magical west iceland - wild photography...
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© 2011 Wild Photography Holidays – www.wildphotographyholidays.com
HIGHLIGHTS• Northern lights• Two boat trips to see Orcas, February departure only• The iconic Snæfellsjökull stratovolcano• Mount Kirkjufell in Grundarfjör›ur• Seals in the Bú›ir Estuary• Bú›ir Hotel• Geothermal activity• Stockfish• Fishing Villages• Vast lava fields• Black beaches and sea stacks• Volcanic craters and lakes
INTRODUCTION
Two departures, late April and mid February both offer the
opportunity to photograph the northern lights beneath the
majestic Snæfellsjökull glacier. The February departure
gives us the opportunity to go out on two private boat trips
to see the Killer Whales that frequent the bay of
Grundarfjör›ur in the winter; they are following the her-
rings. The April departure will take one boat trip. Though
Snæfellsjökull glacier is nowhere near in size to some of
Iceland’s others, it is by far the most mysterious. French
Author Jules Verne chose this as his doorway into inner
space in his fantastical book; Journey to the Centre of the
Earth. The area is considered one of the earth’s great en-
ergy and power spots, subsequently attracting many art-
ists, poets and photographers. Our hotel bases are all de-
lightful, stunningly located and in great spots for northern
lights and landscape photography. The holiday has been
designed to get you right up into and photographing the
very best landscapes of the south-west and west of Ice-
land; a real adventure and lots of fun with like-minded
people!
“Thanks for the very kind comments, it was great being
with you guys for the trip. You really create a relaxed at-
mosphere so it is comfortable to chat, take photos; and
also the critiquing process was easy and enjoyable.”
Steven Coburn, September 2011
MAGICALWESTICELANDNORTHERN LIGHTS AND KILLER WHALES
© 2011 Wild Photography Holidays – www.wildphotographyholidays.com
GENERAL SUMMARY
This holiday has been designed to get you right up and
into the very best landscapes of the south-west and west
of Iceland and the emphasis will be on photography in the
field. Physically, this holiday is easy to moderate; there
will be some walking every day, occasionally on uneven
terrain, although this will normally be on path or track.
Our two hotel bases are both delightful and stunningly
located and there will be time scheduled enabling us to
relax or wander in the surrounding landscape in our own
time, work on our images, receive post-processing tuition
and enjoy viewing sessions of each others work; a real
photographic adventure and lots of fun with like-minded
people!
NEW IMPROVED ITINERARY
Day 1: Arrival and Transfer to Reykjavik
Participants should aim to arrive by the afternoon today. A
Fly-bus transfer to our city hotel is included. We will meet
in the early evening for introductions and a trip briefing
followed by dinner in a traditional Icelandic city restau-
rant. Hotel Accommodation (D)
Day 2: Kleifarvatn and Hengill Volcano
After breakfast we will travel less than an hour from Reyk-
javik to photograph impressive volcanic and geothermal
terrain in the vicinity of Kleifarvatn a stunning blue lake
whose level rises and falls depending on the volcanic fis-
sures opening and closing under the water, a kaleidoscope
of weird and wonderful colours that often translate into
some really unusual landscapes. We will also get the op-
portunity to photograph some of Iceland's iconic stock-
fish; weird, gruesome and abstract! Late afternoon we
make our way past Hengill Volcano to our hotel in Nesjav-
ellir located in a lava field close to the fiingvellir National
Park.
Accommodation Hotel (B,L)
Day 3: fiingvellir National Park and Snæfellsnes
This morning we explore and photograph the unique water
filled fissures which are right on top of the Mid-Atlantic
ridge in fiingvellir National Park. We spent the remainder
of the day driving west to the mystical Snæfellsnes penin-
sula via Hvalfjör›ur a scenic fjord. There are several po-
tential photographic locations en route.
Our Hotel Bú›ir is considered by many to be one of the
most beautiful countryside hotels in Iceland, we spend
four nights here. Located in a lava field on the south of
the Snæfellsnes peninsula, there are impressive views of
the breathtaking Snæfellsjökull glacier, the surrounding
mountains and the Bú›ir estuary, which meanders into
the vast Faxaflói bay where a number of seals reside, Orca
whales are a common sight.
Hotel Accommodation (B,L)
Days 4–6: Snæfellsnes Based at Bú›ir Hotel
There are many potential photographic locations on
Snæfellsnes and during our four days based here, we will
make decisions according to the prevailing conditions and
after consultation with participants. Needless to say we
have some superb locations up our sleeve, including some
great sunrise and sunset places. These could well include:
Snæfellsjökull Glacier
The seaward slopes are particularly beautiful, with ropes
of lava winding their way downhill. Weather permitting we
will make an ascent to the weirdly shaped ice summit by
snow cat for 360° vistas of the surrounding mountains
and ocean.
