Sustainable travel in Iceland

Iceland, a natural beauty when it comes to the most beautiful and magical natural phenomena in Europe. Close to home yet so surprising, behind every corner another fantastic landscape with geysers, waterfalls, ice or sand deserts. Also one of the most sustainable destinations in Europe and very suitable for travelers who want to travel environmentally conscious.

What makes Iceland so sustainable?

Mainly due to the energy they generate from what nature has to offer. Most energy comes from geothermal sources. Hveravellir is a landscape full of such springs and definitely worth a visit to take beautiful pictures all the hidden gems of Iceland. In addition to sustainable energy, Iceland is also committed to 'responsible tourism', so that it remains accessible to tourists in the future. This is done by spreading tourism as much as possible so that the untouched areas are not put under pressure. The 'Green Steps Program' makes it possible for travelers to use public transport for free with a Reykjavik City Card.

Transportation to and around Iceland

Although Iceland is located in Europe, it is still far from the mainland, but it is still easy to reach. The most sustainable option is by bus and the M/S Norröna ferry from Hirtshals, Denmark, this ferry sails all year round and also passes through the Faroe Islands. All you need is time, the crossing takes about two days. Once in Iceland it is best to use public transport or rent a car. In the high season there are daily buses, during the low season there is an adjusted timetable. If you want to rent a car, an off-road vehicle is recommended, it is very suitable for exploring the rough landscape.

Sustainable stay

Do you want to stay somewhere sustainable and local in Iceland? Then it is best to look for a local supplier with a Nordic Swan or Vakinn environmental label. That way you are assured of sustainable accommodation. (With Travelmarks photography travel you are always assured of an environmentally conscious trip). Another option is a farmstay, where you will stay with people on a farm, often a bit remote, but it will take you to the most beautiful places. If you want to explore nature even more, wild camping is also a good alternative. With a camping card it is possible to camp more cheaply throughout Iceland.

Local drinks and food

Iceland is the place to be for fish-lovers. It is the specialty at every restaurant and the fish is fresh from the sea. Freshly prepared and often served in different ways. Fresh fruit and vegetables are somewhat more difficult to come by due to the limited possibilities in agriculture. But more and more vegetables are grown in greenhouses heated with geothermal energy. For vegetarians and vegans, more and more delicious foods can be found on the menus, because vegan food has become more accessible in recent years.

Photography trip North and South Iceland

Excited about the beauty of Iceland? Take a look at the sustainable photographytrip to North and South Iceland in the summer. An unforgettable journey including a visit to the undiscovered North and the most beautiful places of the Golden Circle.

Shooting in versatile Luxembourg

Luxembourg has exceeded all our expectations, we are fans! We would like to take you along in this blog to the most beautiful things that Luxembourg is home to. By the way, did you know that Luxembourg is in the top 10 of most sustainable countries in the world? All the more reason to visit this awesome country!

In this dynamic time it remains a surprise how developments follow eachother up. We thought it's wise to develop a photo trip close to home. Simply accessible and with a van from the Netherlands we travel together. After some research, Luxembourg rolled out and we don't regret it!

Waterfalls, primeval forests and rock formations… better know as Müllerthal trail

Walking along the ancient paths you really feel like you are in another world. The Müllerthal trail is one of the most beautiful hiking trails in Europe. Do you want to walk the entire route? Then 112 beautiful kilometers are waiting for you. We didn't walk them all, but we did a lot and included a number of gems in our photo weekend. The rock formations and caves of Hohllay impress and the Schiessentümpel waterfall clatters peacefully into the landscape, here you really switch off! By the way, you don't have to make long or heavy hikes during our weekend, which is nice.

Vianden and Esch-sur-Sûre by night

How picturesque do you want it to be? Vianden and Esch-sur-Sûr sparkle in the light of the blue hour. These medieval-looking villages are a source of conviviality and we can't say no to that, right? Both villages are characterized by the castle ruins that lie on top of the hills. A beautiful sight as soon as the evening light sets in. We have found exactly the right places from which to photograph this. For a moment you imagine yourself in a completely different era.

