Tag: Iceland

Iceland Winter Wonderland Private Workshop Report March 2026

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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.

Arctic Foxes of Kviar in Winter in Iceland Workshop Report 2026 

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In March of 2026, I ran my annual Winter workshop to Kviar in the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve in far northwestern Iceland to find and photograph Arctic foxes. This is a workshop I pioneered and have been running for more than ten years now. This year, our workshop was scheduled to run from the 7th of March until the 12th of March. However, the weather in early March this year in Iceland was erratic and wildly variable, and we ended up being delayed a day in Isafjord due to strong winds that made the boat crossing and landing at the beach at the cabin impossible. This one-day delay did not dampen our spirits, and early the following morning, we were safely on our way to our cabin in the Nature Reserve. As it turned out, the one-day delay would really pay off in terms of the conditions we would have for the duration of the trip.

With strong winds creating a large shore break that made landing at the cabin difficult, we decided to land a little down the coast at a small sheltered spit area, which necessitated a roughly 1km hike to our cabin. Thankfully, we were able to land our luggage at the cabin so it was only ourselves and camera gear that we had to carry. This is only the 2nd time in over a decade of travelling to this location that I have been unable to land directly at the cabin. The strong winds the day before had whipped the ocean waves up, and the breakers on the beach meant it was unsafe to land a zodiac with people. On arrival at the cabin, the foxes that live in the area were already curious and could be seen and photographed close to the house.

Our workshop accommodation was a cozy but rugged haven where we enjoyed a great atmosphere after a day out in the cold, photographing Arctic Foxes. The house was originally built in 1921. In 1948 (just 27 years later), the last inhabitants left this isolated arctic peninsula for a better life. The cabin was abandoned for many years and has recently been restored. Although no one lives here permanently, the cabin was a great getaway and the perfect place to accommodate us whilst we searched for and photographed wild Arctic Foxes. Curious Arctic Foxes frequently stopped past the cabin to investigate. We often photographed them from right outside the cabin.

Thank you to Jerry Weimar, who participated in this year’s trip, for the landscape photograph above. The cabin includes a bathroom, toilet, and hot shower. Bunk-bed accommodation with duvets provided, a full kitchen (chef to prepare meals and clean), and Hydronic and log-fire heating. There is power for laptop battery charging (generator provided) and an outdoor sauna.

Over the course of the workshop, we photographed four different blue-morph foxes, including three first-year cubs that I had photographed last year, a few days after they came out of the den (Read the Trip Report). This was one of the few opportunities I have had over the years to photograph multiple foxes together, and although the fight looks serious, it’s mostly play between siblings and no harm, no foul.

The weather on our second trip also continued its wild variation. We began with good snow cover on our first day, which melted during warm-front rain in the evening, only to be replaced the following day with non-stop snow that continued right up until our departure. This non-stop snow made for absolutely superb, albeit challenging conditions to photograph the Arctic Foxes.

Days three and four, we had continual, intensified snowfall and strong winds, making for incredibly dramatic photography. These are my absolute favourite conditions in which to photograph wildlife in this part of Iceland. The flying snow can make photography a little more difficult, but the results are absolutely worth the effort, and everyone made incredible photographs over the course of the trip.

On our scheduled day of departure, Iceland threw another of its winter weather curveballs at us, stranding us an extra day out at our cabin. This turned out to be a blessing, making up for our lost day at the beginning and providing us with more wonderful photographs in the dramatic winter snow conditions. Although it would have been possible to land at the beach on our scheduled departure day, the wind in the channel would have made the crossing impossible.

The Hornstrandir Nature reserve continues to serve up both an incredible experience and a continual opportunity to create powerful, evocative photographs of the Arctic fox. In my many years as a specialist polar photographer, I have yet to find or encounter a location that offers more reliable and better encounters in a winter setting.

We are returning again in February next year, 2027, to photograph these amazing Arctic survivors and will take a small group of just five photographers with us. To reach this unique location, you will first fly to Keflavik International Airport in Iceland, followed by an internal flight to Isafjordur, the official starting point of the workshop. From here, we will take a privately chartered boat to Hornstrandir. This trip also offers a unique perspective of the dramatic coastline, characterised by towering cliffs, deep fjords, and pristine natural beauty. If you would like to join us, please get in touch as places are extremely limited. Reserve your spot on this expedition and return with a portfolio of extraordinary images that few have had the privilege of capturing.

Arctic Foxes of Sletta in Winter in Iceland Workshop Report 2026

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In March of 2026, I ran a small-group workshop for five photographers to the remote Hornstrandir Nature Reserve to photograph Arctic Foxes in Winter. Like my Pallas Cat of Eastern Mongolia Report, earlier this year, this trip report will be a little different to the norm. Due to my heavy travel schedule, I will come back later in the year and update this post with additional still photographs from the trip as time permits. Personally, I shot over 13,000 RAW images over the course of the trip, so I have more than a little editing, culling and processing to do.

Our workshop kicked off in the small northwestern town of Isafjord in the West Fjords on the 2nd of March, with a short, but bumpy boat ride across the bay of forty-five minutes to our remote cabin at Sletta in the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve. Our cozy cabin was our home away from home throughout our workshop and had all the amenities we needed to be safe and comfortable. With a local house sitter and cook to look after the cabin and amentieis we were free to focus on our photography.

