Around Iceland Photography Workshop in winter

Capture all that the magic of winter has to offer on this 11 day photography workshop around Iceland! This is a great opportunity to photograph all of the beautiful sights on Iceland’s wonderful Ring Road as you chase the Northern Lights right around the country. There’ll be a chance to explore the deep and dark depths of crystal blue ice caves, as well as the gems of the south coast, including Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon and the diamond ice beach. What’s more – this tour will take you to places less-visited, such as the glorious volcanic landscapes surrounding Lake Myvatn in the north and the remote coastline and fishing villages of the Eastfjords. Take your skills to another level while learning all there is to know about photography, in-field and on location in this incredible arctic landscape! Whether you are a beginner, an amateur or a professional, this workshop promises to expand your landscape photography portfolio and to expose you to the stunning nature during winter in Iceland.

Few wonders will be missed over the eleven days. You will get to see the unbelievable Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, the diverse Lake Mývatn region, the remote East Fjords, as well as a wealth of glaciers, volcanoes, hot-spring-areas and waterfalls. This tour is conducted by experienced, esteemed photo-guides throughout, who know all of the iconic shooting locations as well as many lesser-known spots, where you can capture unique images of the Icelandic nature far from any crowds. They are also experts in locating and shooting the aurora borealis.

Why book with us? We are a local tour operator and travel agency authorised by the tourism board of Iceland. All our guests get a free collection of post-processing videos from our award winning photographers worth over $1,500 On our tours we provide custom-built 4x4 super trucks to safely transport you to amazing locations and we provide 2 seats per photographer 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 on the field to make sure you will bring home stunning photos of Iceland. Regardless of whether you are an amateur photographer merely seeking to improve your skills, or a professional photographer aspiring to greatness, this tour will be of immeasurable value, both in what you shall learn and in how much your portfolio will expand. Do not miss your chance to photograph the crystal blue ice caves and dancing northern lights of Iceland, amongst many other sites. Check availability by choosing a date.Part of the appeal of this tour is that everything is arranged for you prior to arrival. Your transfers to and from the airport, all your accommodation, and the driving from destination to destination will all be already organised, allowing to focus simply on your camera-work and the beauty that surrounds you.

You’ll arrive at Keflavik International Airport and use the supplied ticket to make your way by FlyBus to our hotel in Reykjavik. There will be some time for you to rest, or you can explore the city at your leisure, before meeting up with your guides and the rest of your group for dinner at a local restaurant in the evening. During dinner, your guides will go over the itinerary for the days ahead and you’ll have the opportunity to get to know your fellow travellers a little bit better before retiring for the night, eager for the adventure to begin!

Our adventure begins early as we board our specially-modified 4x4 vehicle and make our way towards the stunning south coast of Iceland – a region steeped in breathtaking scenery marked by waterfalls, volcanoes, black sand beaches, glaciers and more.

Our first stop will be at Seljalandsfoss, a beautiful waterfall that features a cavern behind it, allowing visitors to circle all around its cascade for incredible 360 degree views. If the sun is shining, then there may be a rainbow gracing the mist that billows forth.

Next up is its towering neighbour, Skogafoss. At 60 metres tall, this is one of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland. You’ll be able to walk right up to it for incredible shots of the water that plunges down from above, but prepared to be drenched! Surrounded by snow and ice, this waterfall almost freezes in winter, making for truly surreal and enchanting shots.

In the afternoon, we’ll make the most of Reynisfjara, where the basalt sea stacks Reynisdrangar rise forth from the Atlantic Ocean like strong pillars as the waves crash in. According to legend, these sea stacks are the petrified remains of two trolls that attempted to drag a masted ship to shore. You’ll have the chance to capture the history of this folklore as the sun begins to set upon the famous black sand beach. Depending on the conditions, you may be able to shoot at the spectacular cliffs of Dyrholaey – a 120 metre rock arch with sweeping views of the entire south coast. The area offers many compositions that are perfect for when the Northern Lights come out to play.

When you have filled up all your memory cards for the day, you’ll retire for the night in Vik.

On this day, we’ll make our way towards the beautiful Skaftafell Nature Reserve, a wilderness area within Iceland's Vatnajökull National Park. It is home to a number of huge glaciers, including Skaftafellsjökull and Svínafellsjökull. If the skies are clear, then we’ll be able to photograph the stunning view of Kristínartindar mountain, otherwise we will explore the nature reserve itself. One of the highlights of Skaftafell is the Svartifoss waterfall, which tumbles over black basalt columns and can sometimes become completely frozen during the wintertime, making for incredible photos.

In the evening, we’ll catch our first glimpse of the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon, where we will spend our time photographing the glorious icebergs that float within its still waters before cruising slowly out to sea. At the nearby ice beach, the icebergs wash back up ashore, glittering like diamonds upon the black sand beach as the sun sets upon the horizon. This area is particularly photogenic when illuminated by the mysterious glow of the Northern Lights.

You will retire for the night in the Jokulsarlon area.

We’ll get off to a very exciting start on day four, as we venture into the depths of Europe’s largest glacier and explore an ice cave within Vatnajokull National Park! Ice cave photography can be difficult with little light reaching inside, so we will take our time and make the most of what these natural wonders have to offer. You’ll learn how to work your camera in low-light to capture the brilliant blue hues of the icy cave walls, fascinating ice formations and pristine patterns in the snow.

After this, we’ll head further east towards Iceland’s own “Batman” mountain of Vestrahorn, aptly named for its peaks that resemble the comic superhero himself. Compositions abound at this picturesque mountain, with gorgeous sand dunes at its base and a black sand beach that catches the entire reflection of the mountain when the remaining water is still after the waves retreat with the tide.

