Iceland photo safari, anyone?

abhinavsah

I just did a 14 day trip to ICELAND... will be happy to share details about the trip and also some important contacts.. you can see the trip blog at the below link..i am updating it to cover the entire trip

http://knotinfocus.in/blog/iceland-road-trip-travel-photography-knot-in-focus


Abhinav

MaxBerlin

I've been to Iceland on 6 occasions - Icelandair has great packages they announce in the fall for winter and spring. Pick late winter if you can. Rent with an AMEX and get AMEX's excellent insurance policy that covers all damages for $20 for your entire rental. Use common sense the rest of the time. A lot of great scenery (more than you can photograph) can be seen with the standard rental car. Last but not least, the greatest bakery in the world that I am aware of is on the main street in Reykjavik. Sandholt Bakari Laugavegur 36

MaxBerlin

great photos - abhinavsah

The video at the bottom reminds me of how we had to park the car in such a way to prevent the doors from being ripped off if the car. On one occasion we had both front windows rolled down and you could see rain travel horizontally through the drivers side and right out the passenger side without a drop hitting the inside.

JCTibu

Oh my God... great pictures!

it truly seems that it was an amazing experience!

one question... so in 10 days you saw 3 times the Northern Lights? do you have any extra advice?

I was looking at the picture of your Nikon and the post mentioning that 3 lens froze.... Nikons?

I am afraid of my Nikon D750 and my Sigma 24-105 as they are not close to be weather sealed....

Symphotic

The last time I was in Iceland we were out surveying an inland lake that was only accessible with a ORV. On the way back, we found a French family stuck in a rental car in a snowdrift out in the middle of nowhere. I have no idea what they were thinking or where they thought they were going. They had been there for hours and they were "spun down to the axle" out of reach of cell phones on a road that is usually only used about once a week. We got a rope and pulled them out. That was my good deed of the day. There was no way they could have walked out of that mess.
Iceland is beautiful. I've only ever been there for work, so a pleasure trip would be nice, but no time...

Snowleopard

My travel budget has been spent buying camera equipment..... maybe start traveling allot in a few years.

proudgeek

The best piece of advice I've ever gotten on this forum is that the best money you can spend on your photography is on plane tickets. Food for thought.

Msmoto

@proudgeek

Diesel fuel, IMO

As for Iceland, having seen images from a friend, this is a paradise for landscape photographers.

proudgeek

@proudgeek

Diesel fuel, IMO

Depends on your mode of travel. But yes, the concept is the same.

Killerbob

As for Iceland, I have gone once already, and will go again this fall.

If anyone is interested in joining up in Reykjavik, as said previously, it is much cheaper than expected when planning/organising privately than when going through someone like https://iceland-photo-tours.com/. They are good, but very expensive.

Let me know...

OnTheRopes

I may be interestec in this but I was thinking of going in deep winter

Killerbob

@OnTheRopes; have you ever been to Iceland? I ask because the winters are a bit different from what a lot of people think. There is not much snow, and it is bitterly cold with rain/snow and winds. I was there over christmas a few years ago, and it was dark and cold. Actually a bit dissappointed because of the lack of decent snow...

OnTheRopes

@killerbob
Not been myself though know a few who have. This is kind of what I would expect, run by one of the leading photographers of the genre http://www.davidclapp.co.uk/workshops/view/iceland-in-winter-and-the-aurora-borealis

Killerbob

I am not trying to be a party-pooper, but the times I have to Iceland in the winter time, it has never been good weather 3 days in a row... There is only light for a few hours every day, and there are a lot of places you can't go because of the conditions of the roads.

It is truly beautiful to go there in the winter, but it does have some drawbacks. And you need to leave enough time to accept bad weather.

OnTheRopes

I'm sure you are correct and I am not against another time of year I just fancy winter.

Killerbob

I just perused Lurie Belegurschi's Iceland photos again, and still can't find a reason not to go...

http://www.iuriebelegurschi.com/

Anyone want to go with me?

henryvs

These photos are just unreal. Amazing. So when would you be going this fall, @killerbob? Any estimate of cost on in-country expenses for the trip? I'm dreaming aloud by asking, but still...

Killerbob

I am up for almost anytime. I would be coming into Iceland from Greenland, and due to flights, that means staying for at least 1 week. Following an "agenda" from one of the many phototours, we could easily arrange all ourselves, which would bring down the cost.

Like I wrote earlier on:

a) The quick, dirty and expensive way;

You sort out your own travel into Iceland, and we meet up in Reykjavik. We have sorted out a photo tour from a professional outfit, who drives us around the sights on a 3/5/7 day trip. Accommodation and meals are included on this tour. On the last day we are dropped of in Reykjavik, and we go back home.

The photo tours tend to be expensive, but are all-inclusive, and a 5-day tour run about EUR 2000.

b) The "do-it-yourself" method:

You sort out your own travel into Iceland, and we meet up in Reykjavik. We rent full-size SUVs, which run EUR EUR 250/day for a proper Land Rover with all insurances etc. included. Petrol is of course not included, and we can easily fit 4 to a jeep. Guestrooms in Reyjkavik are easily found at EUR100/night, and a typical meal is EUR15 (non alcoholic). B&Bs around Iceland are EUR 60-100/day, all depending on season.

The pro for a) is of course that this is a professional tour, with drivers who knows how to go "where no man has gone before". The con is cost cost cost. The pro for b) is cost, and that we can go where we want to:) We can make our own lunches, buying groceries in the shops.

It isn't that much planning, if you have some decent contacts in Reykjavik (which I have), and if you know the language (which I do).

henryvs

Thank you @killerbob for giving that great breakdown of the cost options. The whole thing sounds like an amazing experience and no doubt worth the cost for the rewards. I am itching for a new photo trip but have to weigh out my finances and family commitments/plans. Iceland may be out of reach for me this year based on those factors, but I really appreciate you laying this out so clearly. Perhaps next year for me - and perhaps others here may be able to join this year? Thanks again.

Symphotic

That's me on the left

Hjalti took the picture from the shore:

"Torfi! Jack! what are you doing standing in Reykjavik harbor?"

Torfi: "Hjalti, you're an idiot! We're freezing our buns off! What does it look like! Now get out here and help!"