Summary

If a creator being were responsible for Iceland, they would have turned up the beauty dial to eleven (on a one to ten dial) and broken it off after that so that no one else could mess with it.

Waterfalls that leave the viewer gasping, mountains out of an over-imaginative fantasy writer’s works, turquoise seascapes that defy the natural colour palette along with black sands and volcanic detritus strewn landscapes that murmur of a Viking age past, all beg to be turned into epic poetic sagas. No matter where you look, Iceland throws up landscape and scenes that are incredible to photograph.

Drama doesn’t come without its own hurdles. Iceland has notorious vagaries in its weather system. It is entirely possible to spend two weeks without seeing the sun or so much as a square of blue sky during a visit to the island. Travel can also be expensive, particularly in the peak tourist season during the Icelandic summer. The peak season can also result in droves of tourists at all the iconic photographic locations. The photographic rewards are extensive though. It is almost guaranteed that a photographer would produce some of their best and favourite work while there.

Visit the Workshop Experience...

​WHEN	30th April - 12th May 2023
PRICE	€6750 P/P (approximately USD 7241,00 as of June 2022 Exchange rates) (Single supplement if available, €1350,00)
FOCUS	Landscape Photography
GROUP SIZE	4 MINIMUM, 10 MAX
INSTRUCTOR GUEST RATIO	1:5
DURATION	13 DAYS
ACCOMMODATION TYPE	Hotels and B&B's
NUMBER OF DESTINATIONS	4

Guest Reviews

2019 Review

This Iceland trip was the first with Nature’s Light. I am not normally a group person, preferring to travel on my own or 1 or 2 friends. But this was simply great. The tour leaders got you to the right places at the right time — at a cost, because it means staying up late and getting up early! I got very tired so I used my prerogative and stayed sleeping once or twice! One does not go to Iceland for a culinary tour! But the food was enough and filling.

The tour leaders made the tour! We were a very nice group of people, and a small group of 6, and that helped. But the enthusiasm and willingness to help in all matters is what stands out. They taught me many things on photoshop and about landscape photography. I am definitely going on a tour again next year, I think Madagascar. Was this worth the money? Most definitely!!

– Ansie du Toit, South African, participant in the 2019 Workshop Tour.

2018 Review

While this was a reconnoitre trip and as such problems, changes, false starts and failed shoots could be expected, however due to the considerable research undertaken by our hosts prior to the trip, these did not occur which is a testament to the groundwork done by this company!

The accommodation was perfect for our needs, the food was acceptable (however, for me, I do feel that Iceland is not the “go to” place for culinary excellence and this minor issue can’t be laid at the door of Nature’s Light), and the transport was comfortable with good visibility to see the magnificent scenery.

The selected shoot locations covered all the bases and more, including the waterfalls, geysers, glaciers, icebergs, tectonic plates, wild horses, and the most amazing landscapes and coast lines.
The only issue I had, again out of Natures Lights control was the tourists (known by us as The Terrorists) at the iconic but very Instagram-able sites. The early rising put paid to most them most of the time which helped massively.

I particularly liked the ability to stop and shoot scenes that were not planned, but were created by circumstance and conditions which is not possible with highly structured tours. An example of this was a stop at a lake which, due to it being a completely still day, provided us with stunning mirrored images of staggering cloud formations with the horizon between. Another was at an Ox bow in a river with a newly harvested field in the middle all at sun set with nearby natural steam vents visible. Where else could you see that sort of image?

This is my second trip with Nature’s light and as previously, the organisers were helpful, encouraging, enthusiastic and very entertaining and I have to say that the client mix was yet again first class with everyone mucking in and enjoying each other’s company, as well as helping out those who are not as proficient…like me.
It has to be said that this is not a trip for the faint hearted, due to the light, the weather, the distances involved and the time that you have to be out of your warm bed to make the most of the shoots, it is hard work but with the assistance of the Nature’s Light team it was absolutely worth it and my comfort in using, and dare I say it, my skills with my camera have improved vastly which has resulted in images that I would never have thought I could capture.

