Testimonials

The “Around Iceland Winter Workshop” in March was fantastic. !! From the very beginning with the registration and all related questions, I felt happy. Johann answered very quickly, short and precise. Aron guided his 10 british-american-australian-pakistani-german shooters in a very professional way: – as an experienced driver with the Monster Truck onroad and offroad. – knowing the best (and hidden) spots of HIS Iceland, combined with the knowledge for the best light conditions for sunrise – sunset – northern lights…. – with profound knowledge about vulcanology and glaciology, agriculture and history, as well of the daily life under hard climatic conditions. – as a photographer giving individual advice and guidance for composing good shots – at any time prepared to assist The overall organisation was great: – very good selected Hotels and Guesthouses – good meals ( lunch in different types of Restaurants) Each islandic crown was good invested! Thank you all for a wonderful experience!

Very few know it as well, as well as someone who grew up playing in the canyons, shores, waterfalls and geo thermal pools as Native Skarpi Thrainsson. The first trip I met Skarpi on, he was full of stories of places he wanted me to see. After several years and many trips he’s still telling me about more locations he wants to take me, something only someone who loves the wilderness will do! Skarpi is also a remarkable photographer, with many spectacular images that only a local could create. He has a remarkable talent for finding great locations at the right time, a skill he acquired on his own. It is an honor to know this true “Viking” and have shared some great memories of Iceland with.

“If you want to see all the beautiful places in Iceland, and capture them in your camera to show the folks back home, take a tour with a professional photographer! I toured with Skarpi and it was AMAZING!!! Not only do I have beautiful images but I learned SOOOO much about my camera that I never learned from the manual. Skarpi is a great photographer and a fun tour guide. Look him up and take a tour! Visited October 2014”

If you want to see all the beautiful places in Iceland, and capture them in your camera to show the folks back home, take a tour with a professional photographer! I toured with Skarpi and it was AMAZING!!! Not only do I have beautiful images but I learned SOOOO much about my camera that I never learned from the manual. Skarpi is a great photographer and a fun tour guide. Look him up and take a tour!

I have recently returned from the January Aurora Borealis photo workshop. I wholeheartedly can recommend this trip. Skarpi’s a caring, interested tour guide. He treats his guests with great consideration, is knowledgeable about Iceland and photography, and is flexible in making adjustments necessitated by weather.

Just returned from the Autumn Workshop 2017 with Skarpi (and his vehicle!) in Iceland. What a fabulous experience. Every day was an adventure! Skarpi quietly and unobtrusively made sure everyone was happy. The accommodation he chose for us was just perfect, and the food was always delicious. It did help that we had good weather, GREAT Northern lights, champagne at sunset with an arctic fox trotting by. We had a great group of people who were kind, considerate, and helpful which helped to make this the adventure of a lifetime. I learnt quite a few new things on the photography front, and I have come away with some great shots. For my personal interest, I may leave out more of the “iconic” sights as they are quite full of tourists and there is plenty to photograph and see without them, but that is a very personal perspective. Thanks Johann and Skarpi for a well organized, happy week!!

It’s an excellent company in Iceland. Great infrastructure with brand new modified vehicles that allows you to go to exclusive places where other regular vehicles can’t reach. Special congratulations to our guide/driver Aron Reynisson that guided us safely and gave us a lot of photography tips during the tour. He was unwearying chasing the best light and the best spot to fulfil the group expectations. It’s really important a guide that was born and raised in Iceland, to know about the culture, habits, history, weather forecast, northern lights, road conditions, etc. is truly essential… This is possible only with an experienced and professional local guide. The tour ran flawlessly and I strongly recommend this to get the best of Iceland in your memories. Awesome!

“The photo tour with Skarpi through the Golden Circle was wonderful! Not only did I get to see some absolutely stunning scenery, but I truly learned a lot about photography techniques from Skarpi. Although I’m not entirely novice, I certainly am no expert, so his tutelage was exceptionally appreciated. He helped me with everything from camera settings to composition, compensating for a dull sky, and even gave me some tips for shooting the northern lights for later that night (which, thanks to him, I actually managed to do fairly well). He has a great sense of humor and was very easy going and patient with me when I didn’t know everything. Overall, it was a great day, great learning experience and well worth all the money. I highly recommend both Iceland Aurora and Skarpi, especially if you have the ability to do a one-on-one tour as I did – absolutely fantastic! Visited February 2014”