The old city center 'Grund' of Luxemburg City

Another gem is the old town center 'Grund'. Many times more Burgundian than the modern part and packed with character. As soon as you glance down over the city walls, you will see the babbling Alzette river meander gracefully through the old streets of Luxembourg City. From the right positions, this produces beautiful photos, where shooting with long shutter speeds adds extra character to the photo. Here too it is only a matter of waiting for the blue hour to set in and Luxembourg City changes with the magic of the evening.

Industrial Belval

What photographer doesn't love a beautiful industrial environment? We sure do! A visit to Belval should therefore certainly not be missed when visiting Luxembourg. The beauty of this location is that they have preserved the industry that used to be active here. In fact, they fused it with modern architecture. They definitely did that to their credit! You can stroll there and behind every corner there is a new composition. A top location for every photographer who appreciates an industrial environment.

Turelbaach Castle

This is without a doubt our favorite! A true 'hidden gem' and a feast for the eyes. Hard to find… but we have discovered the entrance to this majestic temple, as far as we are concerned the showpiece of Luxembourg! We don't really want to reveal too much, we like to see that a rare location like this remains undiscovered by the general public. We are happy to share it with the photographers who will join us on our photography weekend.

4-day photo tour Luxembourg

A sustainable photography trip close to home, in versatile Luxembourg. Four full days, a wonderful long photo weekend! You will see the best of what Luxembourg has to offer, including true hidden gems. We travel in small groups, so you can expect a lot of personal guidance. Has this blog piqued your interest? Does Luxembourg seem worth exploring to you? Be sure to take a look at our photo trip Luxembourg for more information.

We look forward to taking you to the most beautiful places… let's click!

Welcome to the first part of the interview series called “Customer Stories”, where we will listen to the wonderful stories and experiences our customers have to tell. Enjoy… and let yourself be carried away in this beautiful 19-day trip through Kenya, which Gerard & Antoinette have booked through Travelmarks-Photography. Speaking: Antoinette

Was this your first time visiting Kenya?

Yes, this was indeed the first time we visited Kenya. Together with my husband Gerard, I made this trip.

And how did you experience the trip in general, if you had to summarize it briefly?

Like a dream trip that matched what we needed at the time.

And what did you think was the most spectacular experience you had in Kenya?

I think the great migration. We have seen it several times. This was very special for me. This was also the reason why we wanted to make this trip and that is also the reason why we started this.

Can you describe to me how it felt experience the great migration?

For me it was mainly a feeling of “YIPPIE”. I was absolutely thrilled to be able to experience this. I work as a photographer myself and I was able to take so many pictures of the migration. It had been on my to-do list for a long time and to get this great opportunitie to capture it in a beautiful way is really a dream come true. I will be able to enjoy this for a long time to come, but I can also use it in my work as a photographer and that is very special to me.

And if you wanted to share a favorite photo with us related to the great migration, which one would it be for you?

How did you find the variety of wild life?

This was the sixth African country we went to. But our trip in Kenya was the highlight. We have really been able to admire a lot of different types of wild life here. So close together and in so many large groups. This made the trip very special for us.

How did you experience the help from Travelmarks-photography?

My husband and I made the decision at some point to visit Kenya. We then requested a quote and we found it too expensive. And the trip didn't quite match what we wanted. So then I called Mark to ask for tips. Then Mark said he would be happy to put the trip together for us. He started working on this itinerary. He then gave us tips, including the best route to take and gave us the opportunity to photograph the Masai tribes. Also where we had to be exactly and at what time. And those tips were very valuable to me.

Did you experience a lot of tourism and crowds during the trip?

Our guide told us that in places where the migration takes place more often, there are sometimes as many as 200 cars. Making it almost a fight between drivers to be able to see it. We did not experience it that way, we had at most 20 cars on each side of the river. This also made it easy to maneuver the car to a place you wanted to photograph. We've had parks where we drove half a day and we didn't meet anyone. At the same time, that is very sad because you know that the population in Kenya is very dependent on tourism. On the other hand, it also gives you the peace of mind to enjoy the beauty. This was also the reason that we wanted to go to Kenya. We have been so very busy this past year.

You have visited several national parks, which one is the best above the rest for you?