Fishing Villages
Fishing is still the mainstay of the remote Icelandic com-
munities that we will encounter, we will have opportuni-
ties to photograph as the boats and fishermen come in
with their catches.
© 2011 Wild Photography Holidays – www.wildphotographyholidays.com
Sea Cliffs
The cliffs around the Snæfellsnes coastline are precipi-
tous, majestic and very attractive with a huge variety of
differing and interesting rock formations, that are easy to
access for some great images.
Beaches
Snæfellsnes is unusual as it boasts both white and black
sand beaches. The latter are more common in Iceland as
the sand is generally of volcanic origin and generally gives
some really unusual images. One fine example is the
black beach of Djúpalónssandur with its strange lava for-
mations, including Gatklettur, a rock with a hole giving
unusual vistas through to a tranquil turquoise lagoon.
Green Moss Lava Fields
These are vast and cover huge areas below the glacier,
they are interesting to photograph alone or as fine fore-
ground for other subjects.
Hotel Accommodation (B,L)
Day 7–8: Grundarfjör›ur, Boat Trips and Killer Whales
This morning we drive over a high pass to the north of the
peninsula where we will be staying for the next two nights
in the small fishing village of Grundarfjör›ur. Our hotel is
on the waterfront with a great restaurant and outdoor hot
tubs. On both days that we are here we take an afternoon
boat trip, hopefully see the Orcas that come to the bay in
large numbers at this time of the year, they are following
the herrings. The landscape viewed from the boat is really
spectacular.
Please note, the killer whales will not be feeding during
the April departure, but we will take one boat trip and it is
always possible to see whales, white-beaked dolphin and
seabirds at any time of the year in Iceland.
Other Photographic Locations
In addition to the whales this is a really special spot to
view the northern lights over Mount Kirkjufell, a beauti-
fully shaped and symmetrical free standing mountain.
Kirkjufell also gives us superb sunrise and sunset shots
with great reflections in the wet sand/water.
We will also photograph the gloriously weird Berserkja-
hraun lying halfway between Grundarfjör›ur and Stykkis-
hólmur. The lava flowed some 3,000 to 4,000 years ago
and is young enough to retain all kinds of convoluted
shapes, with fascinating colour and textural contrasts in
the rock and thick mosses.
Hotel Accommodation (B,L)
Day 9: Spa Pool and Airport Transfer for Afternoon Flights
We drive to Reykjavík where participants can experience
Laugardalslaug Thermal Pool, one of the city’s best spa
pools with numerous hot pots, various outdoor heated
pools, slides, steam bath etc. From here we transfer to
BSI for a Fly-bus connection to the airport.
(B)
JOINING ARRANGEMENTS AND TRANSFERS
The holiday officially starts on day 1 with Fly-bus trans-
fers from Keflavík International Airport to our first night
hotel in Reykjavík.
© 2011 Wild Photography Holidays – www.wildphotographyholidays.com
WHAT’S INCLUDED• All Accommodation 8 hotel nights• 7 Breakfast, 7 lunch and dinner on Day 1• Hot drinks and snacks on location• All in-country transport• Transfers to and from Reykjavík’s international airport.• Location guide• Photographic tutor• Photographic tuition• Reykjavík Spa Pool• Two boat trips (one in April)• Snow cat on Glacier (only if the weather is suitable)
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED• International flights• Alcoholic beverages• Snacks and beverages other than with meals• Travel Insurance
ACCOMMODATION
We will stay for 8 nights in good quality, scenically lo-
cated hotel accommodation with twin rooms and private
bathroom facilities. Please enquire at the time of booking
about a single room supplement.
FOOD
Most of the time we will eat dinner in a local or hotel res-
taurants. Each day we will have a hearty picnic lunch that
will be eaten on location and breakfasts will always be at
our hotel. Please let us know when you book if you have
any special dietary requirements.
ALCOHOL
This is rather expensive in Iceland, it might be worth con-
sidering bringing a bottle of your favourite ‘tipple’!
SPENDING MONEY
Since the crisis of October 2008 the Icelandic Krona has
devalued dramatically against all currencies meaning that
foreign tourists will get more for their money. At the mo-
ment it is not possible to get Isk before arriving, there is
an ATM at Keflavík airport. Credit cards are accepted in
all places for even very cheap purchases.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
We require that you take out appropriate insurance to
cover personal accident, medical costs, repatriation and
loss of baggage. We will need a copy of your travel insur-
ance at the time of booking.
PASSPORT AND VISA REQUIREMENTS
A passport valid for at least three months beyond length
of stay required by all except nationals of Austria, Bel-
gium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy,
Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Swe-
den who are only required to produce national identity
cards issued by the authorities in their countries of origin.
Visas are not required but a return ticket will need to be
shown by those with Australian, Canadian and USA na-
tionals.
LANGUAGE
Icelanders speak Icelandic; they also tend to speak rather
good English.