With every Trip Advisor or TrustPilot review I do, I end with the most important question…Would I spend my hard earned money to go on this workshop again or advise others to do so and my response is a resounding YES; in a heartbeat!

– Mark Weaver, United Kingdom, participant in the 2018 Workshop Tour.

In Detail

Iceland's Spring MASTERCLASS

Nature’s Light Workshops are about the photographs and the experience of photography, so we strive to get our participants to great locations in great light without dozens of other people around. To achieve this we have chosen a travel date that brings down certain travel costs (by traveling just prior to the height of the summer). Fortuitously, being so close to the Arctic Circle, the nights are extremely short, with extended ‘golden hour’ shooting conditions at a period where most normal tourists are already bedding down (for the most part, Iceland has visitors to their best known locations throughout the day and night).

This does mean for strange sleep patterns during the workshop, and very few full eight hour nights (the workshop does allow for sufficient rest and sleep, just not in the traditional day/night pattern). This trade-off means photographing waterfalls, mountains, seaside cliffs, glacial edges, floating ice-bergs & volcanic beaches in the best possible light, with the least possible other visitors.

Read on to see why we are confident that you will want to book this workshop with us! 

Key highlights

           Photograph: 

• The beguiling Kirkjufell Mountain and Kirkjufellfoss at its base.
• Multiple Shoots of the extraordinary ice ‘diamonds’ at on Diamond Beach (at sunrise in particular).
• Icebergs jostling for space in Jokulsarlon Lagoon.
• Amazing waterfalls that belie the imagination at throughout the Icelandic Southern Coast.
• The eternally dramatic skyline of Vestrahorn Mountain.
• Fantasy like sea stacks off the dramatic cliffs of Vic.

          
          Enjoy: 

• Exploring the extraordinary storybook and saga based landscape of Iceland.
• One of the world’s best instructor to participant ratio, maximizing your learning.
• Having highly experienced tutors helping you on the spot as you craft your image.
• An adventurous holiday that mixes phenomenal locations, excellent tutoring and stunning scenes to photograph.
• Flexibility of your own vehicle as well as multiple visits to prime locations.

           Learn about: 

• Creative Composition: The basics and beyond, such as The Element Approach, Balancing Composition etc. 
• Basics to advanced techniques in digital landscape photography. There are two instructors meaning that virtually all levels of photographer can be catered for.
• Workflow & digital asset management. 
• Long Exposure photography to create dreamy seascapes and waterfalls.
• How to create panoramic images. 
• How to create time lapses (optional).
• Advanced composition for landscape imagery.
• Post-production using Lightroom, Capture One and Photo Shop.

Reasons to Join Us

Nature’s Light prides itself on ‘deep-instruction’. This is a term we use to describe how we teach photographers to understand the mechanics of the camera and light as well as the subtle art of photographic composition. The goal is not just to take you to a great location and produce a great image. Our goal is that you understand how to create that image so that you can do it again yourself.

Far too many photography workshops and instructors bark out settings and instruction on how to replicate an image they, the instructor, are creating. We differ in that we strive to get the photographers to create their own works by assisting with the pre-visualization and creation of those images. We firmly believe that this approach improves the skill and work-flow of the photographers that join us.

With a maximum of 6 guests and 2 instructors we offer one of the best instructor-participant ratios available on the market, as others typically take 5 to 8 participants per instructor (or more). Moreover, this allows teaching simultaneously at beginner, intermediate and advanced level, as participants can choose what they would like to learn about, from which tutor and at what level. This ensures the steepest possible learning curve for you, regardless of your level of experience!

For the Iceland Photography workshop we have also chosen to team with the knowledgeable ‘Discover The World’ tour operation. Their approach to the individual aspect of the photographic tour is what prompted us to pair with them in the first place. Their contribution to the workshop will leave you with a truly memorable experience. Enough so, that even without the photographic aspect, this would be an amazing tour to take part in.