Our trip was all about wild life. As my sister said, "You go to a zoo for 19 days." But you do go to all kinds of different zoos for 19 days. And when I look at all those different national parks, I thought Sambura was amazing and Amboseli was also very special. Samburu is naturally dry and the water has risen from below, creating a very special landscape. So Samburu because of the drought and the heat. And Amboseli because of the diversity time of all animals.

During the trip you also got to know Jackson, your guide in Kenya. How did you experience this collaboration?

In a word, insane! As I just said this was our sixth trip in Africa. Either we travel ourselves or we do a private trip. Which means you are with three of you for 16 hours a day. You must therefore also have a click with your guide. You have to get along, you have to respect each other's privacy, you have to know when to have fun and when not to. And especially knowing when to give each other some rest and he was especially good at that. The other plus for me was how highly experienced he was, and that's kind of what I demand. From a photographic point of view I sometimes want to be in a certain place at 5 o'clock, or at 7 o'clock at a certain tree where the sun is just rising. I don't want a guide who just drives around a bit, I want a guide who knows where to go. And also, for example, can recognize the areas where you see certain animals. For example, he was super good at spotting lions. He recognized by the behavior of other animals that a lion was nearby. He had a lot of knowledge and experience and these were real plus points for me.

How was your experience with the Solio Ranch?

I thought it was a special park. Solio Ranch is the sanctuary for the rhinoceroses, so you have hundreds of rhinoceroses, both white and black. The area was beautiful and we saw so many rhinoceroses here. And what was funny was that everyone always has a preference for a certain animal. And I've had that with ostriches, for example, I really wanted to see dancing and jumping ostriches, our guide had that with the black rhinoceros. So he totally raved and totally loved the solio ranch and to see that black rhinoceros. And in the end we succeeded, and that was of course also a very nice experience. Solio ranch was a real addition for me.

How did you experience Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha?

It's something completely different. The environment is completely different because there is a lot of water instead of the drought, which we mainly saw for the rest of the trip. For example, we have seen hundreds of pelicans and flamingos here. gezien.

Because of this different experience, it makes it more special for me. What you also see here is that the water comes up from the ground more and more and gets higher. As a result, more and more land is absorbed by the water. Trees die and houses are flooded. This also creates a completely different atmosphere. For example, you see a lot of dead trees sticking out of the water, which I was able to take beautiful pictures of.

Did the trip meet all your expectations?

The trip actually exceeded my expectations. It was the interplay of the right environment at the right time. Good photographic thoughts were given and my wishes were listened to. I am very critical in that regard. I don't just go on a trip that I paid a lot of money for, I want to get what I want. And that has been listened to very carefully. I just thought it was a very nice and special trip.

Focusing with your camera

How does focusing work with your camera? There are several settings you can use on your camera. Let's go through them:

AF method

Something you've used before, but how does it actually work? When taking a photo, we press the shutter release button of the camera halfway. We see through the viewfinder or on the screen, one or more dots light up and press the button further to take the photo.

Focusing is done in a fraction of a second. The speed of focusing also depends a bit on the camera and lens combination.

Focus point

Not the entire image is linked to the AF sensor, but only a few focus points. That varies from 11 to more than 500. You see these focus points as dots or zones in the viewfinder of the camera. The middle point is the most sensitive. This measures both the horizontal and vertical contrast with an extra high sensitivity, in less light or low contrast. You can purposefully select one focus point, but you can also use an entire zone.

Many photographers use the center focus point and reframe the image, then take the picture. You can also choose to choose a different focus point, but then you have to focus properly for each photo. There is also a mode where all focus points are active and the camera chooses a point itself. This is by far the fastest method, but can result in a photo where the wrong element in your photo is in focus.

One shot / Ai Focus / Ai Servo

With One Shot, the focus point is locked when the focus point is found. So this mode is ideal for shooting still subjects.

Ai Focus recognizes it when movement comes from a still image. It then tracks the moving subject to focus. If something accidentally passes by, it can be detrimental, because you don't want to focus on the moving subject at all.

Ai Servo is the ideal mode if you have continuously moving subjects that you want to focus on. For example, think of a sports competition or car races. The focus point then continues to move with your subject.

Auto focus in liveview
With newer cameras with a touchscreen, it is possible to tap your focus point on your LCD screen. In this way you are no longer tied to the number of focus points that you see through your viewfinder, but you simply tap the subject you want sharp in your photo.

