Complete Iceland Photography Road Trip Guide

Iceland is somewhat of a beast and it’s a place where nature reigns supreme. In-between the extreme, and at times challenging weather conditions lies a place of unrivaled beauty, and epic scale. It’s also a place that we’ve visited numerous times and will continue to visit many more.

As a photographer you’re in for a real treat as there’s not many other places that offers the same variety of landscapes as Iceland. There’s volcanoes, seascapes, mountains, glaciers and icebergs to name just a few. If you have time after exploring and photographing this incredible country try to finish off your trip by relaxing in one of the many natural hot springs around the country, you won’t be disappointed!

If you’re planning a photography trip to Iceland make sure you’re flexible with your itinerary and bear in mind you wont be able to get ideal conditions everywhere.

The first time we visited Iceland was early in the month of September and we had plans to explore the highlands, however most of the F-roads (mostly gravel roads that only 4x4s can use) and mountain roads became impassible due to early snowfall, so we had to change our plans accordingly.

Iceland is a fantastic country to visit any time of the year and each season offers something different. If you’re short on time or on a budget maybe mid May to mid June is a good time to visit as you’ll experience longer daylight hours thanks to the midnight sun. If you want a good chance to see the northern lights and still want to be able to access most of the country then September may be a good month to visit.

Picking up a rental car or camper

The first thig you’re going to want to do when arriving at the airport is to collect a rental car or camper. Every time we visit Iceland we pick up a 4×4 camper, for us this is the best way to visit the country with the upmost flexibility. Having a 4×4 will allow you access into the highlands and you’ll be able to drive on the countries many F-roads which are some of the most beautiful and scenic roads to drive.

Having a camper in particular will allow you more options when it comes to comfort and photography. You will be able to cook and eat food on the go, and camp by popular spots for sunrise, whilst beating the crowds and tours in many places. You will also be able to charge multiple devices on the move with the help of an inverter, most campers come with these and you can rent extra inverters off the rental companies. Camp sites for the most part are well equipped with many providing hot showers, good toilet facilities and electricity.

Our top tips for your photography trip to Iceland

Bring a wide angle lens, telephoto lens and drone. Don’t forget to pack plenty of ND filters and a polarizer for your drone and lenses.

Plan your trip carefully around the seasons and manage your expectations.

Book your camper or vehicle well in advance as they sell out and prices become way more expensive!

Pack plenty of layers as at any time of the year the weather can be extreme and unpredictable.

Keep camera batteries close to your body in pockets as the cold weather will drain them even when you’re not using them.

If you’re visiting during winter pack some crampons as many of the paths, trails and roads are icy.

I would also recommend packing a pair of wellies or buying a pair at a Sports Direct store in Iceland. If you’re planning on getting some nice waterfall images or getting up close in the shallow waters then a pair of wellies will come in handy!

Before driving always check the road and weather conditions. Use road.is for the roads and vedur.is for the weather conditions.

The Golden Circle

We’ve explored the golden circle on two separate trips, once in early autumn and once in winter. When we visited in the thick of winter it was like a white-knuckle ride of black ice and blizzard-like conditions, so we didn’t get to see much unfortunately. The first trip however was during the start of the pandemic and the place was pretty much deserted, this allowed us to photograph the geysers and other areas with nobody else around. Usually there’s 100’s of people just surrounding the geysers at any given time so prepare yourself for the crowds here!

Bruarfoss is my personal favourite place to visit in the golden circle. I really enjoy the short hike (around 40 minutes) to get here and the reward of seeing this stunning waterfall at the end, yes the water really is that blue!

We also tried to visit Bruarfoss in winter but when we started our hike the snow was just way too deep, it would have taken us forever to reach it so we had to turn back unfortunately. I can imagine it’s a great contrast seeing this waterfall surrounded by snow with the crystal blue waters that flow here.

Reykjanes Peninsula

Reykjanes Peninsula is located on the south west of Iceland and is around a 40 minute drive from Reykjavik. We only touched base here on our last visit, but it definitely has some interesting coastal scenery and rock formations to photograph, It’s also a colourful geothermal area with bubbling mud pots and steam vents.

You’ll also find the Blue Lagoon here. It’s not too far from the airport, so if you have a late flight it’s definitely worth spending some time in this area before flying home.

The picture below is a drone shot from the Gunnuhver Hot Springs area, it’s a place I recommend checking out if you’re interested in seeing some geothermal activity.

Make sure to visit some of the countries hot springs to relax after a long day of exploration. We highly recommend the Blue Lagoon and although it can get busy, it is huge and never felt crowded. To top it off there’s a bar, so you can enjoy a nice cold beer or cider while you’re soaking in the hot waters.

South Coast

I really enjoy the look and mood of Skogafoss Waterfall, and it’s a great place to visit and photograph all year round with the varying weather conditions. There’s just so much to play around with here in terms of composition and the type of images you can get.

There’s a campsite right next to the waterfall and you can literally drive right up to the place with just a short 5 minute walk to the base of the waterfall. For photography I recommend using a polarizer and ND filter to capture a nice smooth movement in the water. You could also use a telephoto lens to pick out some of the details around the waterfall like the picture I took of the icicles.

The town of Vik and the Reynisfjara black sand beach are a must see on the south coast and there’s plenty to photograph here. You could re-visit here several times and always shoot something different with the constantly changing conditions. I’m yet to photograph the stormy conditions on the beach that I was hoping for….maybe next time.

Fjadrarglijufur Canyon is another great place to add to your list, and if you’re driving to the glacier lagoon from Vik, it’s an easy stop off along the way.

