I returned on Friday after 10days in Iceland (and a few days on planes!), having had an incredible experience on a photography workshop. Our local guide, Daniel managed to thread the needle in terms of weather, transportation and accommodation - I certainly wouldn't try to explore such a locale in winter without a local leading the way. The group of photographers were generally great and included Bird's better half (small world). If anyone is interested in doing a trip with these guys, I'd highly recommend them - google Joshua Holko or Daniel Bergmann.
We didn't do as well with the Aurora as H - only a K=1 display under a full moon… Might need to go back another year and try again!
I'll post a few pics here - certainly haven't processed these too much - far too jet lagged…
The road conditions, and an action shot when I stumbled on the beach retreating from a wave. Fortunately the only casualties were a 10stop ND filter and my iPhone.
What a magic place.
Some really nice photos in that lot David and I especially like the small berg on the beach. Between that and the Hot mud, you just know it's a special place.
:-)
Ric - Tolkien spent a lot of time in Iceland, so it's the real Middle Earth.
Rick - We did a lap of the Island. I didn't try to keep up with place names as they are almost unpronounceable! I've run a GPS tracker for the entire trip, so I'll have to go back and match up names to photos in due course.
Phil - I loved the snowscapes. Those on the trip who had been to Antarctica said it was what they'd expect if you were able to drive through Antarctica. I'm keen to go back in Summer, but the photography would be very unsociable, the morning light starts around 2am and twilight goes beyond 10pm. I'd be reluctant to try and drive around Iceland in winter without a local at the wheel.
Phil, summer is tourist season. Pretty much everything is double in cost; from food to transportation.
I met a couple who had hired a modified Ford F-350 truck. For 12 days, they paid $20,000. They said that in summer it was double. I thought they were pulling my leg, so, went online and had a look at costing a vehicle for a friend who wants to go with her family (four kids and husband). I found a 5-door 7-seater wagon for her. For 3 weeks, in the middle of winter, it was $4,500 hire. I changed the dates to the middle of summer, and, sure enough, it was $9,000. Exorbitant!
The weather was atrocious when I was supposed to be there. Also, a German tourist had died a few days beforehand in there which kind of put a dampener on the idea.
great photos, thanks for sharing.
i've only been there over summer solstice so a trip in winter is definitely on the cards. very interesting seeing the same places in the winter setting
H - our guide owned the vehicles we travelled in, so overall our trip costs weren't too bad and included all meals and accommodation. My point about a local guide was more for reading the weather - we left one hotel early because a certain critical road was being cleared the next day and then bad weather was due to arrive the following day - we saw a clip on YouTube of someone who had been stuck on that road when the weather did arrive - absolutely horrendous. Our guide also cancelled one shoot when the roads were iced over and high winds were blowing along the road we had to drive. It's quite weird because there are almost no trees about so it's difficult to gauge how windy it is while you're driving along. We has several days with gusts above 100kph - the trailer on the van was blown sideways on one occasion. The vehicles were a Mercedes Sprinter and a Nissan Patrol, both were modified with massive wheels. The Sprinter had studded tyres -$2000 each!
We did see an aurora, albeit faint. The ice cave was very cool - no mention of the dead tourist, wonder why...
Rusty - winter was amazing, but don't go too early in the season or there'll be hardly any daylight. Sun was only 20degrees above the horizon at noon in March!
