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Home → Essays and Inspiration

Photographing in Iceland

By Spencer Cox 38 Comments
Last Updated On August 2, 2023

I still have Iceland on my mind. Over the past two weeks, I saw the greatest sunset and the strongest winds of my life; I walked through a pathless desert to the edge of a canyon, and I climbed a glacier lit by the midnight sun. Iceland is stark and surreal — reminding me of an alien planet more than any landscape I have seen before. It is nearly impossible to write a faithful article about such a country, and no photo could encompass the beauty of this magnificent island. Although I am working on a future page with more specific tips for photographing Iceland, this essay is more simple — a collection of my thoughts after the trip, alongside some of the photographs I took along the way.

Windswept Valley
Nikon D800e + 105mm f/2.8 @ 105mm, ISO 100, 1/500, f/9.0
Snæfellsnes Peninsula, West Iceland

To start, I should mention my schedule — or rather, my lack of schedule. Throughout fourteen days, my goal was to travel clockwise around the island with my dad, photographing some of the most wild landscapes in the world under the best light I could find. I was chasing light as much as I was chasing land; Iceland is known for being overcast and stormy, but its conditions vary constantly.

I slept in a tent for all but three nights. Actually, that is misleading; I slept in a tent for all but three days. To be awake during the best light, I flipped my schedule completely; instead of sticking to normal hours, I tended to sleep from about noon until eight at night.

Mountain Pass
Nikon D800e + 105mm f/2.8 @ 105mm, ISO 100, 1/6, f/9.0
Road to Seyðisfjörður, East Iceland

Iceland is located on the edge of the Arctic Circle, so it sees 24 hours of sun during parts of the year. In fact, I timed my visit specifically to coincide with the summer solstice. Why? During the longest days of the year, the Icelandic sunset stretches into sunrise; golden hour becomes, more accurately, golden eight-hours.

Many sunsets during my trip were foiled by clouds; it is Iceland, after all. But some nights were amazing, with pink and gold tones resting for hours across the horizon. Two nights before I left, the sunset arrived with a storm and lasted for more than an hour — the best hour of lighting I have ever witnessed.

Líttil
Nikon D800e + 50mm f/1.4 @ 50mm, ISO 100, 1/3, f/16.0
Höfn, Southeast Iceland

In retrospect, my nontraditional schedule was almost perfect. I ate when I was hungry, then slept when I was tired — and I saw amazing landscapes under perfect light along the way. Some of the most popular sites in Iceland, including the most powerful waterfall in Europe, were utterly empty when I visited in the middle of the night.

Camping for most of the trip, especially under 24 hours of daylight, I had no real need to be on a standard sleeping schedule. Although it was indeed harder to find food, the payoffs of lighter crowds and softer light made my schedule a wonderful decision. When I return to Iceland — and I certainly will return — I plan to live on the same schedule.

Blackout
Nikon D800e + 105mm f/2.8 @ 105mm, ISO 360, 1/80, f/2.8
Dettifoss, the most powerful waterfall in Europe, North Iceland

Part of the beauty of Iceland is that you can stop your car whenever you see something intriguing, and you will nearly always have one of the most beautiful backdrops in the world to complement your view.

I can hardly list the crazy stops I made on this trip — a reindeer, a rainbow, an Icelandic horse at sunrise, a foggy mountain pass, dozens of unnamed waterfalls, a sunbeam-dusted fjord, and the beautiful, moss-covered mountains of Þakgil. Stopping every twenty minutes may be inefficient, but I believe that it is one of the most worthwhile and personal ways to experience a country like Iceland.

Electric
Nikon D800e + 105mm f/2.8 @ 105mm, ISO 100, 1/10, f/16.0
þakgil, South Iceland

I also saw quite a bit of snow. Although my visit was late in June, Iceland’s tallest peaks and coldest valleys still looked as though they were stuck in mid-winter. Like liquid water, snow subtly reflects its surroundings and matches tones with the sky — and it is one of the most peaceful elements of any landscape.

One of my favorite images from the trip is a snowy abstract from Snæfellsjökull mountain. Hiking up the glacier on the side of this volcano was exhausting, but it was also one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Though this photo appears monochromatic, it is indeed a full-color image — that is the wonder of a snow-covered landscape in Iceland.

Solus
Nikon D800e + 105mm f/2.8 @ 105mm, ISO 100, 1/640, f/8.0
Snæfellsjökull, West Iceland

I did not expect to see such intense national pride from the people I met in Iceland. In every gas station, restaurant, shop, farmhouse, and grocery store, pictures of the Icelandic landscape lined the walls. The flag of Iceland, too, was placed prominently on everything from boats to chocolate bars — I felt that the Icelandic people truly loved their country, perhaps more so than the people of any other place I have been.