Autofocus vs manual focus:

Your camera has trouble focusing automatically in the dark. The camera will not find a bright spot to focus on. This is not a disaster, because fortunately we can also focus manually. Also with macro photography you will often want to focus manually. So good to pay attention to!

If you focus manually, keep a few points in mind:

• Turn off the image stabilization on your lens
• First, determine a good composition and place your tripod in the desired location.
• Set your desired aperture, shutter speed and ISO.
• Always take a test photo first and judge if it is good.
• Macro photography is all about details. So make sure you have good focus to make sure that the right element of your photo is in focus.
• Use the infinity sign (see photo on the right) for the largest possible sharpness area. You can recognize the infinity sign by an 8-like symbol. Adjust to this and turn back a very small turn. How much exactly? That differs per lens. So just try it out.
• Take your photo and check whether you have the desired sharpness.
• After each photo taken, you have to manually focus again. Every change in composition or setting creates a new situation. So refocus.

To manually focus via your LCD screen:

• All of the above points also apply to manual focusing via your LCD screen.
• On your LCD screen you can see more clearly what your photo will look like and whether it is sharp.
• You are looking for a bright light source on your LCD screen. This can be anything, a lamppost, an illuminated shop front, a shop window, you name it.
• Zoom in on the light source with your magnifying glass and focus manually. You can clearly see when it is at its sharpest on your LCD screen.                                      

Want to learn photography or brush up on your own photography skills?

Sign up for one of the many workshops!

Till clicks!

Why is the tripod so important?

Tripod and ball head

Let's call it right, right away. This is one of the most important elements in photography. Your tripod is like your best friend! If you invest well in it, it won't let you down! So it's important to dwell on this for a moment.

Why is the tripod so important?

• It gives stability.
• You can take long exposure shots that you need for macro photography around twilight.
• You reduse noise due to too high ISO values.
• Without a tripod, no sparkling sharp photos.
• The best results with focus stacking

What do you consider when buying? My tip, in any case, don't cut corners. Assume that you will once again purchase a new camera or lens and that your tripod must be able to carry it. Do you travel a lot? Then you would like a lightweight. Do you shoot a lot of macro? Then you want a tripod that comes close to the ground. For each type of photography, you can ask yourself what requirements your tripod must meet.

What questions you should definitely ask yourself:

• What kind of photography do I use it for?
• What is the total weight of my camera and lens? The heaviest version of course!
• Do I want to expand in my lenses and what does my camera with lens weigh?
• What requirements do I place on the tripod head?
• When I go out, how much should the tripod weigh so I can take it comfortably with me?
• What height should the tripod be?

  Tripod

There are various types of tripods on the market. You have very compact ones, such as a gorillapod and even a tripod on one leg, called a monopod. Feel free to research this on the internet. In general, however, we focus on the tripod, as this is the best variant.

The tripod stands firmly on three legs, as the name suggests. More expensive models are usually made of durable and sturdy materials. These tripods are very sturdy. Constant adjustment is also no problem for these tripods. They can be loaded more heavily. Pay attention to the weight of the tripod if you want to walk longer distances. You don't want to carry around too many pounds. Also think how big you are. It is pleasant to shoot when you have the camera at eye level on a tripod.

Remember: the heavier the weight, the more stable the tripod will be. Pay attention to the weight of the tripod if you want to walk longer distances. You don't want to carry around too many pounds.

Tripod head

A tripod head is available separately, which gives you flexibility. We discuss two types of tripod heads.

The most famous is the three-way head. You can move the three-way head in three ways: forward or backward, clockwise or counterclockwise, horizontally or vertically. This allows you to aim your camera extremely accurately. This can be done with levers, but also, for example, with rotary knobs where you can turn your tripod head per millimeter. three-way head

The second commonly used head is a ball head. It consists of a ball construction so that you can easily and quickly put your camera in the desired position with one lever. It is important with both models that the ball head must be able to bear the total weight of your camera and lens. Play it safe and rather add two kilos on top.

Other tips:

Some tips I don't want to withhold from you.

