pseudocraters around the area. If time allows, you will also explore the unique sculptures and rock formations of Dimmuborgir. This is a great chance to experience this wild geological landscape where some of the scenes of the TV series Game of Thrones were filmed. You will spend the evening at accommodation in the Lake Mývatn region.

Day 6

Aldeyjarfoss waterfall is tricky to get to but it's so worth it as it's a stunning natural sight.

Day 6 - Aldeyjarfoss & Hrafnabjargafoss

On this day, you will travel by a super jeep to get to the two of Iceland‘s most beautiful waterfalls in the central highlands, Aldeyjarfoss and Hrafnabjargafoss. These are both located on the Skjálfandafljot river. The contrast between the huge black bent basalt columns at the 20-metre high Aldeyjarfoss and the clear water of the fall becomes more impressive in its frozen winter coat. Similarly, Hrafnabjargafoss offers a dramatic sight having it drenched in snow. It is tough to get to these falls especially on icy roads during winter but the contrast of the snow terrain, waterfalls and a clear blue pool at its feet makes this photography opportunity worth the effort. There is also the added bonus of both waterfalls being less crowded than other, more easily accessible locations. Once again, you will spend the night in the Mývatn region.

Day 7

Iceland in the wintertime cpvered in snow and ice makes the perfect subject for a landscape photographer.

Day 7 - Lake Myvatn

Your exploration of the area continues with a visit to the thrilling Námskarð Pass geothermal region. Even in the depths of winter, boiling mud puddles continue to bubble and fumaroles send steam high up into the air. The variety of colours and natural phenomena here are just begging to be caught on camera and you will have plenty of time to do so. You will also have the chance to visit Hverfell, one of the world's largest explosion craters measuring at around 1-kilometre in diameter. Climb the snow-covered hills to marvel at an excellent view of this winter wonderland and epic natural feature. After ample time snapping the sights, you have the option to fully embrace the geothermal nature of the area with a visit to Mývatn nature baths, often considered the Blue Lagoon of the north. You will return to your accommodation in Mývatn for the night.

Day 8

Wild reindeer roam free in the Eastfjords since Icelanders never really took to reindeer husbandry.

Day 8 - East Iceland

Leaving the Mývatn area, you will now set off east over a mountain pass into the beautiful Eastfjords, eventually reaching the realm of the Vatnajökull Glacier, Europe’s largest glacier and a national park. This area is full of texture with its mountainous fjords along the Eastern coast. You will spend the night in the small fishing village of Djúpivogur. Explore the quaint harbour and its unspoiled old buildings surrounded by marvellous mountains. Here you have the chance to photograph the reflection of the beautiful fjords and hopefully some Northern Lights.

Day 9

The icebergs are Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon are forever moving and melting which means every visit is unique.

Day 9 - Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon

From the fjords of Djúpivogur, you will head to the famous Vatnajökull National Park where you can see some of the unique sceneries that can only be found in Iceland. This includes Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon where large icebergs break away from the Breiðamerkerkurjökull glacier and float serenely out to sea. You will be spending the next three days close in accommodation close to the lagoon while you explore the surrounding areas and wealth of natural attractions. Your guide will plan your day around the preferences of the group and the weather and lighting conditions so you can best capture the amazing sights of the area. Jökulsárlón is also a great setting to capture the Northern Lights so if they make an appearance, you'll be happy to know you're not too far away.

Day 10

Enter a mesmerising ice cave and get ready for an awe-inspiring experience and views of brilliantly blue ice that you could never of imagined.

Day 10 - The Blue Ice Cave

Today you will enjoy further opportunities to capture the icy wonder of the beautiful Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. You will have a lot of chances to photograph the multitude of glistening icebergs floating towards the ocean. Not far from the lagoon is the Diamond Beach; a stretch of shoreline where the glacial icebergs wash up onto the shore. These stunning chunks of ancient ice stand glittering in the daylight, shining in stark contrast to the black sands that they sit upon. Your guides will also take you to some a few lesser known glacier lagoons before setting of for the biggest adventure of the day; a visit to a breathtaking ice cave. As you enter the subglacial ice cave, prepare to be amazed not only by its incredible natural shapes and cavities but also the range of colours as it absorbs almost all visible light and rendering the walls a brilliant bright blue. This will be the moment when time seems to freeze and everything feels surreal and we will preserve this moment using our wide-angle lens camera for a unique and enduring photo. You will return to your accommodation close to Jökulsárlón once again with fingers crossed that the Northern Lights will make an appearance.

Day 11

Northern Lights dancing over the dramatic Vestrahorn mountain.

Day 11 - Vatnajokull National Park

It's your eleventh day of adventure and today your destination is the beautiful Stokksnes peninsula to take some high-quality pictures of the glorious 454-metre high mountain that rises above the black lava beach beneath it. Your group will seek and follow the best light possible for shooting this mountain and its surroundings Mount Vestrahorn is composed of several steep peaks with a rare peak shape called Brunnhorn located eastwards stretches all the way to the sea. When illuminated by a rising or setting sun this mountain exudes an impressive aura making a perfect background with a foreground of water trails as the mighty waves recede over some rocks at the edge of the beach. After a day of capturing the impressive peaks of this alluring natural feature, you will retire back to your accommodation in the Jökulsárlón area.

Day 12

Rich winter colours accompany the golden hours of light in the Icelandic wintertime.