What to Expect

Iceland is a large island of just under 40,000 square miles, but with a resident population of less than 350 000 people. A third of these people live in the Capital, Reykjavik. The island sits just below the Arctic Circle in the North Atlantic, meaning that the weather is relatively cold year round with high levels of rain and snow. The economy is relatively strong with a highly educated, well-paid workforce. Iceland is famous for it’s geysers, active volcanoes, hot springs, and increasingly for its tourism. According to the Iceland tourism board 2,195,271 visitors came to the island in 2017!

Due to the proximity of Iceland to the Arctic Circle, summer days are extremely long with ‘night time’ lasting only a few hours and never actually getting dark. Summer lasts from the beginning of June to the end of August with the ‘midnight sun’ occurring around the 21st of June during the solstice.

Spring is a fantastic time to visit Iceland as the days are starting to lengthen, but the frigid winter temperatures have also started to warm up significantly. At the start of the workshop sunrise at Reykjavík is at 5:00am (4:40am on the western point of Vestrahorn Mountain). By the time the workshop concludes sunrise will be at 4:25am in Reykjavik (4:05am at Vestrahorn). Similarly the sunset times get later as the workshop progresses with our starting sunset at 21:50. The night itself doesn't get completely dark, and the twilight lingers for ages, making for phenomenal skies under which to photographic the Icelandic landscape.

Daytime temperatures in May are usually between 3º and 9º degrees Celsius, with an average of around 6º Celsius. Spring temperatures can drop lower and can also creep up to as high as 12º degrees Celsius. Despite this apparent cold, Iceland enjoys what is considered a relatively mild annual temperature. This is due to the island sitting on top of an extremely active geothermal area (the European and North American tectonic plates meet below the island). The cold air coming from the North Atlantic means that it is rare that there are more than a few days of sunshine before cold rain comes in from the sea, so one can also expect rain during the course of the workshop.

With the winter storms abating, Spring is a more stable period stable period to travel in. The extended sunrise and sunset times also means that visitors can see most locations outside of actual ‘opening hours’. With such crisp and clear skies coupled to extended golden hour lighting conditions, it is all too tempting to just keep photographing until exhaustion sets in. For this reason we do stress that photographers get some rest during the middle of the day, as we will be out early for sunrise and back late after sunset on most days.

Traveling in Iceland is relatively easy with an excellent road system across the country. Spring does come with some limitations to travel on some of the interior and mountains roads. For the most part though, roads are clear of snow and easily and safely traveled. To enable flexibility we have opted for self-drive on this particular workshop (we will assist in renting small 4x4 vehicles for the participants). Access to all but one of our locations is easily achieved on foot from parking areas. The locations we use are not particularly strenuous or difficult to reach (with a few small provisos described in the itinerary).

There are no major health issues when traveling on the island. The only health issue we came across on previous workshops was the difficulty in sleeping during the day (bearing in mind that even the night is not fully dark). Previous participants recommended bringing a sleep mask and potentially mild sleeping medication.

Iceland operates very much like any ‘first-world’ European country (except maybe more laid back). Expect similar levels of service at hotels and restaurants (which are all notoriously expensive by any standards). Some tourists are a little surprised at some of the buildings that are used as hotels. Many look more like prefabricated office blocks than hotels and guest houses. This is a standard building style which obviously suits the Icelanders; a plus is that the buildings have a very low environmental impact.

Electric sockets in Iceland use the Europlug/Schuko-Plug (CEE types), also called “type F,” which has two round prongs and two grounding clips on the side of the plug. Output is 230 Volts. The standard two pin plug used in Europe and the UK fits fine. We have had no problems at any locations charging Macbook, laptops and camera batteries. That said, it is always useful to keep a powerbank in the camera bag.  

This workshop concentrates on landscape and nature photography (with a decided emphasis on landscape photography). There are opportunities to photograph the bird life and other aspects of Iceland, but we do tend to arrange photo shoots around landscape locations.