Later on, there will be a splendid opportunity to explore a little-visited glacier lake known as Fjallsarlon. Here, the glacier Fjallsjökull reaches down to the water in the lake as icebergs drift across the surface. Meanwhile, Vatnajokull towers in the background in all its glory.

For sunset, we’ll head back to the serenity of Jokulsarlon and the adjacent ice beach. With any luck, we’ll be able to capture the Northern Lights gracing the sky over this beautiful area before retiring for the night in the Jokulsarlon area.

There is so much to cover at the Vatnajokull National Park and conditions may not have allowed us to see everything, so this day is dedicated to revisiting some stunning locations within the Skaftafell Nature Reserve, as well as capturing the glorious icebergs at Jökulsárlón, Fjallsárlón and the diamond ice beach. In addition, your guides will take you to some lesser known locations within the south east, for truly unique photos of the landscape in Iceland that are off the beaten track.

You’ll retire for one last night in the Jokulsarlon area.

On day six, we’ll begin our drive towards the wild and remote wilderness of the Eastfjords. The scenery will captivate you with the natural beauty of seascapes and stunning views of Vatnajokull in the distance. During this time of year, seals and reindeer may be spotted along the coast, as we make our way past the sleepy fishing villages towards the town of Egilsstaðir, reaching it by the evening.

If the aurora forecast looks promising, then we’ll capture it elegantly dancing over lake Lagarfljót or from Iceland’s largest forest, Hallormsstaðaskógur.

You’ll retire for the night in Egilsstaðir.

On this day, we’ll be making our way towards the Northern Lights capital of Iceland, Lake Myvatn. Situated in the north, its volcanic landscape features a spectacular geothermal area with boiling mud pots and fumaroles.

Along the way, we’ll stop by the magnificent Dettifoss, reputed to be the most powerful waterfall in all of Europe. It makes for stunning photography in winter, when the snow-covered surrounds provide a kind of solitude that contrasts the intense flow of the water thundering forth. Nearby are Hafragilsfoss and Selfoss, two beautiful waterfalls in the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon that flow into the river Jökulsá á Fjöllum, gushing towards the Arctic sea.

After photographing these waterfalls, we’ll continue our journey towards the north, making it to Myvatn just in time for sunset. With any luck, the Northern Lights will dance once again and we’ll capture them over this enchanting otherworldly landscape.

There is so much to explore at Lake Myvatn, from desolate explosion craters to bubbling mud pools and geothermal caves. It’s no wonder that many of the locations in this area were used for the popular TV series, Game of Thrones! Fans may recognise Mance Rayder’s Wildling Camp at the ‘lava fortress’ of Dimmuborgir, a place where strange rock formations resemble a fort. We’ll also make a trip to the steamy hot-spring cave of Grjótagjá, where the love scene between Jon Snow and Ygritte took place.

In the afternoon, we’ll head towards the north side of Lake Myvatn, towards the foothills of Mt Námaskarð and the Hverir geothermal area. Despite being winter, the hot sulfuric water bubbles beneath the Earth here, spewing forth from mud springs, solfataras and fumaroles. It will be the perfect setting for when the aurora spreads across the night sky, illuminating the martian landscape with its pale green glow.

You’ll retire for the night in the Myvatn area.

On this day, we’ll head north towards the fjords and the mountains of the spectacular Tröllskagi Peninsula. There will be sweeping views of the longest fjord in Iceland, Eyjafjörður, which stretches inland for 60km. Our highlights today will be the gargantuan Highland waterfalls, Goðafoss and Aldeyjarfoss, swathed in the beauty of their winter snow coats.

Winter is the best time to see Goðafoss, when heavy snow blankets the banks of the icy Skjálfandafljót river into which it flows. Further upstream, Aldeyjarfoss offers up numerous compositions, surrounded by icy basalt columns that resemble a large bowl of organ pipes.

In the afternoon, we will head back to Myvatn for a sunset shoot.

You will retire for the evening in Myvatn.

This will be our final day together in Iceland and although it will mainly consist of driving, there will be numerous stops along the way, allowing you to capture the rest of the glorious sights along Iceland’s picturesque Ring Road.

Our first stop will be at the “drinking dragon”, Hvitserkur – a basalt rock formation standing out at sea along the eastern shore of the Vatnsnes Peninsula. There will also be many chances along the way to photograph the cheeky personalities of the beautiful Icelandic horses that belong to the farm houses in the countryside.

We’ll make a stop at Hraunfossar and Barnafoss, two of the most unique waterfalls in Iceland, which are even more beautiful during the winter. The former is actually a series of small rivulets that trickle out from beneath the Hallmundarhraun lava field into the Hvítá river below, whereas the latter has been created by water pushing through a narrow gorge. The snow covered lava cliffs create a magnificent contrast at both.

As we begin to near the villages of Reykholt and Borgarnes, we’ll stop by Deildartunguhver, the highest-flowing hot spring in Europe. We’ll eventually reach Reykjavik in the evening, where we’ll have a final dinner together as a group before bidding the adventure farewell!

We strongly recommend you to get a Trip Cancellation & Travel Insurance after booking your trip. If you cancel and the Workshop is otherwise filled, we will refund you the full amount you have paid towards the tuition, minus a $300 service charge. If you cancel and the Workshop does not fill, then you will be refunded according to the following schedule, based on the full fee of the Workshop:

Greater than 90 days from the start date of the Workshop: full refund minus $300 service fee.

75 days or more: 75% refund

60 days or more: 50% refund

Less than 60 days: no refund

Refunds will be paid by the same method that the original payment was made.

We highly recommend that you get a travel and medical insurance. Your own domestic government 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.