Iceland. Winter. Already you feel cold, don’t you? Friendly people, English widely spoken, European flair, great infrastructure and some of the sweetest light on the planet. What’s not to like? Due to its increasing popularity, advanced arrangements are key to a successful trip. Winter of 2022 I did not see the profusion of tour buses that were there in prior years, likely due to the Omicron surge, but that will not last. There are many guidebooks and e-books that can help you plan your trip. Once you have a game plan book your lodging early. Some locations book up many months in advance.

With a little research a winter trip is entirely manageable as a self-drive adventure as I have now done on three visits. Driving conditions are sometimes challenging; be sure to rent a 4WD or AWD vehicle with studded snow tires. The roads will shut down when conditions are too extreme, and there is a huge amount of weather and road information by app and web. Stay informed and plan ahead if weather is moving in or plan to shelter in place for a major storm. Alternatively, book a tour with any one of numerous companies if winter driving makes you nervous.

Kissing the Arctic Circle, Iceland is surprisingly temperate along the coastal areas where you will likely visit; average low around 28º-30ºF and highs 30º-34ºF. This is all easily manageable for the photographer who is prepared to work in the cold. Dress as you would to ski, and you will be in the ballpark.

This was my third trip to Iceland in the winter, joining a small group of friends for a return visit. The main draws for us were the potential for abstracts in the ice caves, as well as the “Diamond Beach” where chunks of ice wash up after their migration to sea from the glacier lagoon of Jökulsárlón. Iceland also gives up many targets of opportunity for “found” images which can be both intriguing and satisfying.

A roadside scene taken in blowing snow and significant wind. The atmospherics were extremely flat and required care in post to preserve the overall feel of the scene. I had hoped to reprise this as it was a favorite scene from a prior trip with an entirely different feel. Fuji GFX100s 100-200mm zoom.

Arctic Light

The days are short with sunrise around 09:30 or so in February and sunset around 17:30. The sun hits its zenith around 14º elevation so even on a blue-sky day the light is sweet. Twilight is long and satisfying and first light images start around one hour before actual sun-up unless its socked in. Heavy clouds can add drama, so no day is wasted — there is no bad light.

Northern Lights

The aurora is a sight not to be missed and photographed. A setting crescent moon added an additional accent. The high energy vertical spikes add structure and presence to the image but can blur out at longer exposures. 2 seconds or less seems ideal though noise at high ISO has to be dealt with. The waters of the glacier lagoon at Jökulsárlón provided a reflection to balance the overhead fireworks. Fuji GFX100s 23 mm lens. ISO 12,800 2 secs at f:5. Stopping down slightly offers a little hedge with depth of field in the event you didnt nail infinity focus.

One member of our group had no interest, and another slight interest only. My latter friend quickly changed his attitude when graced with perhaps the best display I have seen and finished the evening quite happy. There are several apps to help with alerts, also the Icelandic Met Office (their weather service) has a specific page devoted to aurora forecasts https://en.vedur.is/weather/forecasts/aurora/ . The cloud patterns change frequently, and your window of opportunity may be brief. What time will the aurora be active? It depends — sometimes its 3AM sometimes as soon as it gets dark.

Ice Caves

Reflection on ice cave walls. The opportunity for abstracts is endless. Warm morning sunlight through the mouth of the cave provided color contrast. An entirely different mood happens on a cloudy day, but not to be missed regardless. Fuji GFX100s 100-200mm zoom.

You will need a guide. Specially equipped vehicles are needed to reach the trail head and some specialized equipment such as crampons or microspikes may be needed to access the cave(s). Despite that, they are well within the capability of any reasonably non-couch potato person, and age ( I am 70) need not be a factor. This was my second set of trips with Stephan Mantler whose Instagram handle is @stepman and website www.stepman.is. I cannot recommend his services highly enough. He IS a photographer, has done so professionally, and has a deep understanding of what you as a photographer are looking for. He does book up, so make plans in advance.

The Diamond Beach at Jökulsárlón

Soft receding wavelets lead through clarified ice out to sea. Be prepared to get your feet wet. Shutter speeds around 1/2 to 1 second seem about right for starters; too long and you lose texture. If there is sky, work with it, but there almost always is — either colorful or dramatic and brooding. Fuji GFX100s 32-64mm zoom.