It’s a great scene to photograph, however I personally think it’s best portrayed in a drone shot. When photographing this canyon I would recommend playing around with different compositions and also trying from both ends of the canyon for some different results. You don’t need too much time here as you can drive right up to the canyon and there are walkways that take you easily around it.

The Diamond Beach is another popular location to photograph, however I must advise to be very cautious and watch for rogue waves. Whilst we were here I saw 2 other photographers nearly lose their camera gear as their tripods got swept up in the fast and unpredictable currents.

Its a great place to visit but also set your expectations as sometimes there isn’t much ice on the beach, or the tide may not be right for the type of images you’re after.

Personally the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon is one of our favourite places to spend time and to photograph.

I remember camping just off the shore of the lagoon listening to the sounds of creaking ice and the thunderous thuds in the distance as chunks of ice broke away from the glacier. Before breakfast we sat watching the seals fishing around the icebergs as we drunk our morning coffee – pretty epic memories for sure!

The whole area’s a great place for photography, there’s hiking trails around the lagoon, glacial views and ice caves to explore. When it comes to the northern lights it also makes a pretty unique place for photographs as you can incorporate icebergs, mountains, and lagoons into the foreground.

One of my favourite photographs from Iceland is this one below, which was taken from an ice cave in September. To capture this image I used a polarizing filter to reduce some surface glare and bring out the details in the ice.

 

 

Vestrahorn is another top place to visit in Iceland, and it’s a great place to point your lens at any time of the year!

I really enjoy spending time around this mountain and the mountains further east of Vestrahorn. The mountains dynamically change with the light and weather conditions and there’s many compositions to play around with here.

Vestrahorn is also a great place for photographing the northern lights as you can incorporate the mountain and use some of the reflective surfaces to mirror the lights.

If you have a drone it’s a perfect place to fly it as you can really capture the size and drama of these mountains with a drone.

Snaefellsnes Peninsula

Snaefellsnes Peninsula is just a short 2 hour drive from Reykjavick, and it’s a place that we always revisit on trips to Iceland. The iconic Kirkjufell is always a pleasure to see and photograph but it’s also the lesser known spots here that we love to explore.

There’s plenty to see here, trust me, there’s caves, gorges, beaches and museums to name just a few places of interest.

Here you can see two very different views of Kirkjufell. It’s amazing how a slightly different angle can reveal such differences in the mountains shape.

The iconic black church of Budir is a great place to start your day and hopefully catch a sunrise on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. The church dates back to the early 1700’s and is positioned with mountain ranges on one side and the coast on the other, it really is a picturesque setting.

A short drive from this iconic church there is also another small red and white church which we love to visit and the surreal location makes for some pretty interesting photographs.

Into The Highlands

The highlands offers up some amazing scenery. In fact probably some of the most spectacular and varied landscapes in the country. Unfortunately we’ve yet to explore much of this area as both times we visited the roads were inaccessible due to snow and ice. This remains the same throughout much of the year and if you’re planning to visit this part of Iceland the window is limited to 2-3 months of the year.

We tried to drive some of the highlands in September as the roads were still open, however after getting part of the way there was the first snowfall and we got stuck in deep snow before making our way carefully back down from the highlands.

I love the vibrant green colours of these mosses that grow on the dormant volcanic craters, and the whole area looks completely otherworldly.

The North

The north of Iceland is a place that should definitely take some of your attention. It’s definitely a place we will be exploring more of on our next trip as there are some real gems to see here! There’s also some lovely small towns and fishing villages to explore in the north of Iceland once you’re done photographing the main sights.

Here’s two distinctly different images of Godafoss waterfall taken at different times of the year, I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t my favourite waterfall in Iceland.

The East

The east is less frequented by visitors to Iceland given its distance from Reykjavik but it has so much to offer and photograph! We personally like to escape the more crowded areas anyway and the Eastfjords are my favourite place to drive in Iceland, the views are epic at every turn! There’s also some interesting rock formations to explore and epic waterfalls to visit in the east.

Hengifoss waterfall was our favourite place to visit in east Iceland and we really enjoyed the scenic hike through the valleys there. The autumn colours in the surrounding landscapes where in full swing which made it even more beautiful.

I particularly like the different colours from the Basaltic Strata and red clay and while it’s a great waterfall to photograph, it’s definitely best captured by drone, where you can incorporate some of the surrounding layers to add depth and scale.

Photographing The Northern Lights

We’ve been fortunate enough to photograph the northern lights numerous times in Iceland. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the first time we saw them completely secluded at Vestrahorn sat on the edge of the camper during a perfectly clear night. Epic!

There was a crazy solar storm during our first visit (kp 6+), I’m not lying when I tell you we literally chased the light show to photograph it in some pretty epic locations. It was the most intense auroras I’ve even seen as the sky literally exploded into green and red hues, which danced all around us at very fast speeds.

To photograph the northern lights you’ll need a good lens, preferably f 2.8 or lower and ISO 1,000 – 3,000.

I recommend using a slow shutter speed, most of my images were taken at shutter speeds of 1-4 seconds. These settings are just guidelines though as the northern lights can vary greatly in intensity so you will have to adjust your shutter speed and ISO accordingly.

It’s important to set your expectations with the northern lights as low activity will be hard to see, and might appear as pale white in the sky. The camera will pick up the northern lights better than your eyes so don’t give up on photographing them if the activity is lower.

I really enjoy trying to capture the northern lights as you never quite know what you’re going to get. The auroras are constantly changing and it’s sometimes a battle to try and find a nice foreground or composition to put together an image. Partial moon-light can play to your advantage as it really lights up the foreground and helps you at times to reduce your ISO and shutter speed. If it’s really dark skies and you want a subject or foreground try and use a soft-light or torch and do some light painting.