Day 12 - South Coast to Vik

On the 12th day of our tour, you will leave the Jökulsárlón to head towards the charming town Vík. This region boasts an all seasons different beautiful natural attractions of volcanoes, lava fields, glaciers, lakes, black beaches, cliffs and sea stacks and of course their waterfalls. However, for this day, you will be focusing on Vik and its enchanted black sand beach with basalt sea stacks that rise from the sea. These stacks are called Reynisdrangar and they are believed to be trolls turned into rocks when exposed to the rays of the sun. Once you have captured the views to the sea from Vík, you will then head on over to the beach Reynisfjara which has been voted one of the most beautiful non-tropical beaches in the world. Here, you will be able to sea the Reynisdranagar sea stacks from a completely different angle. Reynisfjara also boasts mesmerising columnar basalt cliffs that are large enough to stand on. Once you have fully appreciated this stretch of coastline, you will make your way back to your accommodation for the evening which will be in Vík.

Day 13

Seljalandsfoss water in the wintertime covered with snow and draped in ice.

Day 13 - Heading Back

After a hearty breakfast, you will be travelling along Iceland's famous South Coast back to Reykjavík, all the while stopping at out of this world sightseeing locations to make for some more epic images. The first stop of the day will be Dyrhólaey, a headland with impressive views of the coastline that seems to stretch on endlessly to the west and an excellent view of the Reynisfjara sea stacks and the gigantic Dyrhólaey sea arch to the east. There's also a charming lighthouse which makes for a rustic photo subject. You will pass two active volcanoes; Hekla, a 1490-metre high snow-topped mountain where devastating eruptions often took place throughout Iceland’s history earning it the name “gateway to hell,”; and the famous Eyjafjallajökull, which notoriously halted air traffic in 2010 after an eruption. Next, we will shoot the two most famous waterfalls in this region. Skógafoss, one of the biggest falls in the country boasts a drop of 60-metres and a width of 25-metres. When the coastline receded seaward, the old cliffs remained and made a clear border between coastal lowlands and the Highlands of Iceland and it is on this border that Skógafoss lies. On sunny days, the sprays from this mighty falls may produce a single or sometimes even double rainbow. Once you've captured this sight, you'll move on to its neighbouring waterfall, Seljalandsfoss which is quite different in form but no less beautiful. Returning to Reykjavík, you will make your way to your accommodation in the city. You'll meet up with the group for dinner to debrief and discuss post-processing your photos.

Day 14

Harpa Concert Hall is renowned for its beautiful architecture on Reykjavík's old harbour.

Day 14 - Departure

After a delightful breakfast and a warm farewell to the group, you will catch your airport transfer bus to Keflavík International Airport with full memory cards and a wealth of new skills and experiences.

Good to know

- We are a local tour operator and travel agency authorized by the tourism board of Iceland.

- We offer small group tours with a maximum group size of 12-14. This way, you’ll get to know your photography guide and we can take you to shoot in unique places that aren’t suitable for larger groups.

- All our guests get a free collection of post-processing videos from our award-winning photographers worth over $1,500.

- On our tours we use comfortable vehicles to safely transport you to amazing locations.

- We are using only the best hotels available in Iceland.

- Our photo tours and workshops are guided by award-winning professional landscape photographers.

- We provide crampons and rubber boots for free to all our guests throughout the tour.

- During the tour, we give highly informative and easy-to-follow photography and post-processing lectures.

- Our photo guides will always help you in the field to make sure you will bring home stunning photos of Iceland.

Disclaimer

We highly recommend that you get a travel and medical insurance. Your own domestic medical insurance and private health scheme will not cover you whilst you are overseas.

The tour is always dependent on weather, as the Icelandic weather can indeed be highly unpredictable. Likewise, visits to ice caves are dependent on favorable conditions, and indeed the ice caves themselves are not permanent. When it comes to the Northern Lights, while they are most likely to be seen between September and April, there is no guarantee that they will appear on a given day.

Departure Schedule

3-16 Feb 2025 - GUIDED BY VINCENZO MAZZA

19 Feb-3 Mar 2025 - will be announced soon

25 Feb-9 Mar 2025 - GUIDED BY VINCENZO MAZZA

3-16 Mar 2025 - will be announced soon

6-19 Mar 2025 - will be announced soon

Video

Guides

Vincenzo Mazza

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Vincenzo is a nature and landscape photographer. He has been doing landscape photography since 2010, mostly between Italy and Iceland. Born in Italy he moved to Iceland in 2015, after spending many months in that country during the years before to practice landscape photography.

He has been teaching photography and running photo tours since 2011, mostly in Iceland and in Italy. In 2015 he was among the winner photographers of the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year international nature photography competition.

In Iceland he become a mountain and a glacier guide, and he is now an official member of the association of the Icelandic mountain guides.

Regarding his approach to photography, he like to consider himself a storyteller. He believes that his pictures are the result of diligence, creativity and technical skills in the field but most of all unconditional love for nature landscapes.

He would define his pictures as “authentic”, they are a faithful representation of the reality at the moment of the photo shooting, prior to all the obvious adjustments which are essential to the optimization of the picture.

Regarding that aspect, he said: “Nature is so impressive, inspiring and magnificent! if I created pictures with Photoshop, mixing up places and different moments I wouldn’t be the storyteller I want to be. Photography is an interpretation of an evanescent moment. Intuition and passion are needed on the playground of nature”.