Photo-trip to Iceland

iudex · 01-27-2016, 07:42 AM

Is anyone interested in joining me on my trip to Iceland?
My plan is to go for a short trip in June for cca. 5 days (e.g. from 2.6. to 6.6.). Fly to Keflavík, rent a car and travel through south of the island. Visit the most interesting places (waterfalls Gullfoss, Skógafoss, Seljallandsfoss, Svartifoss, geysirs, black beach near Vík, ice lagoon etc.) and make some nice pictures (and maybe winning a contest here at PF)

redrockcoulee · 01-27-2016, 12:25 PM

Good luck and enjoy yourself.

I will be going to Iceland this May to join a group of photographers doing the Westfjords region and before I join them I will be two days doing the Golden Circle by myselg.

LFLee · 01-27-2016, 12:32 PM

checked bank account, look at wallet .... love to but nope, not enough dough.

enjoy! and post pics here so we could enjoy Iceland without the hassle...

grispie · 01-28-2016, 01:45 AM

Originally posted by iudex

My plan is to go for a short trip in June for cca. 5 days (e.g. from 2.6. to 6.6.). Fly to Keflavík, rent a car and travel through south of the island.

while you're there, it is really worth spending some time in "Snaefellsness". It's not too far off the south & it really is very different.
You'd have to go there a bit more than 5 days then, but would be worth it. I took 8 days for the south & snaefellsness, and that was plenty of time.

iudex · 01-28-2016, 02:24 AM

Originally posted by grispie

while you're there, it is really worth spending some time in "Snaefellsness". It's not too far off the south & it really is very different.
You'd have to go there a bit more than 5 days then, but would be worth it. I took 8 days for the south & snaefellsness, and that was plenty of time.

Yes, Snaefellsness looks nice, especially the peak Kirkjufell is amazing (and one of most photographed places in Iceland). But it is in oposite direction (I wanted to travel east of Reykjavík). The trouble is that my time is limited so I have to choose what I want to see. It would be ideal to travel around the whole island (the Ring road), but this takes some 8 - 10 days.

grispie · 01-29-2016, 01:00 AM

Originally posted by iudex

Yes, Snaefellsness looks nice, especially the peak Kirkjufell is amazing (and one of most photographed places in Iceland). But it is in oposite direction (I wanted to travel east of Reykjavík).

I know, however if you do not go beyond Yokulsarlon (spelling???...), driving back (which you need to do anyhow) & cutting short through the golden circle up to Snaefellsness is quite possible with many photographic opportunities along the way. Especially if you could find a co driver (you would need to make a stretch at one point..) but the road/connection is really good. Depends a bit on how much you like driving around vs taking more time to go hiking e.g.
A bit jealous though :-)

Pat_the_Rocker · 03-04-2016, 10:29 AM

Originally posted by iudex

Is anyone interested in joining me on my trip to Iceland?
My plan is to go for a short trip in June for cca. 5 days (e.g. from 2.6. to 6.6.). Fly to Keflavík, rent a car and travel through south of the island. Visit the most interesting places (waterfalls Gullfoss, Skógafoss, Seljallandsfoss, Svartifoss, geysirs, black beach near Vík, ice lagoon etc.) and make some nice pictures (and maybe winning a contest here at PF)

My wife and I just returned from Iceland; we were there for six days. We thoroughly enjoyed it and plan to visit again, but in the summer. Here is what we did:

Day 1: We arrived at Keflavik at 0600, but it was a good 3.5 hours before we made it to the hotel. We used the Reykjavik Excursions (RE) Flybus and it was totally disorganized. If you're renting a car right at the airport, you will avoid that hassle. Anyway, we couldn't do the early check-in thing without paying a hefty 50 Euro fee, so we stored our luggage and went on a walking tour of Reykjavik. After the tour-hour tour, we did our own thing, which included strolling the main shopping streets.