“Iceland has always been a dream destination, so when the opportunity arose to travel there I wanted to maximise my photographic opportunities. Luckily I found Skarpi! My friend and I were so fortunate to have Skarpi as our private guide around South Iceland in summer. As a native Icelander, Skarpi knows the roads and locations like the back of his hand, enabling us to visit the right locations at the best times and always with consideration of the weather. His easy-going nature and sense of humour married well with his professionalism, and his flexibility was a huge bonus. Skarpi expertly drove and guided us, set up camp and rocked a mean barbecue! Camping was great fun and was extremely comfortable. A professional photographer, his images are beautiful and truly inspiring. His advice about what to bring to Iceland, and how best to capture the best images in each location was invaluable. I learned so much about Iceland on this tour – the country, the people, and of course the photographic locations. Because of Skarpi, we were able to view and shoot stunning locations in the best light and from the best aspects. I am thrilled with the images I have taken home and can’t wait to get to Iceland again. I would highly recommend Skarpi for your private or group tour.

Thanks again Skarpi!”

If you are giving the slightest thought to going on a photo tour with this company, just stop thinking and sign up right this moment. From the initial reservation process to arranging details of the trip, Johann is excellent in assisting you with whatever concerns and problems you might have. He is very responsive and goes out of his way to help things go as smoothly as possible. As for the trip itself, I took the 10 day highlands trip with Orvar as my guide. Aside from being a very accomplished photographer, he is a wealth of information about all things Iceland. He is excellent in dealing with weather conditions and getting you to the right spot for the best possible weather and light conditions in which to photograph. I usually prefer planning photography trips on my own and have spent 5 weeks in Iceland without a guide, but I can say that the 10 days that I spent with Orvar, were the best 10 days I had in Iceland

“I have just returned from a photo Tour of North Iceland in the Winter with our guide Skarpi. We were lucky enough to have one glorious night of the Aurora which completed our trip nicely. Skarpi is a wonderful guide and a true light chaser. He got us to every potential situation to maximize our opportunity to capture sunrises, sunsets and Aurora’s. He is extremely knowledgeable as a photographer and gave us many pointers on maximizing our skills as photographers. Being a native Icelander he knows a lot about the life and landscapes of Iceland. He was able to share with us stories about the culture and customs of Iceland including Icelandic culinary dishes and the not to be missed Porramatur.”

“They say that Iceland is like Disneyland for photographers – the land of waterfalls, volcanoes, glaciers, and puffins! For photographers, Skarpi’s expertise is unique. If you visit the famous locations, he’ll take you at times when the light is good, few tourists, and show you different perspectives. He’ll also take you to hidden gems that even locals don’t know about – the secret waterfall, a tiny church, a deserted fishing shed, or even a three-horned sheep! Skarpi’s knowledge of good light in unpredictable weather means he can adjust the itinerary accordingly, and provide us with the best possible shooting conditions day or night.On our private tour, Skarpi accommodated us in what we called “The Taj Mahal” – no need to for camping in tents, but he had a luxurious campervan equipped with beds, kitchen and power. And Skarpi cooks up an amazing barbecue of lamb and bacon!When spending so many hours each day with a photographic guide, the wrong personality can drive you mad! Skarpi is courteous, hospitable, respectful, accommodating, and good-humoured. What more could you want in Iceland, but a genuine Viking professional photographer with big lenses, a big truck and a campervan?”

“Iceland had long been on my bucket list of places to visit and to photograph. I was drawn to Skarpi’s offering of a winter workshop, with its focus on ice caves and the aurora borealis. Of course trips of this nature are always subject to weather conditions and other uncontrollable factors. Skarpi has the uncanny ability to read the minutiae of the weather and to seek out locations perfectly situated for the prevailing conditions. He also has an incredible vehicle that can navigate the most difficult terrain possible – and he is fearless in pursuing the right destinations, but does so with extreme safety and precaution. As such we were fortunate to explore some of the off-the-beaten-track sites, and got to photograph incredible vistas. IN addition, Skarpi is just a delightful person, with a deep knowledge of the history and geography of Iceland, as well as a story telling ability to make this incredible country even more enticing. His website provides much information, but so do his regular news feeds leading up to and even following the photo tours. One is never left feeling unprepared. Overall, an incredible experience, highly recommended and one I would be glad to repeat.”