As with any photographic workshop, this is  not a relaxing holiday in the traditional sense. The extraordinary locations, extended day light and late sunset times mean that guests are likely to get tired. That said, there is still time to enjoy the famous hot springs and unwind. In fact, as one guest put it, “I’m looking forward to terrible weather so I don’t feel compelled to go out and photograph.”

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival at Hotel Cabin Reykjavic. First night stay in the city

Photographers meet at the Hotel Cabin in Reykjavic (we can assist with airport transfers if required). We recommend booking on either British Airways flight which arrives late morning, or the Icelandic Air Flight which arrives in the afternoon.
Our first night is spent in Reykjavik to give everyone a chance to get over any travel tiredness, and also see a small bit of the island’s Capital City.

Day 2: Travel to the Snaefellsness Peninsula

From Reykjavic we set out straight towards the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. This is about a 4 hour drive not including stops. The scenery is spectacular, so there is a good chance the trip will take longer, although we do try to get to our first accommodation so that the participants can unpack properly.

We are staying at the Fosshotel Hellnar, which is only 6km from the Snæfellsjökull National Park and has quick access to the coastline as well as the famous ‘Black’ Church, Londrangar and the seaside cliffs of Arnanstapi.
All daily itineraries will be dependent on the weather. That said, the plan is to get up for sunrise (5AM) to go and photograph the Kirkjufell Mountain. This beautiful mountain is perfectly reflected in a lagoon nearby and also has the exquisite Kirkjufellfoss waterfall as foreground.

We will be aiming for a sunset shoot at about 21:50, so much of the day will be spent resting. An early dinner will then mean we are out shooting throughout the Golden light.

The start of the Snæfellsness Peninsula looking east from near Arnanstapi.

day 3: Hellnar

Our prime locations mean that we can step out the door and explore the coastline around Hellnar. Here there are some phenomenal rock arches and volcanic rock features to draw the eye.

Besides the coastline, the area around Hellnar offers some extraordinary mountain views, impossibly tall waterfalls and iconic Icelandic churches to photograph. As with the previous day we rest during the middle of ,  but shoot through the best light in the late afternoon and early morning.  

Other locations which will be visited based on daily weather checks, are the famous 'Black' Church, Londrangar. Dinner is likely to be at Arnanstapi on the third day as it allows the quickest access to the seaside and arch.

An early morning view looking out towards Londrangar promontory.

day 4: Kirkjufell

An early morning start finds us on the road to Kirkjufell and its accompanying waterfall. We are usually surprised to find the falls to ourselves for an hour or so after the sun rises. Although this isn’t always the case it’s usual that even the most iconic locations are empty of tourists until at least 6AM. All the better for us!

From Kirkjufell we take a quick visit to the Black Church or Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge before heading back to our hotel for a rest and some much needed editing time (by now).

In the afternoon we visit the coastal sea-stacks and cliffs of Arnanstapi. We also potentially take a drive up the four wheel drive to the base of the Snaefellsjokul glacier!

A photographer on one of our workshops concentrating on the Kirkjufellfoss

day 5: Hellnar to ViK

This is the first of our long travel days as we make our way to the south of the island. Rather than a quick drive to the South we will go up and over the highlands to the north of Reykjavik, passing through Þingvellir (pronounced Thingvellir) National Park. This area is famous for the fault-line between the European and North American tectonic plates that lie beneath the island at this point. The result is a series of large natural lakes, and fault-lines that create yawning chasms and gullies.

The drive is quite long, and the maximum highway speed of 90km/h means that it will be quite late before we arrive in Vik at the Hotel Katla. There are opportunities along the road though to photograph the Icelandic horses, a few waterfalls and the highlands of Borgarbyggð before rounding Þingvellir and heading south to hit the coastal road to Vik.

A much needed rest in the hotel's geothermal pools is an excellent way to finish the day's driving. Depending on energy levels a last shoot overlooking the town and it's red spired church is an option, or a walk along the sands looking out towards the Reynisdrangar at the end of the seaside cliffs.

