Back in June 2016, I visited Iceland for the first time. This was something I had been dreaming of for many years, and packing my bags and heading to the airport was a very surreal feeling!
Iceland sits at a latitude of 64.9631° N, being this far North means that Iceland experience’s the natural phenomenon called the ‘Midnight Sun’ in summer. This means that although the sun sets, it never goes far enough below the horizon for it to get dark. On June 21st, the longest day of the year, the sun sets just after midnight, and rises again before 3AM. With the sun being so low in the sky, you pretty much have great light for photography all throughout the day, but if you get lucky, and the clouds are in the right place, you can get a fiery sky at sunset / sunrise that can actually last for hours, not just minutes like you get here in Malta!
I was in Iceland for a week, and rather than trying to see too much in a single day, I wanted to focus my attention on some of the most incredible locations along Iceland’s south coast. Spending more time at each location meant that I would have a better chance of having good light and weather conditions.
The highlight of the first day was the epic waterfall, Seljalandsfoss and the hidden canyon, Gljufrabui!
An epic fiery sky just after sunset at Seljalandsfoss waterfall in Iceland.
A photographer in the very wet Gljúfrabúi canyon.
On the second day, I got to explore Skogafoss waterfall and the Sólheimasandur plane wreck.
A lone tourist stands beneath the mighty Skogafoss waterfall.
The Sólheimasandur plane wreck has actually become a huge tourist attraction!
Day 3 saw me making my way further East, to Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon and the Diamond beach.
Sometime between sunset and sunrise at the Diamond Beach in Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon.
On Day 4 I was at Stokksness, I didn’t manage to get a good shot as there were low clouds covering the tops of the mountains. When backtracking, I explored the town of Vik and its awesome coastline.
The famous little church in Vik with a backdrop of mountains and purple lupines.
The mighty Reynisdrangar cliffs and sea stacks hang high above a tourist.
The Arnardrangur sea stack near Dyrhólaey in Iceland.
The last place I visited was the Gunnuhver Hot Springs, which are not too far from Keflavik airport, but definitely worth a visit. This geothermal area is full of boiling mud pots and natural steam vents which give an eerie, other-wordly feel to the place!
Bubbling boiling mud pots at the Gunnuhver Hot Springs.
My first trip to Iceland was absolutely incredible. It gave me a taste of what a full on photography trip is like. Spending a significant period of time focused on photography, day in, day out, has really helped me improve my craft and has taught me a lot.
On the long journey home, I was left wanting more. Iceland has a magical effect on most people who visit it, its sheer beauty is addictive. Needless to say, it wasn’t long after getting back home that I began planning my next trip to Iceland.
To see more of my Iceland photos, you can visit my gallery.