9 Day Photo Workshop in North & West Iceland | Waterfalls & Mountains

The waterfall, Goðafoss, frozen in the wintertime.

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Description

Summary

Tour starts

Reykjavík, Iceland

Duration:

9 days

Ending place

Reykjavík, Iceland

Languages:

English

Difficulty:

Easy

Available:

February

Minimum age:

18 years old

Description

Join this 9-day winter photo workshop capturing the landscapes and scenes that make up the spectacular region of North and West Iceland. This is a fantastic opportunity for photographers not only looking to develop their skills behind the lens but also for those who wish to see more of Iceland than the typical traveller.

Throughout the majority of this tour, you‘ll be journeying off-the-beaten-track, experiencing majestic mountains, mighty waterfalls, amazing rock formations and, with any luck, the green and glorious Northern Lights, illuminating the Arctic sky.

This is a real opportunity to witness and photograph some of the greatest scenery not just in Iceland, but the world, ensuring that you'll have the best opportunities possible to hone your photography skills.

Further your future as a skilled landscape photographer by joining this 9-day workshop discovering and capturing the natural scenery of North and West Iceland. 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 7

Map

Attractions

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Activities

Northern Lights

Photo Tours

Daily itinerary

Day 1

Reykjavík boasts hundreds of sculptures, such as the famous The Sun Voyager.

Day 1 - Arrival

You will land at Keflavík International Airport. After collecting your bags, hop on a bus that will take you to Reykjavík city where you’ll find your accommodations. After settling in, you’ll meet your photo guides and the rest of the group at 7 pm in the lobby. You will all go out to dinner together where you’ll get to know each other and discuss the days ahead.

Day 2

Day 2 - Snaefellsnes Peninsula

Our bus will pick us up from the hotel in the early morning, and we will start our journey to the beautiful Snæfellsnes peninsula where we will spend the next two nights. On your way to Snæfellsnes, you will travel past majestic mountains and through the farmlands of West Iceland. Once at the peninsula, the towering Snæfellsjökull glacier volcano will greet you. There is a lot to see at the Snæfellsnes peninsula such as charming fishing villages, beautiful coastlines, and iconic mountains. You’ll spend your day shooting some of the stunning scenery found on the peninsula. In the nights, we will try to hunt some Northern Lights over Kirkjufell mountain before spending the night in the town of Grundarfjörður.

Day 3

A picturesque shoreline on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.

Day 3 - Snaefellsnes In Depth

Today, you’ll have the chance to explore the Snæfellsnes peninsula in depth. You’ll photograph the cone-shaped mountain Kirkjufell and the nearby waterfall. Fans of the HBO series Game of Thrones might recognise this iconic feature as it was used as a backdrop in the show. You will also see some of the area’s dramatic coastlines and photograph the pounding waves of the Atlantic Ocean as it hits the peninsula’s cliffs. If the conditions are favourable in the evening, you will hunt and photograph the Northern Lights as they dance across the evening sky. You will then return to your accommodations in Grundarfjörður town for the night.

Day 4

Hvítserkur is also known as 'The Troll of the North West'.

Day 4 - Heading North

You’ll get up early today to capture the sunrise at Kirkjufell mountain. This fantastic site provides you with endless opportunities to capture the diverse Icelandic conditions on film. From there, we will head towards the northwest, where you’ll stop at the strange rock formation, Hvítserkur. Some say this majestic monolith looks like a prehistoric creature, others say it resembles an elephant drinking out of the surrounding water. According to folklore, however, it is a troll which has been turned into stone by the sunlight. Afterwards, you‘ll head further north and spend the night in the Vatnsnes Peninsula.

Day 5

Goðafoss waterfall, frozen during the wintertime.

Day 5 - Myvatn Region

After your sunrise shots and breakfast you will head up North where there are plenty of epic sights to photograph. One of those is Goðafoss waterfall which is likely to be clad in ice around this time of year, making for a truly impressive sight. This is one of Iceland‘s most famous and beautiful falls, and according to the Icelandic sagas it was there that law speaker Þorgeir Þorkelsson, who settled the religious strife in Iceland at the time, threw the old idols of the Nordic gods, symbolising the end of paganism as an officially accepted religious custom. It is said that the fall takes it‘s name, “The Fall of the Gods“, from this act, but one can just as well agree with the name simply by witnessing the fall‘s sheer beauty. You will visit the famous lake Mývatn which is set with many small islands and pseudo craters. Close by is the dramatic, indeed chaotic lava field Dimmuborgir, from which a Norwegian symphonic metal band takes its name. Another testimony to how inspiring the scenery is, is the fact that the producers of the TV series Game of Thrones shot many of the scenes beyond the wall at the Mývatn area. Overnight at Mývatn. You will spend the evening in the Mývatn area.

Day 6

Goðafoss waterfall, as seen from a front-facing angle.

Day 6 - Waterfalls in North Iceland

On day 6, two more of Iceland‘s most beautiful waterfalls await you. On this day you‘ll travel by a super jeep towards the central highlands, where the highlights will be the waterfalls Aldeyjarfoss and Hrafnabjargafoss, both located in the mighty Skjálfandafljót river. Of note is the contrast between the huge black bent basalt columns at the 20 meter high Aldeyjarfoss and the whiteness of the fall. Hrafnabjargafoss similarly offers an impressive sight, immersed with snow and set with icy columns. These falls are a challenge to reach in winter but being clad in ice and snow, coupled with the contrast of the aforementioned colours at Aldeyjarfoss and a clear blue pool at its feet, they make for a photographing opportunity which is certainly worth the effort. Overnight, you will stay in accommodation in the Mývatn region.

Day 7

Day 7 - Geothermal Areas

You will be spending your day further exploring the majestic Mývatn region. You will get to explore the colourful geothermal area by Námaskarð mountain, an area that is alternatively known as Hverarönd or Hverir. There you can photograph the many solfataras and boiling mud pots, which are themselves surrounded by sulphur crystals. As the area gives off a lot of hot steam, caution is advised. Afterwards if you wish you will get to climb Hverfjall, one of the world‘s largest explosion craters, and have a great view of the wild snow-clad landscape. Altogether, this is a perfect day to explore and photograph stunning evidence of earth‘s inner powers. Once again, you will spend overnight in the Mývatn region.

Day 8

The Icelandic landscapes appear even more dramatic during the wintertime.

Day 8 - Return to Reykjavík

Today, you have further opportunities for photographing Goðafoss waterfall at sunrise before returning to Reykjavík, concluding your adventure with a shared dinner with your traveling companions. In the evening, you are free to stroll the city as you so desire, making sure to capture some fantastic urban shots of the capital's major landmarks. These include the likes of Hallgrímskirkja Lutheran Church, Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre, The Sun Voyager sculpture and the University of Iceland. In the evening, you will retire to accommodation in Reykjavík.

Day 9

Harpa Concert Hall is one of the most recognised landmarks in Iceland's Capital.

Day 9 - Departure

This will be your final day in Iceland. There is no doubt, however, that your portfolio will be now brimming with fantastic new photographs. After breakfast at the hotel, you will make your way back to the Keflavík International Airport, where you will board your flight home. Until your next visit to the land of ice and fire, we hope you've had a fantastic time!

Good to know

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

- We offer small group tours with a maximum group size of 10-12. 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

9-17 Feb 2025 -

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”.