Black sands and the Reynisdrangar...folk lore stating that these are 'trolls' that were caught by the sun as they strode out to catch a ship

day 6: Þórsmörk Valley

Our goal is to get into some of the less visited parts of Iceland and the Þórsmörk (pronounced Thorsmork) Valley is one such incredible location. In the four wheel drive vehicles  we use, we are able to explore some of the way into this extraordinary valley, as well as visit and photograph some of the narrow gorges with their fairyland like atmosphere.

A drone image of the Þórsmörk Valley.

day 7: Dryholaey and Rynisfjara

The coastal cliffs around Vik are what bring us to this spectacular area. The extraordinary sea-stacks off Rynisfjara beach towards the cliffs and lighthouse Dryholaey are all close by, allowing for multiple visits if necessary. Dyrhólaey is the site of a lighthouse, but it’s the cliffs and the impressive ‘Cathedral Arch’ as well as the view of the ‘Black Beach’ that we are after (this can be dependent on breeding season, but in theory we miss the closure of the park by a few weeks). Rynisfjara on the other hand has fantasy like spires jutting from the sea with the foreground of an alabaster coloured pebble beach.

Based on the weather forecast (and tide times) we will draw up a list of the locations and decide where to visit when. Regardless of timing though, expect to shoot the coastline from both the shore level, as well as up on the ramparts of the cliffs. If this isn’t enough there are also several extremely photogenic farmsteads and churches in the area, as well as some historic ‘turf’ houses that were (and continue to be - in the modern equivalent - dug into the ground for protection and warmth).

Cathedral Arch from the cliffs of Dryhólaey

day 8: Vik to Hofn

After breakfast at the hotel we set out on the long drive past Jökulsárlón at the base of Vatnajökul glacier on the eastern side of Iceland.  This road crosses some beautiful landscape including endless fields of lupine flowers as well as a vast volcanic plains. The idea is to spend some time photographing scenes as we travel towards the Hofn on the South-Eastern tip of Iceland.    

Being a travel day there is no urgent location set in to the itinerary. The idea is to simply enjoy the drive and take in some of the epic Icelandic landscape.

The aim is to reach our overnight location, the comfortable Fosshotel Vatnajökul, for an early dinner and then head out to catch the last light on the iconic profile of Vestrahorn Mountain. This is an optional shoot though, as we do have two more opportunities at this location.

Vestrahorn Mountain in the late afternoon... the same angle in the morning would have the sun visible in frame on the right.

Day 9: Vestrahorn Mountain and Surrounds

We set off for the amazing shape of Vestrahorn Mountain before dawn (which is around 4:30AM) so that we can hopefully get some colourful warm light basking on the eastern side of the mountain. This incredible location has jet black sands that form beautiful dunes topped by vibrant green grasses. However, even when the light is poor the location is reminiscent of something from J.R.R Tolkien’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ (and makes for incredible black and white imagery). Since we are staying nearby we can make multiple visits to the area and around this extraordinary mountain.

Day 10: Jökulsárlón Lake

A potential early morning shoot on Vestrahorn's northern side gets us all our of bed early again (for those who opted out of shooting from Stokkness the previous morning, they now have the opportunity to shoot from the better known face of the mountain). After breakfast we head back along the A1 to Hof, where we settle in our accommodation for the next few nights. Late afternoon, we spend the golden hours by the side of the hauntingly beautiful Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon.

This natural lagoon is  the result of melt-water from the enormous Vatnajökul glacier that makes up 90 percent of the National Park. Calved icebergs float and jostle for space at the mouth of the lagoon, further breaking up and washing out to sea.

Day 11: Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach

Due to our close proximity to Jökulsárlón, we are able to head out to shoot the lagoon and neighbouring beach in the early morning light. If the clouds are cooperating, sunrise means for beautiful alpine glow on the background mountains and glacier and the water turns pale pink in its reflection while pale blue icebergs drift by.

We then move down the outflow to the equally extraordinary ‘Diamond Beach’. Here the icebergs are broken apart by the waves and thrown back on to the shore. The contrast of the ice against the black sand is phenomenal to shoot, and it’s added to by the low hanging sun on the horizon. For Diamond Beach in particular this is the best time of day to capture the sun’s rays as they light up the stranded icebergs on the black sand beach.