Day 2: More sight-seeing around Reykjavik, including the harbour front. Our holiday package included a visit to the Fontana geothermal spa followed by a northern lights excursion. RE was the tour operator. They were so-so. The spa was relaxing and we were able to see the aurora. It was a clear night with a great dark sky, so there was certainly more to see than the aurora. Sadly, RE didn't really equip the tour with a guide that could provide any solid advice on photography, including observing the many fine stellar objects that were advisable. Many asked why I was taking pics of Orion, etc, and I ended up giving tutorials to many. Believe it or not, people were shooting the aurora with flash-enabled smart phones. Anyway, it was fun passing on my limited astrophotography knowledge.

Day 3: we rented a car and travelled the Golden Circle in a counter-clockwise direction. We saw the waterfalls, but the hordes of tourists really lessen the impact of them. There was a pretty good snowstorm during for a good portion of the trip and that meant we didn't really see much other than Gulfoss.

Day 4: Snaefellsness. Now, I heartily recommend heading to this area. We went via Arkanes and Borganes. It was a beautiful day and our aim was one of the fjords on the north coast of the peninsula as we read it was a favorite area for Orcas and other sea mammals. Unfortunately, the tide was out, so I didn't see anything.

Day 5: Vik/south coast. This was another fantastic drive. Vik is interesting with its black sand beach. The two major waterfalls on the way are magnets for tour buses. We stopped and walked around at Sjellandsfoss but just waved at Skogafoss. If you are there in the summer, your options for avoiding the tourists are better as you can hike to several vantage points upstream. Tip: stop in the fishing village of Stokkseyri (south of Selfoss) and eat at Fjorubordid. Their specialty is "lobster" (langostines, actually) and they prepare a fantastic meal.

For our little excursions, I would rank them like so:

1. Snaefellsness
2. South Iceland/Vik
3. Golden Circle

When we visit again, we will rent a car right at the airport and avoid Reykjavik all together.

slip · 04-13-2016, 09:20 AM

There is a saying... put all the clothing you are going to take on the bed and all of the money. Then take half the amount of clothing and double the amount of money

Randy

**mattb123** · 04-13-2016, 09:39 AM

If I hadn't just spent my vacation time in Honduras I'd be seriously considering it. I'll get there one day. Have fun!

01-27-2016, 07:42 AM	#1
iudex Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 87	Photo-trip to Iceland Is anyone interested in joining me on my trip to Iceland? My plan is to go for a short trip in June for cca. 5 days (e.g. from 2.6. to 6.6.). Fly to Keflavík, rent a car and travel through south of the island. Visit the most interesting places (waterfalls Gullfoss, Skógafoss, Seljallandsfoss, Svartifoss, geysirs, black beach near Vík, ice lagoon etc.) and make some nice pictures (and maybe winning a contest here at PF)

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01-27-2016, 12:25 PM	#2
redrockcoulee Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Medicine Hat Posts: 2,306	Good luck and enjoy yourself. I will be going to Iceland this May to join a group of photographers doing the Westfjords region and before I join them I will be two days doing the Golden Circle by myselg.

01-27-2016, 12:32 PM	#3
LFLee Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Southern California Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,292	checked bank account, look at wallet .... love to but nope, not enough dough. enjoy! and post pics here so we could enjoy Iceland without the hassle...

01-28-2016, 01:45 AM	#4
grispie Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 1,199	Originally posted by iudex My plan is to go for a short trip in June for cca. 5 days (e.g. from 2.6. to 6.6.). Fly to Keflavík, rent a car and travel through south of the island. while you're there, it is really worth spending some time in "Snaefellsness". It's not too far off the south & it really is very different. You'd have to go there a bit more than 5 days then, but would be worth it. I took 8 days for the south & snaefellsness, and that was plenty of time.

01-28-2016, 02:24 AM	#5
iudex Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 87 Original Poster	Originally posted by grispie while you're there, it is really worth spending some time in "Snaefellsness". It's not too far off the south & it really is very different. You'd have to go there a bit more than 5 days then, but would be worth it. I took 8 days for the south & snaefellsness, and that was plenty of time. Yes, Snaefellsness looks nice, especially the peak Kirkjufell is amazing (and one of most photographed places in Iceland). But it is in oposite direction (I wanted to travel east of Reykjavík). The trouble is that my time is limited so I have to choose what I want to see. It would be ideal to travel around the whole island (the Ring road), but this takes some 8 - 10 days.

