I am a landscape photographer. In July 2015, I traveled to Iceland. During two weeks, I took thousands of pictures. Iceland was on my wish list for a long time. If you like photographing landscapes, you must definitely visit this place. However, you should keep in mind couple of things. These are my personal impressions about Iceland.
The weather in Iceland is unpredictable and extreme. Maybe it’s only my luck, but most of the time it was very windy, rainy, and as for July it was rather cold. However, you should always be prepared for shooting. Sometimes it’s raining for a whole day, and suddenly sun rays break through the thick layer of clouds for a while. When it happens, it’s good to be in nice place, so look to the sky often.
When you consider renting a car, get a 4×4 car. A bigger car can be a good place to sleep in instead of a tent when it’s windy. And on gravel roads which are the only ones in the interior 4×4 car is a must. Besides, by such car you are able to cross rivers. However, in Iceland everything changes very rapidly, from weather to terrain, so check river before crossing it.You should be also aware of sandstorms which can completely destroy car paint in a couple of minutes.
In Iceland, there are also some unusual obstacles when photographing. There are places and periods in which thousands of mosquitoes are flying around you and your camera. At some locations, you may smell strong odor of sulphur in the air, and you couldn’t stay in such place for a long time.
Iceland offers a great variety of landscapes’ types. On such small space, you can see an ocean, coast, fjords, mountains, glaciers, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, volcanos, thermal springs, and fields of lava. It’s like training camp for a landscape photographer. I read a guide when I traveled through Iceland, however, the most beautiful places were those not mentioned in the guide, so follow your intuition to choose the way, use the force!
Iceland is the place I fell in love with, but it’s a complicated relationship. It offers beautiful views, but by extreme conditions it challenged me almost every day. Here is my selection of photographs I captured during this trip.
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Absolutely beautiful photos! Your written description was also very interesting and enlightening. I will never travel to Iceland (too old!) but it was so wonderful traveling with you. Thank you "for the ride"!
One small correction: there are no mosquitoes in Iceland - it's one of the countless wonderful things about that country. Those bugs swarming you are actually midges. In fact, Lake Mývatn, in the north, is named after those annoying insects - its name translates to Midge Lake or Lake of Midges. :)
I called them mosquitoes because they were very annoying :) but thanks for correction. I was at Lake Myvatn, and I found there no midges at all. However they appeared in many other places :)
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I am fascinated by the beauty of Iceland, it always looks so fresh and crisp during the day, haunting with the spectacular vivid Auroras during the night, a beautiful place to be in.
Shame the weather was bad for ou but the pictures are wonderful. I went there a few years ago in late September and it was warm and sunny, a bit like Scotland the weather is better there in September than July.
I have the same complicated relationship with Iceland. Its a real love/hate connection. You really have to get away sometimes... but then you are always dawn back. Well...maybe that's just me. :)
Thanks for beautiful pictures. Been there twice and I´m going again, its a wonderful island. We had a snowstorm at June 24. , so you´re right about the weather, it´s crazy ;)
Thank you! Iceland & Patagonia are my favorite locations so far, here is my post from Patagonia https://www.boredpanda.com/journey-through-patagonia-jakub-polomski-argentina-chile/
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I can't believe I still haven't visited Iceland. It looks like a must, from these pictures.
Great photos! And thank you for not tweaking them beyond recognition in photoshop like most landscape pictures I see from my home country.. They don't need it!
I went to Iceland about 5 years ago and loved it. A very unusual landscape for sure....the cairns that were still there from the earlier explorers, the different textures of the landscapes, and the thermals were fascinating. I was very impressed with their use of these thermals for use in Reykavik for melting snow and ice on the roads, heating purposes in homes and then recycled back in to the ground. Our tour guide the main export from Iceland is their knowledge of using these thermals for everyday living....I also loved the horses of Iceland.
wonderful photos and great advise... midges in Ireland and scotland can also be horrific biters... glad to have the advice!
Great photographs, Jakup - do you mind telling me what camera/s you use, please?
Thank you! I'm using Canon 5D mark III + Canon 16-35 F/4 + Canon 70-200 F/4
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Thanks a lot! But no HDR photos at all :) I used ND graduated filters on my lens, and processed post-production just in Lightroom on RAWs
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Thank you! I use Canon 16-35 F/4 + Canon 70-200 F/4
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Great, informative intro about Iceland! Good to know, even just for the random traveller. Great shots!
Great photos...Iceland is one of my favourite places to visit in the world...maybe someday. Another place I would like to go is New Zealand...Thanks for these great photos.