Day 12: Return to Reykjavik

Our last morning is spent photographing Diamond Beach for a last concerted photography session. After a leisurely breakfast we depart for Reykjavik where we will spend our last night at the Cabin Hotel. Before departing the hotel we do a final post-breakfast image review session.

The journey to Reykjavik is approximately 5 hours in duration. Photographers can take their own pace as we head back along what is referred to as the Golden Highway. Back in Reykjavik we can do an evening shoot along the city's waterfront before finishing with dinner. The following day most guests will depart for the airport at Keflavik and home.

Day 13: travel

The last day is really a travel day to the airport. The earliest flight we are able to take (please note for bookings) is the British airways flight out of Keflavik. It is appoximately 35-40 minutes to travel from central Reykjavik to the airport. Photographers departing on the first flights will have to leave fairly promptly after breakfast and head straight to the airport in order to catch the flight. Photographers can book flights to leave on the 12th May, or we can also help arrange a longer stay on the island.

Dates

 This is an annual workshop.
The 2023 tour starts on the 30th of April and ends the 12th of May 2023.

Accommodation

A good night's sleep is extremely important on a workshop with this amount of early starts and late finishes. We have chosen hotels that offer a high degree of comfort along with ease of access to our preferred locations. All accommodation would be considered between 3-4 star accommodation based on the European Continental traveler's ratings.

Reykjavik

Hotel Cabin is a our starting point int eh Icelandic Capital. The city and harbour are all short walking distances from the hotel, allowing for an easy stretching of legs after international flights. Let us know of you are arriving early and need additional bed nights before or after the workshop.

Hellnar

While On the Snaefellsness Peninsula we stay at the Fosshotel Hellnar. Hellnar is a slightly smaller little village than the neighbouring Arnanstapi. Photogenic cliffs and arches are literally within walking distance from the small hotel. A seaside church sits next the hotel itself (see gallery at top of page). Like most hotels in Iceland, rooms are small, but warm and comfortable, with an excellent restaurant attached to the hotel itself.

Vik

Hotel Katla is our base of operations while exploring the Vik and its surrounds. It has access to a really nice geothermal hotspring, as well as a sauna. Vik itself is a short drive to the east, while the very interesting Mýrdalshreppur valley to the west is easily accessible.

Hofn

The Foss Hotel Vatnajökul offers close access to the Vestrahorn Mountain and Stokkness, and is a relatively short drive back to the Jokulsarlon Lake. The hotel is situated close to the Vatnajökul glacier so the outside temperature  can be quite a bit colder than some of the other areas we visit.

 Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach

Offering the closest possible accommodation to Jökulsárlón, we have chosen the newly minted Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon. The location of the hotel allows for multiple visits to the extraordinary lagoon and run out to the aptly named Diamond Beach. Hot pool and Sauna time can be booked in advance if you are needing some time-out from the photography.

Prices

€6750 - Per person (approximately USD 7241,00 as of March 2022 Exchange rates)
Minimum 4 participants, maximum 10 participants.

Single Supplement: €1350,00 - subject to availability

Guided Tour Includes: 

• All food (three meals a day as well as a beverage with the meal)
• All lodging
• Tuition and workshop fees
• Park entrance fees

Guided Tour Excludes: 

• Airfares to and from Iceland
• Rental vehicle
• Additional drinks and non-meal time snacks
• Souvenirs, and items of a personal nature
• Possible extra excursions/activities and/or additional days
• Travel insurances (mandatory!)
• Photographic gear rental (if required)

Extensions: Please talk to us for possible extensions.

Please note: Accommodation can potentially differ from the establishments mentioned in this itinerary (if fully booked). In such cases we will look for suitable and similar accommodation, without charging an extra admin fee. Any changes will be discussed with you. 

​The Nature's Light Terms and Conditions apply to your booking with us. For more information see: 
Nature's Light Terms and Condition

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