At the conclusion of my second 2026 Arctic fox workshop (Read the trip Report) to the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve in the far northwest of Iceland, I ran a private landscape extension workshop in the southwest and southeast regions. Both are locations I am intimately familiar with, having spent well over a year leading trips in Iceland over the last decade. Originally, my plan for this extension was to head east from Isafjordur, around the top of Iceland (through Myvatn), and then back down the east coast to the south before returning to Keflavik. Late winter weather, however, had something else to say about this plan, and snowstorms closed this route. So I decided to head directly south and we adjusted plans accordingly.
We began our workshop in the small town of Isafjordur (where we concluded our Arctic Fox workshop) in the north with a drive of around six and a half hours to the Snaefellsness region, which would be our base for the next couple of days. This region of Iceland is renowned for its basalt cliff formations and dramatic coastline. The Arnastapi area, in particular, is a superb location to explore on foot with a camera and a tripod. Each small bay offers a different perspective and different opportunities, from intimate landscapes to vast ocean vistas. Perhaps best known for its impressive basalt arch, this area also offers fantastic opportunities to photograph both Iceland gulls and Fulmars as they nest on the precipitous cliffs. In short, there is something here for both the landscape and wildlife photographer. Northern lights are always a possibility at this time of year, but activity was low during our week in the field, and frequent cloud cover meant we were able to get a good night’s sleep throughout the trip.
From Snaefellsness, we travelled east to the gorgeous seaside town of Vik, where we were fortunate to encounter incredible storm seas upon arrival, unmatched in my experience. Gale-force offshore winds had whipped the sea state into a chaotic, frenetic maelstrom, creating incredibly dramatic (and scary) conditions. We stood mesmerised from the safe vantage point of the breakwater, photographing this powerful display of Nature’s fury. I had specifically chosen this breakwater as our vantage point, away from the main town, as I knew this was where the seas were at their most violent. Despite being out of town, it did not take long for us to be surrounded by a dozen passing tourists, all keen to join us as we photographed the wrath of Mother Nature.
We also photographed the iconic sea stacks, which this area is known for. From Vik, we continued east to Jokulsarlon (the glacial lagoon), where we photographed ice on the black-sand beach and icebergs in the lagoon. We also visited nearby Fjallsárlón, which I always prefer for its glacial landscape. Crowds are usually much less at the smaller lagoon, and there are often icebergs frozen in place at this time of the year.
For our last evening, we travelled to Vestrahorn, where we photographed the stunning mountains of Stokksnes and reflections at sunset. This is an iconic location on Iceland’s southeastern coast, not to be missed. Mercifully, we had some of the best locations to ourselves and enjoyed several hours of photography up to sunset. Much has changed in Iceland over the last ten years, with the explosion in tourism and social-media Instagram locations making it virtually impossible to have locations such as this to yourself. One can still get lucky on occasion. Sunrise in particular offers the best chance for the lowest number of people at a given location.
The following day, we wrapped up our extension with a return drive to Keflavik for international flights home the following day. Iceland never fails to deliver, and all came away with exceptional images from this trip. My sincere thanks, as always, to those who participated in this extension and made it such a success.
Private workshops with my company Wild Nature Photo Travel are available by request. Please get in touch to discuss your needs, and we can tailor a trip to suit your requirements.
www.WILDNATUREPHOTOTRAVEL.com 