• Cheap is expensive. It is a one-time purchase that you will enjoy for years to come.
• Take good care of your tripod. This extends the lifespan.
• Turn off the image stabilization on your lens. This ensures better sharpness.
• In the camera menu, turn off noise reduction for slow shutter speeds. If necessary, you can apply this afterwards with editing.
• Look closely at the environment. Placing your tripod a meter further can give a completely different perspective.
• Make sure your tripod is stable and cannot tip over.
• Cover the viewfinder to avoid unwanted rays of light.

Want to learn photography or brush up on your own photography skills?

Sign up for one of the many workshops!

Till clicks!

 Photographing fireworks

Okay, before we get to the fireworks, let's take a look at the BULB mode. You'll find the BULB mode if you continue to dial in the shutter speed setting when you get to the 30 second mark. You may even have a separate BULB setting on your camera.

The BULB mode allows you to determine your own shutter speed, even to infinity. Extremely useful if at 30 seconds you still have too little light, then BULB is your solution. However, it has another special feature and we need it for fireworks photography. Incidentally, photographing lightning works the same as fireworks. So two birds with one stone!

How does it work?

In BULB mode, you decide when to start recording and when to end recording. You press the button, the recording starts, you press the button again, the recording stops. So you can start recording and stop recording right after the fireworks (or lightning). A remote control is handy and recommended to avoid motion blur from pressing the shutter button. You'll get some additional tips along the way.

Other tips for photographing fireworks

• Turn off the image stabilization on your lens (including autofocus).
• First, determine a good composition and place your tripod in the desired location.
• Set your desired aperture, shutter speed and ISO. I recommend an aperture between F8 and F14, for a large area of focus. Keep your ISO as low as possible, fireworks themselves give off a lot of light. A shutter speed between 1 and 5 seconds should be fine.
• Always take a test photo first and judge if it is good.
• Use the infinity sign to focus manually.
• If you change your composition or settings, refocus.
• Use the BULB mode to have complete control over shutter speed.
• If you have a remote, use these.
• Include the environment in your composition. Fireworks are beautiful. In perspective with, for example, a part of a city, it comes into its own even better.
• En last but not least, stay safe!

Want to learn photography or brush up on your own photography skills?

Sign up for one of the many workshops!

Till clicks!

Photographing the stars

In the Netherlands we are not so topographically blessed to photograph the starry sky, but of course it is possible! In any case, it is a wonderful sensation!

Timing is key. We need a new moon (the light from the moon gives too much light pollution so we can't see the stars well) and clear skies. So no clouds. If those conditions are right...on your way!

Photographing stars is a different sport. You have to deal with the rotation of the earth, so you can not use too slow shutter speeds. A slow shutter speed will cause a star to change into a line due to the rotation of the earth. The following formula works:

500 / (focal length x crop factor) = maximum exposure time in seconds.

Example: fullframe body / 24mm lens = 500/24 = 20 seconds shutter speed. Not a fullframe? Multiply your crop factor (1.5x) by 20 seconds.

To get the stars visible you want to use as open an aperture as possible, for example f 2.8 or f 1.4. Also, increase your ISO value. Test this on the spot how much ISO you need. Normal values are between 1200 and 3200.

See if you can create a nice foreground. If necessary, light it a little with a flashlight to make it visible. Possibly take two pictures that you later join together. This can be in panorama to get both your foreground and sky in the picture. But it can also be done by blending to get the right exposure between foreground and stars.

 Star trails / star circles

The rotation of the earth combined with slow shutter speeds creates a creative effect. The stars then turn into stripes! Also called star trails. The longer the shutter speed, the longer those stripes will become. If you are going to photograph star trails, you may want to keep your ISO low to avoid noise as much as possible.

You can use your BULB function to take one long shot of 30 minutes or longer to generate beautiful streaks.

You can also take several shots and merge them later in post-processing. The number of shots should certainly be around 100, which you later merge. Shutter speeds of 30 seconds to a minute per exposure are recommended.

Other tips: 

• Always photograph on a tripod
• Focus manually
• Turn off the image stabilization on your lens
• Use a remote control or the camera's self-tim
• Set your interval timer if your camera has it. Do include the processing time of the recording. Every camera has a processing time after taking a slow shutter speed shot. Set your interval so that your camera has time to process the shot.

Want to learn photography or brush up on your own photography skills?

