Around Iceland December Winter Photo Workshop

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About this workshop

Our winter photo workshop is one of our specialties. Arctic Exposure has been offering this workshop from the very beginning, and we know every nook and cranny of our unique island.

Iceland in winter is a unique place, with frozen waterfalls, ice caves, glaciers, frozen lagoons, and of course the fantastic northern lights or aurora borealis. We will travel from Reykjavik, visit the favorite locations along the South Coast of Iceland, the Mývatn area in the North and explore remote and lesser-known areas in winter.

Some of the locations are only accessible with the necessary knowledge of experienced guides and modified 4×4 vehicles. Our locations in North Iceland are known as some of the world’s best areas to view and photograph the northern lights.

Workshop Summary

duration
Date – December 6 - 15, 2024
10 days / 9 nights
payment
Price – $6,600
Deposit of $2,000 upon booking. Single room supplement adds $1,200
Guide_Sigurdur_Hrafn_Stefnisson
Guide – Sigurður Stefnisson
Siggi is one our our most experienced guides and will guide this workshop
small-groups
Available – SOLD OUT
Maximum of 10 participants
activity-level
Activity Level – Easy to Medium
See our FAQ page for our acitivity level guide
location
Location – Iceland
We'll travel the ring road around Iceland in this workshop

Itinerary

If photographers would like to extend their stay in Iceland it is easy to arrange private day tours before or after the workshop. Popular day-trips include the Snæfellsnes Peninsula or Reykjanes Peninsula. For cancellation and refund policy for our workshops, please visit the Terms & Conditions page.

DAY 1

As always, we will need to be flexible and adjust to the weather conditions to make the most out of our workshop and travel safely.You arrive in Iceland and check into your hotel in Reykjavik in the evening we meet up in the lobby and go out for dinner in Reykjavik. We’ll go briefly through our itinerary, safety precautions, and some practical things before we start our adventure in Iceland. If you arrive early in town, you can photograph some of the attractions in the city of Reykjavik such, as Harpa concert hall, Hallgrimskirkja church, the Sun Voyager sculpture, or Perlan.

DAY 2

We start early in the morning from Reykjavik and make our way to the South Coast of Iceland. Photography begins with a one hour drive to Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park. From Þingvellir, we travel to the southernmost point of Iceland in the town of Vík, where we will spend the night. The Vík area has some of the most iconic frozen waterfalls and dramatic seascapes in the country, such as Seljalandsfoss waterfall, Skogafoss waterfall, Reynisdrangar sea stacks, and Dyrholaey peninsula. We will also explore the black volcanic beach of Reynisfjara that offers brilliant opportunities for seascape photography with the Reynisdrangar sea stacks and Dyrholaey rock arch.

DAY 3 & 4

We continue on the road east to the glacier area of Vatnajökull National Park. We will stay in a comfortable hotel with views of the glacier, and close to the famous glacier lagoon. For the next two days, we explore and capture glaciers from all angles, including under the glacier from inside an ice cave. We visit Fjallsárlón glacier lagoon, Vestrahorn mountain, and many more incredible landscapes to shoot. The variety of quality locations will allow us to move around as the weather dictates, with excellent photographic opportunities in every direction. Should the northern lights decide to make an appearance, our options for foregrounds are truly endless.

DAY 5

The picturesque East Fjords are calling us. At this point in the workshop. We will stop at the jagged coastal peak of Eystrahorn. As we make our way further east, we’ll visit unique and lesser-known locations until we arrive at our hotel, located in a small and charming fishing village. We will photograph sea stacks, the winding coastal roads, and cascading streams down the steep terraced mountains. The East Fjords are very quiet and isolated during the winter, so for this part of the tour, we will feel like we are all alone on the island, aside from the local farmers and possibly a few reindeer.

DAY 6 & 7

From the East Fjords, we travel north to Lake Mývatn, known as the winter paradise of Northern Iceland. We capture such breathtaking winter scenes as horses and turf houses along the way. For the next two nights, we’ll stay in Mývatn, and each day/night, we head out to explore and shoot new locations. We will visit and photograph many of the most spectacular waterfalls in Iceland, such as Goðafoss, Aldeyjarfoss, Dettifoss, and Hrafnabjargafoss. These waterfalls are gorgeous, with their winter coats on, and quite remote. We select waterfalls based on weather conditions and access based on weather. This area in the north of Iceland is the perfect location for aurora borealis (northern lights) photography as there is no light pollution, and the options for beautiful foregrounds, such as the reflecting lake, are endless.

DAY 8

After breakfast at our hotel, we head back to the north coastline and make our way towards Reykjavik. Depending on the weather, we will stop in lesser-known areas for more photographic opportunities. We will go through the second-largest city in Iceland and the capital of the north, Akureyri—home to around 20,000 Icelanders. After a short stop, we get back on the road and photograph the mountain peaks of Hraundrangi, a sharp mountain peak not far from Akureyri. From there, we travel into Skagafjörður, a fjord that offers exciting photo opportunities, such as seascapes, basalt columns, and beautiful waterfalls.

DAY 9

We'll start the day at Hvítserkur seascape, a 15-meter high monolith or sea stack. Legend has it that Hvítserkur is a petrified troll, while others believe that it is a volcanic plug from a long time ago. Whichever you choose to believe, you will agree that it is an impressive photo opportunity. After lunch, we head towards Reykjavik and stop at a few waterfalls along the way. West Iceland is known for its impressive waterfalls, salmon fishing and Viking Sagas. We will also make a stop to photograph Icelandic Horses before we arrive at our hotel in Reykjavik.When in Reykjavik we will check into our hotel and say farewell as the workshop concludes here. You then have some time to explore, photograph, have dinner or just rest before your departure flight.

DAY 10

Departure day. Breakfast is included at your hotel, and check-out is at 11 am. You can schedule your flight at any time that’s suitable for you.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Send us your name and email, and we'll get back to you.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXTEND YOUR STAY IN ICELAND?

It’s easy to arrange private day tours before or after the workshop. Popular day trips include the Snæfellsnes Peninsula or The Golden Circle. We can also set up custom tours based on your preferences. 

For cancellation and refund policy for our workshops, please visit our Terms & Conditions page.

What's included

  • All accommodations with private bathrooms during the workshop
  • All meals, except dinner on the last night
  • Guided by a professional Icelandic photographer
  • Image critique and post-processing session
  • 4x4 custom truck transportation
  • Ice cave tour
  • Northern lights photography
  • Packing list and equipment recommendations

What's not included

  • International flights
  • Cancellation and travel insurances
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Dinner on the last night in Reykjavik
  • Gratuity for your photography guide
  • Airport transfers from KEF airport to Reykjavik and back

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!
Wolfgang Zettler