The beach changes with each wave, and its not uncommon for your favorite sandcastle to be rearranged just as you go to trigger the exposure. Having waders or at least neoprene booties in footwear that can get wet is essential if you want to be in the surf with streams of silky water amongst the ice chunks. The water is cold, but neoprene does a great job of keeping the feet warm. Without a solution that allows you to get wet you will be dancing back and forth retreating from each advancing wave. It should rarely be necessary to be more than ankle deep, though some waves will likely catch you a little deeper. You will notice the sand shifting underfoot at times, and your tripod may settle a bit as well, messing with your horizons. Keep an eye to your front element for spray. Though a tempting thought, do not leave your tripod unattended with the camera mounted to try to trigger remotely. Your tripod is more resilient than you think; I have an old Gitzo that I use in the surf and the swamp. Never cleaned it other than rinsing off mud, and never had a problem. Your mileage may vary. Ball heads are easier to adjust on the beach, though I favor a geared head for other applications.

Sometimes they seem like diamonds on a jeweler’s black velvet display — an entirely different feel. Fuji GFX100s 32-64mm zoom.

The Vesturhorn (Vestrahorn)

A fleeting rainbow on a prior visit.. Easily accessible even for those with limited mobility, this is an iconic Icelandic location.

This majestic rampart is a few miles beyond the spur road leading to the village of Höfn. It is on private property and a small admittance is charged. There is a self-serve kiosk for after hours or holiday entry that takes credit cards and dispenses a ticket with a QR code to be read by the automated gate. The short road leading to the coast takes you to several vantage points to create a variety of images, most of which are dominated by the mountain. Some sort of sky helps.

Vik

I used the car as a blind because the wind was blowing too strong to set up a tripod. This was handheld with window down on the lee side and there was still some spindrift to deal with on the front element. The light and forms were compelling calling for a creative solution. Near Vik. Fuji GFX100s 45-100mm zoon with IS hand held.

There are several attractions in and around this village, including its church perched high on a hill, the Reynisdrangar sea stacks and associated black sand beach, as well as nearby Dyrhólaey with its expansive view of the beaches and a sea arch. Conditions were not great for us on the beach during our time at Vik, however chance conditions yielded one of my favorite images of the trip from roadside near the town.

Random Things You Should Know

Many gas stations are automated. They take most major credit cards though sometimes not American Express. But YOU NEED A PIN to complete the transaction. If you don’t have a PIN for your card create one before leaving home.
Get the most comprehensive damage waiver you can with your rental. Your credit card company might cover your damages if you have that coverage with your card, and your home auto insurance might cover your rental (mine does not) but in the event of a mishap you want to be able to walk away form it and not spend months working it out and carrying the costs on your credit card until resolution.
Alcohol is sold only in state run stores called Vínbúðin (Vinbudin) and they are in most sizeable towns and several in Reykjavik. Selection of wine, beer and spirits is variable. If any or all of those are important to you, stock up in Reykjavik. The location at “Stuolahals 2” is the flagship store with a really quite good selection. Google will navigate you there. Note CLOSED ON SUNDAY.
Provision your phone for international use before you leave home or get a local SIM card. Most of the car rental companies will rent you a wi-fi modem for a nominal fee that works country wide and is another connectivity option. My phone plan is with ATT and worked flawlessly, but other providers were buggy to nonfunctional.
If your camera is touch screen enabled you will find e-tip gloves indispensable. Many brands and thicknesses. I used thin gloves and mittens over when not actively photographing.
You will likely have to work or walk in significant windy conditions at times. Glacier glasses with flaps on the side or ski goggles might be welcome for some.
The charcoal iron hand warmers are legal to take on a plane and can be quite welcome for extended sessions away from the car.
Determine your camera’s high ISO characteristics and how to focus on stars. The aurora loses definition at long exposures. Less than 4 seconds seems better, 2 seconds or less even better. Adjust ISO accordingly. The Fuji GFX100s allowed me to manually focus accurately on bright stars. Keep an eye on your blinkies; it is possible to burn out sections of your aurora.
A cold camera brought in to a warm room will likely develop condensation and that may not be just on the outer surfaces. If it does, and it refreezes you may be working with a brick. Put the camera in a plastic bag or stuff sack and let it come up to temperature before removing. Alternately just leave your camera in the backpack for a few hours to come up gradually.

A roadside find rendered here as taken, very monochromatic. It is only necessary to keep open to the possibilities as you drive along your merryway. Fuji GFX100s 100-200mm hand held with IS.

I hope this fleshes out the portfolio and gives you some insights into a winter photo expedition to this fabulous place. See you out there.

Winter Photography in Iceland