Complete Two Week Winter Photography Workshop in Iceland

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.