01-29-2016, 01:00 AM	#6
grispie Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 1,199	Originally posted by iudex Yes, Snaefellsness looks nice, especially the peak Kirkjufell is amazing (and one of most photographed places in Iceland). But it is in oposite direction (I wanted to travel east of Reykjavík). I know, however if you do not go beyond Yokulsarlon (spelling???...), driving back (which you need to do anyhow) & cutting short through the golden circle up to Snaefellsness is quite possible with many photographic opportunities along the way. Especially if you could find a co driver (you would need to make a stretch at one point..) but the road/connection is really good. Depends a bit on how much you like driving around vs taking more time to go hiking e.g. A bit jealous though :-)

03-04-2016, 10:29 AM	#7
Pat_the_Rocker Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Calgary, Canada Posts: 29	Originally posted by iudex Is anyone interested in joining me on my trip to Iceland? My plan is to go for a short trip in June for cca. 5 days (e.g. from 2.6. to 6.6.). Fly to Keflavík, rent a car and travel through south of the island. Visit the most interesting places (waterfalls Gullfoss, Skógafoss, Seljallandsfoss, Svartifoss, geysirs, black beach near Vík, ice lagoon etc.) and make some nice pictures (and maybe winning a contest here at PF) My wife and I just returned from Iceland; we were there for six days. We thoroughly enjoyed it and plan to visit again, but in the summer. Here is what we did: Day 1: We arrived at Keflavik at 0600, but it was a good 3.5 hours before we made it to the hotel. We used the Reykjavik Excursions (RE) Flybus and it was totally disorganized. If you're renting a car right at the airport, you will avoid that hassle. Anyway, we couldn't do the early check-in thing without paying a hefty 50 Euro fee, so we stored our luggage and went on a walking tour of Reykjavik. After the tour-hour tour, we did our own thing, which included strolling the main shopping streets. Day 2: More sight-seeing around Reykjavik, including the harbour front. Our holiday package included a visit to the Fontana geothermal spa followed by a northern lights excursion. RE was the tour operator. They were so-so. The spa was relaxing and we were able to see the aurora. It was a clear night with a great dark sky, so there was certainly more to see than the aurora. Sadly, RE didn't really equip the tour with a guide that could provide any solid advice on photography, including observing the many fine stellar objects that were advisable. Many asked why I was taking pics of Orion, etc, and I ended up giving tutorials to many. Believe it or not, people were shooting the aurora with flash-enabled smart phones. Anyway, it was fun passing on my limited astrophotography knowledge. Day 3: we rented a car and travelled the Golden Circle in a counter-clockwise direction. We saw the waterfalls, but the hordes of tourists really lessen the impact of them. There was a pretty good snowstorm during for a good portion of the trip and that meant we didn't really see much other than Gulfoss. Day 4: Snaefellsness. Now, I heartily recommend heading to this area. We went via Arkanes and Borganes. It was a beautiful day and our aim was one of the fjords on the north coast of the peninsula as we read it was a favorite area for Orcas and other sea mammals. Unfortunately, the tide was out, so I didn't see anything. Day 5: Vik/south coast. This was another fantastic drive. Vik is interesting with its black sand beach. The two major waterfalls on the way are magnets for tour buses. We stopped and walked around at Sjellandsfoss but just waved at Skogafoss. If you are there in the summer, your options for avoiding the tourists are better as you can hike to several vantage points upstream. Tip: stop in the fishing village of Stokkseyri (south of Selfoss) and eat at Fjorubordid. Their specialty is "lobster" (langostines, actually) and they prepare a fantastic meal. For our little excursions, I would rank them like so: 1. Snaefellsness 2. South Iceland/Vik 3. Golden Circle When we visit again, we will rent a car right at the airport and avoid Reykjavik all together.

04-13-2016, 09:20 AM	#8
slip Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: 2 hours north of toronto ontario canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,535	There is a saying... put all the clothing you are going to take on the bed and all of the money. Then take half the amount of clothing and double the amount of money Randy

04-13-2016, 09:39 AM	#9
mattb123 Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Colorado High Country Photos: Gallery Posts: 10,873	If I hadn't just spent my vacation time in Honduras I'd be seriously considering it. I'll get there one day. Have fun!