You have a great eye! Iceland is on my bucket list and this just raised it higher. These photos are stunning. Such clean and beautiful photography.
It's a dangerous place. So dangerous, that I've had to go back every year in the past 6 years and had to learn the most complex language I know to become half-decent at it. But the weather isn't that much of a factor in the complicated relationship we have, Iceland and I, since I come form a colder place anyway (in the winter, at least). The complicated part is keeping myself from moving there. Ég sakna til Íslands!
Absolutely beautiful! We're travelling there in just a few days for a 5-day visit. Now more excited than before! Thank you!
thanks Dr Oku for the restoration of my marriage after 2 years of separation with the help of Dr Oku the great spell caster my marriage was restored back, even through the trials and tribulations. My wife has returned home after much time with another Man after the spell of Dr Oku solution came through, at first I was having doubts and crying out to Him. Dr Oku promise and guarantee me that after 28 hour my wife will come back home begging, i thought it was just saying what he can not do until after 7 days casting of the spell my wife came back kneeling and begging for forgiveness I was shocked of the magical power spell of dr oku and I was very happy to see my first love in high school came back to me again Email okuspellcaster@gmail.com Whatsapp: +2349060261758
Thank you for sharing! absolutely incredible photographs--i love the wide open spaces ( live in rural Nevada and we have lots of mountains and sky, but nothing like Iceland ) and this fits the bill. I noticed there were absolutely NO trees. Even so, it's hard for me to imagine living out in a house on the naked land as seen in your marvelous photos. (BTW, glad those were midges and not mosquitoes!) I'm so glad (for you) that you were able to make the trip--and then return and share!! Thanks!!
Such fantastic photos, this made me see Iceland in a way I haven't previously. I'm a huge fan of the series Fortitude, which is recorded in eastern Iceland and also shows Iceland in a very stunning way, but it makes it look far more like a huge pile of snow - it actually looks nothing like what you've managed to capture.
Aaaaaaaawesoooome. On my bucket list now, but don't worry- I'll be sure to take your advice!
What Camera do you use Jakub?? I am travelling to Iceland in a month and would love a camera that can take pictures like that!!
Hey! Great pictures. I live in Iceland and you got the worst weather. There were almost no sun last summer, only windy and raining. You got the worst weather lol, hope you come again sometimes and get better weather to take pictures!
Wonderful photos! If post author reads this, what gear is used to take these shots? I see on some pictures is used some kind of wide angle lense, but others looks like zoom lense? Thanks in advice!
Gorgeous photos! I hope to travel to Iceland at some point and your words of advice are helpful, thank you.
Beautiful! We lived in Iceland for two years as a U.S. military family. The weather you experienced was totally normal....it is consistently windy, cool and rainy most all the time. One week before we left the island we had our nicest day in two years....no wind and 60 degrees. It is a unique country in so many ways and we will always be grateful for our time there...but the weather is not balmy by any stretch and you have to be willing to do things outdoors in inclement weather if you don't want to leave your house. Thanks for the journey back in gorgeous photos!
I can see why you are a landscape photographer. Absolutely breath taking. Thank you for sharing.
Absolutely beautiful photos! Your written description was also very interesting and enlightening. I will never travel to Iceland (too old!) but it was so wonderful traveling with you. Thank you "for the ride"!
One small correction: there are no mosquitoes in Iceland - it's one of the countless wonderful things about that country. Those bugs swarming you are actually midges. In fact, Lake Mývatn, in the north, is named after those annoying insects - its name translates to Midge Lake or Lake of Midges. :)
I called them mosquitoes because they were very annoying :) but thanks for correction. I was at Lake Myvatn, and I found there no midges at all. However they appeared in many other places :)
Load More Replies... I am fascinated by the beauty of Iceland, it always looks so fresh and crisp during the day, haunting with the spectacular vivid Auroras during the night, a beautiful place to be in.
Shame the weather was bad for ou but the pictures are wonderful. I went there a few years ago in late September and it was warm and sunny, a bit like Scotland the weather is better there in September than July.
I have the same complicated relationship with Iceland. Its a real love/hate connection. You really have to get away sometimes... but then you are always dawn back. Well...maybe that's just me. :)
Thanks for beautiful pictures. Been there twice and I´m going again, its a wonderful island. We had a snowstorm at June 24. , so you´re right about the weather, it´s crazy ;)
Thank you! Iceland & Patagonia are my favorite locations so far, here is my post from Patagonia https://www.boredpanda.com/journey-through-patagonia-jakub-polomski-argentina-chile/
Load More Replies... I can't believe I still haven't visited Iceland. It looks like a must, from these pictures.
