Iceland Photography Tips and Advice

Oxararfoss, Thingvellir, Iceland

Iceland offers some of the most varied and dramatic landscape photography opportunities anywhere, but photographing it well requires planning, flexibility, and an understanding of how quickly conditions change. Light, weather, and access often matter more than gear, and expectations need to shift daily. 

Over the last few years, Iceland has also become a hot spot for general travelers simply looking for a vacation. Despite the increase in traffic, the breathtaking scenery in Iceland leaves no shortage of options for a photographer, both amateur and professional. Whether you're capturing one of the 10,000+ waterfalls or the iconic black sand beaches, I’ll share my photography tips for capturing the beauty of Iceland, from my personal experiences. One thing to note, however, is that if you’re looking for Northern Lights/Aurora Borealis photography tips, I will cover that in a separate post with more detail about forecast tools and recommended locations.

Lens Selection for Iceland Landscapes

In the Canadian Rockies, I found myself using telephoto zoom lenses, e.g. 100mm+ quite often. In fact, I rarely used ultra-wide-angle lenses there. Iceland was almost completely the opposite. My 14mm (full-frame camera) was used consistently. From Kirkjufell to Vestrahorn to Reynisdrangar to some waterfalls, I heavily relied on the ultra-wide-angle. Without it, I would’ve been shooting many panos, which I still did, but not very many, thanks to the 14mm prime lens. I would recommend at least having a 16mm handy in the camera bag. That being said, I would not leave your telephoto lens behind. You will certainly need that as well, just maybe not as much.

Planning Your Route and Locations

Think of Iceland as a circle (hence, the Golden Circle) or on a wider scope, the Ring Road. Unless you don’t mind going back and forth, you’ll want to stick to one direction if you plan on exploring even just the Northern or Southern areas, let alone making your way around the entire country. For example, start at the Snaefellsnes area and then head east until you make your way back from the South back towards the airport.

Thinking in Regions, Not Individual Spots

In landscape photography, the lighting and conditions play arguably the most important role in your frame, next to your main subject. So, I recommend staying at least a couple of days in each region (Snaefellsness, Akureyri, Stokksnes/Hofn, Vik, etc.). These areas are great for heading out toward the nearby spots in the vicinity and have many options for overnight accommodations.

Light, Weather, and Flexibility

Some of my best photos are a result of chasing light in the early hours of the morning or around sunset. Sometimes, this also requires sleeping in your vehicle. Unexpected weather changes, especially in Iceland, can result in a quick change of plans. Being flexible and agile will help you make the most of your limited time and maximize your chances of getting that print-worthy photo. Just be sure to find a spot where overnight sleeping in your vehicle is allowed. Sometimes, even the nearby gas station is an option. I’ve asked a few employees at various gas stations, and they all agreed it was OK to stay for a few hours in the lot.

South Iceland

The Southern area of Iceland is the most popular, as you can access many of the waterfalls such as Seljalandsfoss, the black sand beaches of Reynisfjara, and is somewhat close to the highlands. If you’re planning to mostly photograph and explore in this area, I found Selfoss and Vik to be great areas of concentration. If you‘re planning on joining a guided tour, many of them pick up from Selfoss as well. My favourite locations in the South (in no order) include:

• Reynisdrangar/Reynisfjara

• Skogafoss

• Seljalandsfoss

• Kvernufoss

• Jokulsarlon

• Vestrahorn

Unconventional camera gear

Shower caps and soft cloth towels! Although not specifically for Iceland, but more for general waterfall and seascape photography, consider bringing a shower cap and soft cloth towel to your waterfall photo shoots. Make sure your towel is very soft, and just in case you’re unsure, don’t rub the towel on the lens. Simply dry off the water by dabbing the towel. Some use a rocket blower to blow the droplets off the lens, but the combination of strong Icelandic winds blowing mist and the ability to get up close to the waterfalls doesn’t fare too well for rocket blowers. I found a shower cap very helpful, more so than a towel.

Gloves can come in very handy as it can get cold and windy in Iceland at any time. Therefore, I recommend gloves for photography. You don’t necessarily need expensive screen-touch gloves. I personally use regular winter gloves that have flaps at the fingertips.

If you do any kind of composition hunting, trying to get the frame just right, and you plan on doing this on beaches and waterfalls, I highly recommend waterproof socks. Again, fairly inexpensive. On top of that, I usually have extra shoes just in case, along with extra socks. Waterproof socks are good, but not perfect. Water can easily seep through the top, which means your pants are most likely wet as well at that point.

Sturdy Tripod

Long exposure photography requires a tripod, most often a timer delay on your camera settings, and more. Sometimes we try to balance the weight of a good sturdy tripod and light travel-type tripods. But, I cannot recommend enough having a good sturdy tripod. I personally use a Manfrotto 055 carbon fiber and haven’t had any issues, thankfully as of yet. I have seen tripods blow over a couple of times, all in Iceland, due to very flimsy tripods. Some tripods also come with attachments at the feet that can help better stabilize the tripod in sand and grass.

ND Filters

Neutral Density (ND) filters are essential for long exposure photography. They help control the amount of light entering the camera, allowing for slower shutter speeds and creating smooth, silky water effects in waterfalls or capturing movement in clouds. I personally recommend the Kase magnetic ND filter system.

Embrace the weather

There are many things out of our control, the weather being one of them. While I recommend keeping an eye on the forecast using sites like road.is and yr.no, I’ve been in situations where almost the entire country is under clouds and rainy. So, while you won’t get those golden dreamy photos, embrace the weather and try a darker, moody frame. I ended up getting one of my personal favourites unplanned, in rainy and windy conditions. Moody, dark weather can potentially make a great black-and-white photo as well.

Locations for Iceland Photography

There are many spots where you can compose a great frame in Iceland. Many of them are not officially named and are just off the side of a road. But, if someone asked me to name a few locations to get them started in addition to some of the South Iceland spots mentioned above, I would recommend Skafatel, Godafoss, Hvetsirkur, Myvatn, Haifoss, Landmannalaugar, Maelifell, Kirkjufell….so many more. Despite all those places mentioned, if I had to pick one, it would probably be the Fjallabak Nature Reserve area, which includes Maelifell and Landmannalaugar. Getting there isn’t easy, which is a whole other subject. I will provide more details about Fjallabak in another post.

Astrophotography

Know the sunrise/sunset times relative to the months you’re planning to visit. If you’re planning to do Astrophotography in Iceland, note that the summer months aren’t an option, as it doesn’t get dark! Also note, the Milky Way core, or Galactic Core, isn’t visible in Iceland due to its proximity. At the very best, it will be close to the horizon. So when you see images from Iceland with a full-blown Milky Way including the Galactic core, it’s fake!

In terms of gear for Astrophotography, I recommend a dew heater. This will keep your lens warm and prevent condensation on your lens on cold nights. They’re relatively cheap, but you’ll need a USB power bank as well.

I hope the above was helpful to you. For general travel tips related to Iceland, you can read here.