Maybe this pride exists because Icelanders depend so heavily on their land for their sustenance — everything from geothermal heating to tourism money stems from Iceland’s landscape. I like to think, though, that the connection between Iceland’s people and land is more profound.

Iceland is a community of less than 350,000 individuals, and they share one of the grandest and most beautiful places in the world. It makes sense to me that their buildings are filled with landscape images — this way, it is impossible to forget the beauty that is always around them.

Fjord Horse

Prior to my trip, I was surprised to see that I could not find any hidden-gem waterfalls mentioned online, despite hours of searching. Upon arriving, though, I soon realized my error — every part of Iceland is a hidden gem. There is no “secret falls” in Iceland; there are just waterfalls everywhere.

Nearly every mountain across the country has dozens of ten-story waterfalls cascading down its face, thin run-offs of melting ice that are as ubiquitous in the landscape as are Icelandic horses. If you want to photograph waterfalls in Iceland, it makes no difference where you are. Pull off to the side of the road, and you will have a magnificent waterfall in view more often than not.

Such a feeling — to see low-hanging fruit in every direction — is maddening and wonderful. As a photographer, it is impossible to do anything but appreciate such a landscape; these scenes are worthy of hours of photography, but it is impossible to visit them all. To travel through a world like Iceland will render you both spoiled and humbled.

Through the Orange Leaves
D800e + 105mm f/2.8 @ 105mm, ISO 100, 16/10, f/16.0
Barnafoss, West Iceland

In such a small area — roughly the size of Indiana — Iceland manages to hold nearly every landscape imaginable. Prior to the trip, I had heard that Greenland is icy, whereas Iceland is green. Anyone who makes this claim has never visited Iceland.

Iceland is blue, in its glaciers and icebergs. The northwestern desert is gray and brown — both the sky and the land. In the south, black and green run across the landscape, while the skies stay dark and stormy. Further, the Snæfellsnes peninsula is pastel in color, everything from the glacier to the rivers. Inland, Iceland’s volcanos are deep black and bright orange, glowing with light. And the snow is white, all across the country, though it subtly reflects the tones of the sky at dawn and dusk.

Iceland is not just green, and it is not just gray. Iceland is every possible color.

Reflections on Blue
Nikon D800e + 105mm f/2.8 @ 105mm, ISO 100, 16/10, f/16.0
Jökulsárlón, Southeast Iceland

Iceland taught me quite a bit. On my trip, I learned the best way to ford a river; I found the best way to approach a herd of reindeer without frightening them, and I realized the fun of living off a schedule. Every day I traveled, I felt like I was discovering something new.

I learned one thing, though, that matters more than the rest — something that I could not have known prior to the trip.

Iceland does not disappoint.

Dawn Arriving
Nikon D800e + 105mm f/2.8 @ 105mm, ISO 400, 0.8, f/9.0
Hellnar, West Iceland

In the near future, I will be publishing more photographs from Iceland on Photography Life — in the mean time, feel free to visit the landscape photography gallery on my website if you would like to see a few more images.

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Filed Under: Essays and Inspiration Tagged With: Landscape Photography, Travel

About Spencer Cox

I'm Spencer Cox, a landscape photographer based in Colorado. I started writing for Photography Life a decade ago, and now I run the website in collaboration with Nasim. I've used nearly every digital camera system under the sun, but for my personal work, I love the slow-paced nature of large format film. You can see more at my personal website and my not-exactly-active Instagram page.

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Vera
Vera
March 30, 2022 10:34 am

I went to Iceland with my daughter February 2007, we did the tour holiday which gave us a car, a map & pre-booked hotels. It was the most stunning holiday I’ve had, we took a few photos with little point n shoot camera. Looking at your photos brought back lovely memories thankyou

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Modes Rodriguez
Modes Rodriguez
July 10, 2015 12:40 pm

Tomorrow I’ll be coming back from my own two week holiday in this spectacular island. Can’t wait to come back in a darker season, haha.

If it’s of any help: I did a trip around the Island to see the highlights and a couple of accessible “hidden gems” and brought along a 18-35G paired with a D610 (it was the “beater” for when I wanted to get close to the waterfalls), a 24-120 attached to a D810 (will allow some cropping) and a Sammy 14/2.8. It’s been enough but at times I wished I had my telephoto. The Sammy was the only one that could get the craters or Seljalandsfoss’ back in one shot, but even though I would’ve enjoyed the convenience of a wider zoom I felt really comfortable in the 18-35mm range, if you’re not a sucker for UWA like me 24mm may just be enough.