This time of year, the days are getting longer in Iceland, with sunrise around 8:30am and sunset around 7pm (although light levels are typically already too low by 6pm on overcast days). Our days typically began shortly after breakfast with a two- to three-hour session with the foxes, then we broke for a hot, filling lunch and a short rest. Since the foxes are most active in the morning and late afternoon, we would begin around 2:30pm and shoot until we lost the light. This meant our days consisted of a few hours of photography in the morning until lunch time and again in the afternoon until we lost the light.

During this workshop, we had the opportunity to photograph both the Blue and White Morph Arctic Foxes almost every day. On several occasions, some of us were also fortunate to have them together for a brief interaction for those quick with the shutter. Moments like this are rare and require patience and a dollop of serendipity. When the foxes do come together, it is often for the briefest of moments, and one has to be ready and quick to catch the action.

Over the course of the workshop, we saw and photographed four individuals (one white and three blue), although most of our work was done with the white-morph fox.

During our workshop, we experienced the full range of conditions Iceland could serve up, including crazy wind and flying snow (who doesn’t love a good Arctic storm to photograph Arctic Foxes!), gentle, delicate snowflakes drifting on an Arctic sea breeze, and calm blue skies and sunshine. This mix of weather enabled us to create a broad, diverse portfolio of work over the course of our time in the Nature reserve.

We took the opportunity to vary our setting and background throughout the trip, frequently moving from the nearby beach area to the back mountains behind the cabin, the nearby waterfall and river and the far western beach. Background is critical to a great wildlife photograph, and by moving around, we gave ourselves the best opportunities to vary the setting for different photographs. Personally, I always like to try to capture a selection of images that help tell the story of the fox in its environment.

My sincere thanks, as always, to all the clients who participated in this trip and placed their trust in me and my company, Wild Nature Photo Travel, to deliver a wonderful, productive workshop with these amazing foxes. Just some of the feedback from our workshop is included below.

Ellen – You are so awesome! Thank you for a fantastic trip (as well as getting me back to the cabin!) This trip will stay in my mind for a very long time. Wishing you and Suzy a very happy and long life together!

Jack – Thank you SO much for making this another great adventure!! You always go above and beyond!

We are returning again in February next year, 2027, to photograph these amazing Arctic survivors. To reach this unique location, you will need to fly to Keflavik International Airport in Iceland, followed by an internal flight to Isafjordur, the official starting point of the workshop. From here, we take a privately chartered boat to Hornstrandir. This trip also offers a unique perspective of the dramatic coastline, characterised by towering cliffs, deep fjords, and pristine natural beauty. If you would like to join us, please get in touch as places are extremely limited. Reserve your spot on this expedition and return with a portfolio of extraordinary images that few have had the privilege of capturing.

Departing for our Second Iceland Arctic Fox Workshop February 2025

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Tomorrow morning we are kicking off the second of our two back-to-back sold out workshops for the Arctic fox here in the far north west of Iceland. Iceland is never dull and you never know what the weather will do next with its wild freeze / thaw winter climate. Our first trip saw us start with a good cover of snow and end with a touch of Spring! With a little luck we will have some incredible conditions out in the Hornstrandir nature reserve over the coming week. Of course, we hope for lots of flying snow to capture incredible images of Nature’s greatest feat of engineering.

There are now just a few places remaining on next years 2026 workshop. If you have ever wanted to photograph Arctic Fox in winter then this is absolutely the workshop for you. We have a small group size, personal one-on-one tuition and private cabin for the duration of the trip. We pioneered this trip and have been successfully running workshops for Arctic Fox for more than ten years now to the remote north west of Iceland. What our clients say about this workshop:

“We just got home yesterday. I hope everyone had an easy journey! It was great being there and great having such a wonderful group of people. Josh, THANK YOU for all the hard work to make this trip a RESOUNDING SUCCESS (also thanks to the photo gods for great weather and our beautiful little melraaki). Thank you for your Post-processing help offer and the offer to print!!!! Will stay in touch Best to all”

“Hi Josh, you had a bunch of very kind and special people on this trip. Those stars have a tough time aligning, and your trip made that possible. Your arctic fox trip had way too many kind and special people. Not every tour leader can claim that. Looking forward to our next trip with you. You assemble and run the best tours!!!”

“Hi Josh! I just wanted to drop you a line, having taken a look at your selection of top images for 2024 – firstly, of course, they are all fantastic……but what really strikes me is that I have three almost identical ones – and that’s down to you. There is no doubt that you are taking us, your clients, to the absolute top spots, in the right conditions with the top in-field guides, then pushing to make the most of what we find. And on top of that, you are always up for last minutes in-field shooting questions and post-processing recommendations. Can’t thank you enough!”

Puffins and Razorbills Workshop Two Place Availability June 2025

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Due to a recent medical cancellation there are two places that have just become available on my Puffins and Razorbills workshop on Grimsey Island, Iceland this June. The workshop will run from June 3rd until June 8th, 2025 and includes all accomodation and food on Grimsey Island as well as Ferry tickets, private vehicle transfers in Iceland and of course all in field tuition and instruction – plus of course amazing photographic experiences with Atlantic Puffins! Please get in touch if you would like to secure a place or would like additional information.


This bespoke, custom-tailored workshop to Grimsey Island, north of Iceland, is for keen and passionate wildlife photographers who want to capture dramatic and powerful photographs of Puffins, Razor Bills, and other Arctic birds. Grimsey Island is the best place in the world to photograph the Atlantic Puffin and Razor Bill under the midnight sun. We have a small group size and personal, one-on-one tuition for the duration of the workshop. There will also be landscape opportunities during this workshop, although our primary focus is Puffins and other birds such as Razorbills.