Iceland Holiday: A Dream come True
Wonderfully modernistic structures at a geothermal power plant in rural Iceland.
Have you dreamed of an Iceland holiday? I know I did. But it was many years before I had the opportunity to undertake my first Iceland sighting and photography adventure.
I’ve had the good fortune to return to Iceland, to run a landscape photography tour, and I can’t wait until my next visit.
I’d long wanted to travel to Iceland. Initially it probably had more to do with the name of the country as much as anything else. Let’s face it Iceland is a pretty exotic sounding country.
I remember when I was a kid that one of my friend’s sisters had worked in a fish factory in Iceland. While that’s not such an exotic notion, at least I knew it was possible to get there from Australia.
Over recent years Iceland has become one of the world’s hotspots for great nature and landscape photography. But does Iceland’s reputation live up to the reality for the travel photographer?
I wasn’t disappointed, on either of my trips. Iceland is both spectacular and sublime and it’s heaven for enthusiastic landscape photographers.
A dramatic mountain backdrop dwarfs farm buildings in rural Iceland.
Iceland Terrain and Climate
The landscape of Iceland is varied. Green around the coastal fringe with more rugged terrain as you move inland and up into the Highlands region of the country.
This photo of farm buildings dwarfed by a dramatic mountain background emphasizes the lush yet rugged terrain you’ll find along parts of the south coast of Iceland.
Notice how I’ve utilized scale to emphasize the power of the landscape. Those farm buildings seem tiny in relation to the landscape rising up behind them.
I also employed a telephoto focal length to compress visual space in the image to further emphasize the shapes and textures in the near vertical mountain background.
While it’s true that Iceland experiences cold winters and cool summers, the Gulf Stream ensures winters are more mild than most places at a similar latitude.
My own, personal preference would be for a warmer climate. But, given the opportunities for fantastic landscape photography, Iceland’s climate is perfectly acceptable.
And that’s particularly the case in summer when long days and mild temperatures are perfectly suited to hiking adventures.
There are said to be 1,000 waterfalls in the country, many of which are situated close to main roads and, as such, are relatively easy to access.
The fact that visiting these iconic sites isn’t too difficult is great. Nonetheless, as Iceland has become such a mecca for tourists, it’s worthwhile trying to photograph a few waterfalls that are off the beaten track.
It can be a bit disconcerting vying for a place to set up your tripod with a line of other photographers jostling for position either side of you.
At such heavily visited sites the best thing you can do is to arrive very early in the day. You’ll most certainly want to schedule your visit outside the times tour buses are most likely to arrive.
Alternatively, make use of the extended daylight hours during the Icelandic summer and visit these locations after your evening meal.
On my first trip to Iceland I did a lot of my photography either side of midnight.
About To Travel?
The alternative, in addition to visiting the iconic sites, is to check out some waterfalls that are off the beaten track.
I think you’ll find photographing these quieter locations to be more contemplative, which will allow you to slow down, chill and enjoy the experience.
Being the only person at a remote landscape location is an amazing experience. It allows you to make the kind of photos you want to make unhindered.
However, if you hurt yourself or experience car problems you could be in serious trouble. Please ensure you have a backup plan (spare car keys, extra clothing, water and food) with you or the time.
And be particularly careful when treading close to cliff tops or the water’s edge. People have been known to die in search of that elusive selfie.
Ice and feather on the black sand beach near the famous Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon.
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach
The famous Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is a wonderful place to explore and photograph icebergs, up close.
An organized zodiac trip on the lagoon will allow you to photograph the icebergs, which have broken free from the one thousand year old Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier, from a safe, but relatively close distance.
Those icebergs then float across the massive Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and continue on for a short distance to the sea.
Some of the smaller icebergs find their way onto Diamond Beach a black sand beach on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.
As you can see it’s possible to make beautiful photos, from a very low angle of view, as the sun shines through the ice enhancing it’s already luminous qualities.
The lower perspective you’ll achieve when photographing on your haunches, or by lying down on the sand, will ensure the icebergs look even more majestic in your photos.
Just be careful approaching the shoreline. It would be so easy for a breaking wave to soak your camera and lens with salt water. Not only that, you might also be washed out to sea here.
Cold, blue light illuminating icebergs at the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon in Iceland.
The melting of the Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier created the Glacier Lagoon in 1935. The lagoon now measures around 18 km2.
As well as being a popular place for sightseers and photographers, Jökulsárlón is also famous as a location in the James Bond films Die Another Day and A View to a Kill, as well as Lara Croft - Tomb Raider.
Iceland has plenty of hot springs, geysers, mud pools and other such phenomenas to keep the geologically minded fascinated.
While far from the only landscape location worth visiting in Iceland, Jökulsárlón really should be on everyone’s itinerary.
What’s more you’d want to spend at least half a day there to fully explore and appreciate this truly amazing location.
A replica of a Viking village in a dramatic setting near Höfn in rural Iceland.
Iceland Viking Culture
The people of Iceland are interesting. The men are mostly big and strong while the women display a natural beauty.
In saying that it’s also true that I met several Icelandic gals who were big enough to snap me like a twig.
Icelanders come, originally, from Norwegian Viking stock and are said to have the purest blood line in the world. No doubt that’s a consequence of living in such an isolated part of the world.
It’s said that Norse settlers began migrating to Iceland in the second half of the 9th century.
The first to have deliberately sailed to Iceland is said to have been Hrafna-Flóki Vilgerðarson whom we know as Flóki from the popular series Vikings.
What It Is To Be Icelandic
I’ve found Icelanders to be very approachable, though often a little shy initially.
They’re hard workers and proud of their very unique identity, wrought through an independent nature and an excellent work ethic.
Young adults in the larger towns, particularly Reykjavik, are quite cosmopolitan and most speak English reasonable well.
The music, photography and film scene is quite contemporary and experimental, yet traditionally Icelandic folk are said to be quite conservative with the majority claiming a Lutheran Christian faith.
Despite this 10 percent of the population describe themselves as atheists, placing Iceland in the top 10 atheist populations in the world.
Iceland, Where Trolls Roam Free
To make matters even more interesting it’s said that around half the population believe in the existance of trolls.
And you might as well if, like me, you start seeing faces appearing (naturally) in cliff faces around the country.
These quirky geological formations are really quite extraordinary and probably go someway towards explaining some of the local myths that have survived over the centuries.
The people of Iceland are wonderful, yes. Easy to define, no.
Reeds and their reflections form abstract designs in a pond in rural Iceland.
Iceland | Living The Dream
I’m widely travelled, yet I still fall asleep most nights dreaming of Iceland. The country had such a profound impact on me.
I doubt that I’ve ever felt such an affinity for a landscape, nor felt so in touch with the weather as I do when I’m experiencing Iceland.
And the light is something else entirely. The word photography comes to us from Ancient Greek and translates as follows:
Light Writing
Drawing with Light
Painting with Light
It’s true to say that I’ve never experienced the transient, transforming and transcendental nature of light as intimately as I have when photographing Iceland.
That’s why I can’t wait until I return. Iceland, really is, a landscape photographer’s dream.