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Spencer Cox
Spencer Cox
Author
Reply to  Modes Rodriguez
July 11, 2015 7:26 pm

Thank you for sharing your experiences! Some shots — Seljalandsfoss, Jokulsarlon, Kirkjufellsfoss — are only possible with an ultra-wide. Personally, I am able to compose images better in the 24mm+ range, but I think that most people would find Iceland to be one of the best places in the world for an UWA perspective.

~Spencer

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Jorge
Jorge
July 9, 2015 10:06 pm

Thank you for sharing such beautiful photos and the useful information about traveling in Iceland. I’ve been wanting to go to Iceland for a long time and the thing that worries me the most is the car rental situation over there. I’ve heard some horror stories about people having to pay for damage caused by nature, that the insurance wouldn’t cover, even though they had purchased the most comprehensive insurance when they rented the car. The information about this subject in travel books (Lonely Planet, etc) is very limited. How was your experience with car rental? Any advise?

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Spencer Cox
Spencer Cox
Author
Reply to  Jorge
July 11, 2015 7:28 pm

Thank you, Jorge!

I rented from a company called Blue Car Rental, and I was thoroughly impressed. They seemed the most lenient of all the companies I found, in terms of light damage covered by insurance. Other companies may be similar, but I can recommend Blue Car Rental without hesitation.

~Spencer

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Spencer Cox
Spencer Cox
July 7, 2015 9:32 am

Thank you for sharing the timelapse. I didn’t see any active volcanos on my trip — that is quite impressive.

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Spencer Cox
Spencer Cox
July 7, 2015 8:22 am

Beautiful photos — thank you for sharing this link. I especially like your images of the ice cave.

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Alpha Whiskey
Alpha Whiskey
July 7, 2015 3:00 am

Nice images, Spencer. Been to Iceland a couple of times and it’s a great place to shoot.

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Spencer Cox
Spencer Cox
Reply to  Alpha Whiskey
July 7, 2015 8:18 am

Thank you, Sharif! It’s definitely an amazing location, probably the best place I’ve ever been.

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Muhammad Omer
Muhammad Omer
July 6, 2015 10:59 pm

Great compositions spencer. Can you advise me on the best time of year to travel there? I might be travelling to scandinavia in october. Is that time of year too cold to visit iceland?

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Alpha Whiskey
Alpha Whiskey
Reply to  Muhammad Omer
July 7, 2015 8:00 am

Not too cold in October, more so in December to Feb. Best time to see the northern lights is around Feb/March, although they can be seen between September and March. First time I went in a February it was covered in snow (and quite beautiful), second time was also a February and hardly any snow.

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Spencer Cox
Spencer Cox
Reply to  Muhammad Omer
July 7, 2015 8:18 am

Thanks, Muhammad! Each season has something to offer (and I’ll be more detailed in my next post):

Winter – Snowy and dark, of course, but you get to see the northern lights. Plus, no one else will be at the most famous sites.

Spring – some highland roads are inaccessible, but the landscape is beautiful because it’s still dusted in snow. Still possible to see the northern lights, and there is more daylight.

Summer – 24 hours of daylight at the right time (mid-June), although some roads are still closed early in the season. July and August are more crowded, but all the roads should be open.

Fall – Similar to spring, but less snow in the landscape.

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Muhammad Omer
Muhammad Omer
Reply to  Spencer Cox
July 8, 2015 10:19 pm

Thanks Spencer and Sharif. Hows the terrain? Is it mostly flat or do you have to hike and climb a lot?

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Spencer Cox
Spencer Cox
Author
Reply to  Muhammad Omer
July 8, 2015 10:40 pm

Lots of climbing. Unless you’re planning to stop at nothing but the highlights, you’ll be hiking quite a bit. Almost everywhere in Iceland is hilly, but some places are better for hiking than others (i.e., slippery gravel versus grass).

It’s generally not dangerous terrain, but it can be strenuous.

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Linda S.B.
Linda S.B.
July 6, 2015 3:50 pm

Such a splendid share Spencer! I am immersed in your story, comments, and of course your images while taking a mid-afternoon break.

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Spencer Cox
Spencer Cox
Reply to  Linda S.B.
July 7, 2015 7:08 am

Thank you, Linda : )

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Siddhant Sahu
Siddhant Sahu
July 6, 2015 10:46 am

Iceland, one of my dream distination and some spectacular images spencer , love it :-)

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Spencer Cox
Spencer Cox
Author
Reply to  Siddhant Sahu
July 6, 2015 12:32 pm

Thank you, Siddhant! It was indeed an amazing country : )

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Jacobus DeWet
Jacobus DeWet
July 6, 2015 8:23 am

stunning images

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Spencer Cox
Spencer Cox
Reply to  Jacobus DeWet
July 6, 2015 8:36 am

Thank you, Jacobus! Iceland was a pretty inspiring place.

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