Sign up for one of the many workshops!

Till clicks!

The advantages of shooting with filters!

Shooting with filters may not be something you immediately think of, but it gives a very nice effect!

No, no filters for the photos, as with Instagram, for example, but actual filters for your lens. There are different types, shapes and sizes and they all have matching quality.  An important rule for the purchase of filters: do not skimp on this. Cheaper filters are often not colorfast, you get strange colors in your photo that do not belong there. The quality is also significantly less, which means that they wear out or break faster. So, invest in the right equipment if you want to get started with filters. 

Moving on to filters, we now discuss the most commonly used filters. 

* UV filters

The UV filter is one of the most commonly used filters. It has a visible effect in conditions where a lot of UV light is present. This includes areas high above sea level. UV filters are now also used to protect the lens from scratches. 

* Protection filters

These are specially made to protect the front lens element. These are often slightly more expensive than a UV filter and are made of a clear and more color neutral type of glass. Do you need a UV or protection filter?  Not necessarily, but it's cheaper to replace a filter than a lens.

* Polarizing filters

A polarizing filter consists of two parts, by turning the front part of the filter you determine which light the filter lets through. It is possible to give a photo extra contrast or to reduce reflections. Well-known examples for the use of a polarizing filter are the removal of reflections in windows, water or other reflective subjects. But also making the sky bluer or the grass greener. 

The use of a polarizing filter can also have drawbacks. Because a polarizing filter only allows light in a specific direction, less light will come in overall. The amount of light that comes in can be 1 to 2 stops less with a polarizing filter!

* ND Gradient Filters

Gradient filters are widely used for landscape photography. Since you want to see enough detail in light and dark parts. Installing a gradient filter eliminates the need to compromise between chewed-out skies and deep black shadows.

* ND filters

ND stands for Natural Density, also often called Gray filter in Dutch. An ND filter is a dark piece of glass that blocks the incoming light. The filters are available in different strengths. There are filters that only block a fraction of the light, to filters that block up to 10 stops of light! This makes it possible to freeze water and create fairytale images with slow shutter speeds. It is also a godsend if you want to shoot with a large aperture when there is too much light. Then you make the environment darker with an ND filter.  

Filters sometimes also have drawbacks. In some cases you don't want to use of a UV or protection filter. When shooting against a light source, the filter may reflect light and show this in the photo as a lens flare. In this case, it is wise to temporarily remove the filter from the lens.

Do you want to know more about filters? Or how do you use filters?

Workshop photography with filters

We have several photography workshops, where you can ask anything and learn a lot. Feel free to take a look between the various workshops, ask your question or register directly for the workshop 'shooting with filters'. 

Till clicks!

Last week I returned from my scout trip to Iceland. And today I can finally share the beautiful hidden gems and must sees I found for our upcoming photography trip. I am beyond excited to share my findings with you. 

To find the hidden gems we take the highland route, this is an off road route that is only accessible in July and August. This road will take you to the most beautiful places far away from the tourist hotspots. 

Fagradalsfjall Volcano

We start with the Fagradalsfjall Volcano. This volcano is currently active. If the volcano is still active during our trip we will make sure to pay a visit.

Gullfoss Falls

Gullfoss Falls is one of Iceland’s most iconic and beloved waterfalls. Hidden in the Hvítá river canyon. The waterfall has two stages. The first stage is 11 meters, whilst the second drop is 21 meters. The canyon walls on both sides of the waterfall reach heights of up to 70 meters.

Nýifoss

The Nýifoss waterfall was formed in 1939. Nýifoss is quite different from most waterfalls people like to visit. Because the water is 100% glacial water it is colored with mud, clay, dirt and all kinds of soil that the melting ice carries from under the glacier. The whole surrounding is like being in a desert or on the moon, but with a lot of water. All the different colors and structures make Nýifoss worth a visit.

Kerlingarfjöll

Kerlingarfjöll is one of the places that is only accessible in July or August. Kerlingarfjöll is a 150 km² volcanic mountain range in the highlands of Iceland. In the middle of this mountain range is the small but beautiful geothermal area Hveradalir where it steams everywhere, mud pools boil and the mountains glow orange-brown. All the different colors, structures and layers make Kerlingarfjöll worth a visit. 