Great photos! And thank you for not tweaking them beyond recognition in photoshop like most landscape pictures I see from my home country.. They don't need it!
I went to Iceland about 5 years ago and loved it. A very unusual landscape for sure....the cairns that were still there from the earlier explorers, the different textures of the landscapes, and the thermals were fascinating. I was very impressed with their use of these thermals for use in Reykavik for melting snow and ice on the roads, heating purposes in homes and then recycled back in to the ground. Our tour guide the main export from Iceland is their knowledge of using these thermals for everyday living....I also loved the horses of Iceland.
wonderful photos and great advise... midges in Ireland and scotland can also be horrific biters... glad to have the advice!
Great photographs, Jakup - do you mind telling me what camera/s you use, please?
Thank you! I'm using Canon 5D mark III + Canon 16-35 F/4 + Canon 70-200 F/4
Load More Replies... Thanks a lot! But no HDR photos at all :) I used ND graduated filters on my lens, and processed post-production just in Lightroom on RAWs
Load More Replies... Thank you! I use Canon 16-35 F/4 + Canon 70-200 F/4
Load More Replies... Great, informative intro about Iceland! Good to know, even just for the random traveller. Great shots!
Great photos...Iceland is one of my favourite places to visit in the world...maybe someday. Another place I would like to go is New Zealand...Thanks for these great photos.
You have a great eye! Iceland is on my bucket list and this just raised it higher. These photos are stunning. Such clean and beautiful photography.
It's a dangerous place. So dangerous, that I've had to go back every year in the past 6 years and had to learn the most complex language I know to become half-decent at it. But the weather isn't that much of a factor in the complicated relationship we have, Iceland and I, since I come form a colder place anyway (in the winter, at least). The complicated part is keeping myself from moving there. Ég sakna til Íslands!
Absolutely beautiful! We're travelling there in just a few days for a 5-day visit. Now more excited than before! Thank you!
thanks Dr Oku for the restoration of my marriage after 2 years of separation with the help of Dr Oku the great spell caster my marriage was restored back, even through the trials and tribulations. My wife has returned home after much time with another Man after the spell of Dr Oku solution came through, at first I was having doubts and crying out to Him. Dr Oku promise and guarantee me that after 28 hour my wife will come back home begging, i thought it was just saying what he can not do until after 7 days casting of the spell my wife came back kneeling and begging for forgiveness I was shocked of the magical power spell of dr oku and I was very happy to see my first love in high school came back to me again Email okuspellcaster@gmail.com Whatsapp: +2349060261758
Thank you for sharing! absolutely incredible photographs--i love the wide open spaces ( live in rural Nevada and we have lots of mountains and sky, but nothing like Iceland ) and this fits the bill. I noticed there were absolutely NO trees. Even so, it's hard for me to imagine living out in a house on the naked land as seen in your marvelous photos. (BTW, glad those were midges and not mosquitoes!) I'm so glad (for you) that you were able to make the trip--and then return and share!! Thanks!!
Such fantastic photos, this made me see Iceland in a way I haven't previously. I'm a huge fan of the series Fortitude, which is recorded in eastern Iceland and also shows Iceland in a very stunning way, but it makes it look far more like a huge pile of snow - it actually looks nothing like what you've managed to capture.
Aaaaaaaawesoooome. On my bucket list now, but don't worry- I'll be sure to take your advice!
What Camera do you use Jakub?? I am travelling to Iceland in a month and would love a camera that can take pictures like that!!
Hey! Great pictures. I live in Iceland and you got the worst weather. There were almost no sun last summer, only windy and raining. You got the worst weather lol, hope you come again sometimes and get better weather to take pictures!
Wonderful photos! If post author reads this, what gear is used to take these shots? I see on some pictures is used some kind of wide angle lense, but others looks like zoom lense? Thanks in advice!
Gorgeous photos! I hope to travel to Iceland at some point and your words of advice are helpful, thank you.
Beautiful! We lived in Iceland for two years as a U.S. military family. The weather you experienced was totally normal....it is consistently windy, cool and rainy most all the time. One week before we left the island we had our nicest day in two years....no wind and 60 degrees. It is a unique country in so many ways and we will always be grateful for our time there...but the weather is not balmy by any stretch and you have to be willing to do things outdoors in inclement weather if you don't want to leave your house. Thanks for the journey back in gorgeous photos!
I can see why you are a landscape photographer. Absolutely breath taking. Thank you for sharing.
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