“We’ve been working with Skarpi as our local guide in Iceland for years. Not only is he an amazing pro photographer, but so much more: leader, instructor, driver (anything from a car to a super-Jeep to a 40+ passenger bus!), organizer, and all-around good guy. Skarpi is a native Icelander – a true Viking! Skarpi knows every bit of Iceland like no other, having photographed, hiked, fished and traveled the entire country since he was a child. This experience, combined with his friendly, unflappable nature, is so important. From trip planning and logistics, to getting in the precise spot at the exact time for amazing photographs, Skarpi does it all. Any tour or workshop that Skarpi does is going to be filled with amazing photography, loads of instruction and fun, and run smoothly. A guaranteed great time!”

I participated in a ten day photo workshop in Iceland’s highlands. All I can say it was a terrific experience. Örvar A. Þorgeirsson was an excellent leader. His knowledge of the spots to be, at the right time of day was outstanding. Arctic Exposure’s vehicle was excellent for the rough roads and frequent river crossing. Our accommodations were also very good as were the meals. First class.

My wife and I just completed the June “Around Iceland Photo Workshop” with Skarpi. It was a fantastic trip with great photo opportunities! We learned so much! Skarpi was respectful of everyone’s skill level and creativeness. He helped out and gave individual instructions in a very unobtrusive manner. If you wanted help he was there for you, and if not, he just checked if everything was going OK. His suggestions were always very positive and encouraging; bringing the best out of our photography! There were many late lights taking sunset pictures, but so worth it! We were usually able to photograph when there were no crowds around. Skarpi gave suggestions on the bus as to what lenses may be appropriate at each stop. Skarpi is friendly and easy going with a great sense of humour. The group size was great (only 9 of us), and it was great to travel with photography minded travellers. The bus was comfortable and well maintained. The wi-fi worked very well. All our pre-trip emails to Arctic Exposure were answered promptly, providing all the information requested. The suggested packing list for clothing and photo equipment was sent to us well in advance of the trip. We stayed in really cute and comfortable hotels and guest houses. The food was phenomenal and we were never hungry. It was the trip of a lifetime! Looking forward to attending future workshops with Skarpi!!!

This was my first trip to Iceland guided by Skarpi and my first time visiting the North of Iceland. All though we were not blessed with the best of weather the trip turned out to be a great trip, the hotels were all excellent with great food, Skarpi took us to some great locations often multiple times trying to get the best possible lighting conditions to shoot in.Skarpis new super truck was a pleasure to ride in very comfortable with leather seats, on board power charging points and mobile wifi, it also gives you the ability to go places where normal cars and vans couldn’t get to especially if the weather turns for the worst a real bonus.Skarpi was an excellent tour leader and tutor as well as being a mine of local information about Iceland’s culture and history.If you are looking at booking a trip to Iceland where you don’t have to worry about anything other than pressing the shutter button on the camera then I highly recommend contacting Skarpi.

I attended the Arctic Exposure Snowy Owl Tour in February 2019. The registration and planning support I received from Johann leading up to the tour combined with the technical support I received from Skarpi during the tour created a magical photography experience I will never forget. Skarpi was attentive to my needs and the needs of the other members of the tour. He answered all of my questions, provided instruction, and often checked in to make sure I was enjoying myself and getting great shots (which I did)! The tour was limited to 6 people which allowed everyone the space needed to get great shots, access to individual instruction, and to get to know each other. I enjoyed the time spent with the other members of the tour as much as I did the awesome photo ops. I won’t say this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because I plan on doing it again!

This comes three months after the workshop I participated in has completed. When I was weighing my options and planning my trip to Iceland I knew photography was going to be a major focus. The offerings of Arctic Exposure appealed to me and I reached out to sign up. Jóhann was extremely helpful when responding to my inquiries and so I joined.

I was fortunate to find myself with fellow participants who helped me with my photography and as for Skarpi who led our workshop, I believe he went above and beyond to ensure our trip would be an enjoyable and enriching experience. If nothing else, my palate had no complaints with Skarpi’s food recommendations.

One thing I was able to take away from Skarpi’s tips is how to photograph the aurora, which, our group was lucky enough to experience – twice! If I forget everything else that I learned that time, I at least would be more comfortable using manual focus now.

Now, three months later and the euphoria faded, I look back and still feel the enjoyment of the workshop – and that’s including me breaking one of my equipment on the first day.

I have no complaints except that the end arrived pretty quickly. I guess that is proof of us having fun. I am eagerly planning for the next workshop.