Hveravellir

Hveravellir is an geothermal area and has been called the most beautiful geothermal area in Iceland. With it’s multi-coloured boiling mud pools, fumaroles and beautiful hot springs, will Hyeravellir take your breath away.

Kolugljúfur Canyon

The Kolugljúfur is a canyon in the North of Iceland. This canyon is more then 1 kilometer long and 50 meter deep. In the beginning the Víðidalsá falls through the Kolufossar, and downstream there is another waterfall. Finally, the river ends in the lagoon lake Hóp.

Hvitserkur

Hvitserkur is a 15 m high basalt stack along the eastern shore of the Vatnsnes peninsula, in northwest Iceland. The rock has two holes at the base, which give it the appearance of a dragon who is drinking.It’s a beautiful photographic location. 

Goðafoss Waterfall

This spectacular waterfall is another highland route location. Goðafoss Waterfall is also known as the “Waterfall of the Gods.” Some believe that the name comes from the fact that the waterfall is god-like in beauty. The water of the river Skjálfandafljót falls from a height of 12 metres over a width of 30 metres. The river rises in the Icelandic highlands and runs through the Bárðardalur valley. 

Some of you may know the Dettifoss waterfall. Known as the strongest waterfall of Iceland. Dettifoss being the strongest waterfall makes it very touristic. In my opinion the Goðafoss Waterfall is even more beautiful and unique in its kind. 

Mývatn

Mývatn is one of my favourite places to visit. Mývatn is a lake situated in an area of active volcanism in the north of Iceland.The lake provides a number of waterbirds, especially ducks. The lake was created by a large lava eruption 2300 years ago, and the surrounding landscape is dominated by volcanic landforms. In my opinion definitely worth your visit. 

Námafjall

Námafjall is our second geothermal area. At this area you will see many smoking fumaroles and boiling mud pots, surrounded by sulphur crystals of many different colours.The gigantic size of the mud craters is what makes you go ‘wow’ at the sight of them.

Stuðlagil Canyon

Stuðlagil Canyon can be found in East Iceland in the Glacier Valley called Jökuldalur. With the largest number of basalt rock in Iceland and a stunning blue glacier river, Stuðlagil is one of Iceland’s hidden gems. The basalt rocks make it such a unique and special place to visit. 

Diamond Beach

Our trip continues towards the south of Iceland, passing the east Fjorden. Making a stop at the Diamond beach. The name says it all. At the Diamond Beach, the icebergs wash up on shore, creating a beautiful contrast with the black sand. This makes it the perfect location for photographers. Wildlife-enthusiasts also frequent the site as many seals call the beach home, and it is one of the best places in the country to see orcas from the shore.

Svinafellsjokull

Svínafellsjökull is connected to diamond beach and is the largest ice cap in Europe. Svínafellsjökull is part of the Skaftafell Nature Reserve, a place of popularity amongst hikers, photographers, and those with a passion for raw natural beauty.

Sólheimajökulll

Sólheimajökull is a glacier in southern Iceland, between the volcanoes Katla and Eyjafjallajökull. Part of the larger Mýrdalsjökull glacier. It embodies the frozen beauty of Iceland with its vivid blue tones and mountainous backdrop.

Reynisdrangar

Reynisdrangar are basalt sea stacks situated under the mountain Reynisfjall in southern Iceland. It is framed by a black sand beach that was ranked in 1991 as one of the ten most beautiful non-tropical beaches in the world.

Dyrhólaey

Dyrhólaey is a natural arch located on the south coast of Iceland. It was formerly an island of volcanic origin. The volcano erupted about 100 thousand years ago. The broad view makes it the perfect photographic location.

Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck

Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck is a remainder of a 1973 U.S. Navy DC plane that crashed on black sand. It is a popular photography location. To make it unique I want to incorporate night photography to make it a unique capture.

Skógafoss

We will finish the trip at the beautiful Skógafoss waterfall. Its located on the Skógá River in the south of Iceland at the cliff marking the former coastline. The Skógafoss is one of the biggest waterfalls in the country, with a width of 25 metres and a drop of 60 m. Due to the amount of spray the waterfall consistently produces, a single or double rainbow is normally visible on sunny days.