Iceland
Workshop: Day 1

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2023

Arrival In Iceland - Welcome Dinner

Welcome to Reykjavik! We will meet in the lobby of our host hotel at 5:00 pm with Serge and our local photography guide for introductions and a briefing on the workshop activities, then go from there to a nearby restaurant for a Welcome Dinner where we get to know each other and learn more what we will be doing during the coming week. After dinner, we will head out to capture the sunset and blue hour over the Solar Voyager sculpture and Hallgrimskirkja. Sunset will be at 8:05 pm and blue hour lasts until almost 10:00 pm.

Iceland
Workshop: Day 2

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2023

The South Coast Waterfalls & Black Sand Beaches

The adventure truly begins as we board a specialized, comfortable bus, and set off on our journey along the South Coast. This stretch is one of Iceland’s best photo routes with two of the country’s most famous attractions, the waterfalls Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss. The former stands at 63 meters tall and falls in a narrow cascade in front of a cavern; if the path is clear, we will be able to walk behind it and photograph the water from a unique angle. Skógafoss has no cavern behind it (outside of legend, where there is said to be a trove of hidden treasure), but is much more dramatic than Seljalandsfoss.

Though the same height, it is broader and more powerful, thundering to the earth and creating an enormous plume of mist. If the sun is shining, rainbows arch throughout the mist. We continue along the South Coast to the Reynisfjara black-sand-beach for a sunset shoot. This magical stretch of coastline has been voted one of the most beautiful non-tropical beaches in the world. The main subjects from Reynisfjara beach are the Reynisdrangar sea-stacks. These two basalt columns rise from the tumultuous ocean, 66 meters tall at the highest point, and are, according to folklore, the petrified remains of two trolls caught in the morning sun trying to pull a ship into shore. You will spend your second night at accommodation in the nearby, charming village of Vík. Overnight Hotel Katla.

Iceland
Workshop: Day 3

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2023

Vatnajokull National Park & Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon

Today we continue along the South Coast to Vatnajökull National Park, a vast area that contains many of Iceland’s greatest subjects for photography. You’ll spend several days in this diverse region. You can expect a range of subjects throughout the first part of this day, including lava landscapes, glacier tongues, waterfalls and desert-like stretches of black sands. The second part of the day will be focused on one location in particular, however: the mesmerizing Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. Jökulsárlón is often spoken of as ‘the crown jewel of Iceland’s nature’, due to its unreal beauty. Here, vividly blue icebergs break from the retreating glacier tongue Breiðamerkurjökull, some towering high above the water, and slowly cruise across the lake towards the ocean. Each one is unique and makes for a fascinating subject. Many seals call the lagoon home, and can be photographed either swimming in the azure water or hauling out on the ice. Adjacent to Jökulsárlón is Diamond Beach, named as such for the fact the icebergs wash up on the black sand. Photographing the contrasts between the ice, sand, and surf will result in some beautiful images. We spend the night in the Jökulsárlón area, and will hopefully be able to enjoy a northern lights photography session over the lagoon or beach, conditions allowing. Overnight Hotel Smyrlabjorg.

Iceland
Workshop: Day 4

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

Sunrise at Jokulsarlon

Sunrise finds us back at Jökulsárlón lagoon to take advantage of the changes under different lighting conditions, after which we head back to Diamond Beach for another shoot there. We spend another night in the Jökulsárlón area, with hopes for a good opportunity to capture the northern lights. Overnight Hotel Smyrlabjorg.

Iceland
Workshop: Day 5

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2023

Vestrahorn Mountain

We return to Diamond beach for a sunrise shoot then head further east along Iceland’s South Coast, out of Vatnajökull National Park, to Mt. Vestrahorn on the Stokksnes Peninsula. This is one of Serge’s favorite locations in Iceland, and we soon see why. The dramatic mountain is accented by dark black sand dunes, sea grasses and a picturesque cove/ beach area revealing the quintessential stark, barren and often haunting nature of Iceland’s landscapes. We will stay here through sunset when Vestrahorn becomes shadowy and even more atmospheric. As night falls, we hope once more to capture the northern lights, this time with the mountain as your foreground. If the auroras are dancing when we return to the hotel, we’ll visit Jökulsárlón to capture them. Overnight Hotel Smyrlabjorg.

Iceland
Workshop: Day 6

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2023

Skaftafell Nature Reserve and Vik Village

Today we visit the spectacular Skaftafell Nature Reserve. This area is so beautiful that it was once a National Park in its own right before the newly formed Vatnajökull National Park absorbed it. We’ll spend the majority of the day shooting its many sites including glacier tongues and lagoons, mountains, ice caps, forests, river systems and waterfalls. After capturing the magic of this beautiful reserve, we will head back to the South Coast, returning to Reynisfjara beach for another sunset shoot. As always, we look for the opportunity to capture the northern lights again tonight. Overnight Hotel Katla.

Iceland
Workshop: Day 7

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2023

The Golden Circle & Back To Reykjavik - Farewell Dinner

Day seven is your final full day of photography, and you will spend it shooting three of Iceland’s most famous sites: Þingvellir National Park, the Geysir Geothermal Area, and Gullfoss Waterfall, all found the on Golden Circle Route. Þingvellir is the only UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Icelandic mainland and is where the early residents formed their first parliament in 930 AD. While the history of this place is inspiring, the landscapes are our focus. Our subjects here are the valley walls marking the edges of the continents, the lava fields that fill the area from eruptions in centuries past, and the many ravines filled with crystal clear spring water, opened by earthquakes in the area. Iceland’s largest natural lake, Þingvallavatn, is a beautiful subject with its surrounding mountains.

The Geysir geothermal area is our opportunity to photograph Iceland’s seething geothermal activity. The area is dotted with many fumaroles, hot springs and mud-pots, the earth is vividly colored by the elements rising from the crust, and there are mighty geysers on site. We will have plenty of chances to shoot Strokkur, which erupts every five to ten minutes to heights which exceed twenty meters. Our final subject will be one of Iceland’s most recognisable and renowned sites: Gullfoss waterfall. This incredible feature, the name of which translates to the ‘Golden Waterfall’, is immensely powerful, thundering in two tiers into a dramatic, ancient canyon. There are several platforms from which we can photograph the waterfall’s ominous strength. When the sun is shining, we can capture the colorful rainbows dancing in the spray. Returning to Reykjavík we celebrate the amazing images we captured and new friends made at our Farewell Dinner. Overnight Fosshotel Reykjavik.

Iceland
Workshop: Day 8

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2023

Transfer On Own To Keflavik Airport

Departure day 🛫

Again, we recommend using the FlyBus Plus.