CLIMATE
Iceland’s climate is tempered by the Gulf Stream. Sum-
mers are mild and winters rather cold, the weather is very
changeable at all times of the year, there may be rain,
sunshine, drizzle and snow all in the same day. As far as
we can make a guess, expect weather that is probably
similar to a UK Winter, due to the gulf stream it is warmer
then many imagine. Most importantly for us, the lack of
pollution means that the clarity of the light is often excep-
© 2011 Wild Photography Holidays – www.wildphotographyholidays.com
tional with phenomenal ‘big skies’ and really atmospheric
cloud patterns.
CLOTHING SUGGESTIONS
The best solution to temperature control is to have a
number of layers available from lightweight thermal un-
derwear through mid-layer insulation to a windproof
jacket. For the lower body choose a pair of man-made fi-
bre windproof trousers rather than jeans as the latter take
a very long time to dry should we be caught in a shower
and provide little protection against wind-chill when wet.
We will sometimes walk across uneven terrain so good
quality lightweight walking boots are recommended.
CLOTHING & EQUIPMENT
If you have any questions feel free to contact us at any-
time before the trip:• Trousers, warm, quick dry, windproof • Thermal leggings• Thermal tops• Down jacket or similar• Light fleece/wool jumper • Warm fleece type jacket • Waterproof jacket • Waterproof trousers • Warm socks • Waterproof walking boots• Wool/fleece hat• Warm gloves• Casual clothes for hotel wear• Sun-cream, • Sunglasses!• Swim-wear• Small lightweight towel • Small torch• Small basic first aid, plasters, blister repair & personal
medicines• Small penknife
PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT & INFORMATION• In addition to your chosen camera equipment you will
need to carry a day pack that will be big enough to hold
waterproof jacket/trousers, spare lightweight fleece/
jumper, hat and gloves, 1 litre water bottle, sun cream
and a personal first aid kit. If you can fit these items
into a specially designed camera rucksack such as the
Vertex or Trekker series designed by Lowepro then this
will be fine.• You may need a hard case for transporting camera
equipment in an aircraft hold, however, a hard case will
not be either comfortable or practical when we are on
location so you will also need a day pack.• Tripod – not only useful for steadying the camera for
long exposures or close-up work but also useful for accu-
rate framing and composition of landscape/plant im-
ages. As we will occasionally be walking for several
kilometres with our equipment it may be worth consider-
ing a lightweight model.• Cable release – mechanical or electronic remote to avoid
shake on long exposures• Neutral density, graduated filters and polariser, if you
use these. Please do not buy especially for this tour.• Lens cloth
© 2011 Wild Photography Holidays – www.wildphotographyholidays.com
• Lightweight ‘trekking’ absorbent towel, for drying cam-
eras and equipment• Sufficient memory cards for the whole holiday as it may
not be possible to buy more during the trip.• Backup storage device• A laptop with the image editing applications of your
choice, essential for checking and presenting images
during the trip and for one-on-one sessions with the tu-
tor. All places we stay in have WiFi.• Spare batteries and chargers – all the electrical sockets
are European two-pin.• Sensor cleaning device• Film users should bring enough film, as it may not be
possible to buy in many places• Camera rain cover
MAPS & BOOKS
There will be maps for sale in the local shops/garages.
Small maps are available locally in the different areas we
visit. To buy maps visit ferdakort.is
• Snæfellsnes & Borgarfjör›ur 1:200.000 and Southwest
Iceland activity map 1:75.000, both can be found in
the section ‘special maps’.• Flowering Plants and Ferns of Iceland by Hör›ur
Kristínsson, ISBN 9979-3-1723-X
This is the definitive guide to almost all the plant life in
Iceland; it is in English and can be ordered from
amazon.co.uk. This book is popular and often out of
stock here in Iceland.• Icelandic Bird Guide by Jóhann Óli Hilmarsson also in
English and available from Amazon.
NEED MORE INFORMATION?
We hope that this information has answered some of your
questions about the holiday; it doesn’t hope to answer
everything. If you have any questions please get in touch.
BOOKING THIS HOLIDAY
Contact us through our website, where you can also fill in
the online booking form, or phone 00354 5888939 or
mobile 00354 8958939 / 0034 676713676.
PARTNERS
Non-photographer partners will be very welcome although
this primarily a photography holiday. We also visit some
very beautiful and relaxing places. If any participants do
not wish to join the walks/photographic sessions they will
be able to relax in and around the accommodation. The
cost will be the same for photographers and non-
photographers.
OUTDOOR TRAVEL
This is an outdoor travel photography holiday and the itin-
erary will be dependent on the vagaries of the weather,
local conditions and other variables. Wild Photography
Holidays may use their discretion to change the itinerary
should conditions dictate this; your health, safety and
enjoyment will always be our primary concern when mak-
ing such changes.
LINKS
View images and information for this tour on the website.
Read about our approach to teaching photography
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