Iceland Day One - Spring 2022 — The Photo Traveler

Many travel to Iceland in the summer. But if you want something different try the collar season between winter and spring. Less tourist on the roads. Weather that changes by the minute. Miles of barren ice covered landscapes that ultimately reveal amazing waterfalls that can’t be stopped by the cold. The famous Icelandic Horses braving the icy winds. A fellow photographer and great friend, Danny Howard, and I took advantage of a Gate One travel deal to visit this amazing place. But we didn’t follow the prepackage tours and instead ventured out on our own.

The craziest travelers can’t help but try and pack a tour into day one in Iceland. After all you arrive at 6 am, after a 6 hour overnight flight, and can be downtown with no hotel to check into at 9 am. The normal tour will take you on the Golden Circle route. While definitely full of must do sites, we chose to reverse the normal track. Heading east from the airport and doing the Golden Circle in reverse meant we passed buy the tourist buses instead of following them. Just so no one will accuse me of deception, my first two images are not on the Golden Circle. Just a bit of a tease as to what will come…

We traveled the southern coast from the airport with our first goal being the Kerid Crater. Interesting stops along the way. Big waves on the coast, and small churches and towns. It turns out that the Kerid Crater is a take it or leave it quick stop in the winter. Not sure it is worth the entry fee, but an easy walk to the top and expansive view of the countryside. And what the hell, you are in Iceland for the first time, so why not.

On to Frioheimar’s for the best tomato soup in the world. A bold claim, but I have never had better. This is a must stop, but make a reservation. The tours all come here, so it can fill up fast. The restaurant is nestled into the greenhouse so on top of great food and some interesting drink choices, you get to see a working greenhouse that uses the geothermal energy of Iceland to grown food year round. Then on to Faxifoss. This waterfall is easily accessed right from the parking lot and ideal for practicing longer exposure shots to blur the water pouring over the falls. And not bad with a drone if you have one.

We skipped the Geysir. While an interesting geological feature, and evidence of the powerful volcanic forces below your feet, photographically we didn’t feel it. So on to the biggest falls in the Golden Circle, Gullfoss. Gullfoss comes with a full serve restaurant, gift shop, and lots of tour buses, but it is a must see. The powerful falls drop into a long winding canyon. Icy spray makes for some slippery walkways. And the expanse of the falls makes shooting them difficult. It is so hard to capture the grandeur of the location, so don’t forget to just take it in and experience the beauty. And sometimes when the grand landscape is overwhelming think smaller. Focus in the scene…

As you drive through Iceland you are bound to see the amazing Icelandic horses. An interesting set of rules keeps the purity of the breed. So while you will see many colors in the horse stock, they are all pure breed Icelandic Horses. They don’t allow other horses to be brought into the country. Even an Icelandic Horse that leaves the country is not allowed to return in order to ensure no cross breeding with other horses can occur. Their amazing coats and long eyelashes protect them from the ever changing harsh weather. Stop and shoot them, but for their health don’t succumb to the desire to feed them.

A couple more stops before the day is done, so onward to the continental divide. Iceland is in both North America and Europe, and you can see the edge of the two continental plates at Thingvellir. The visitor center has plenty of bathrooms and educational materials to explain what you are seeing. The overlook is beautiful and you can walk down into the crack in the earth were the two continents meet.

By now even the hard charging Danny Howard was tired. He napped in the car, while I scouted the views. Then on for our last shot of the day, porufoss. (No I didn’t forget to capitalize the name, just no way to type the crazy Icelandic letters). This falls which was made famous as one of the scenes from the Game of Throne was a bit tough to get too. The road was snowed over with drifts and only a few vehicles were making the trek off the main route. From the parking lot it was a short walk in near hurricane winds to the edge of the gorge, only to find the falls mostly frozen over. Won’t bother you with the “I was here photo.” But no trip is a waste as we got a number of interesting shots in the waste land we crossed to get to the falls.

Overnight flight arrived at 6am with almost no sleep. All day driving and shooting. The on to the hotel in Reykjavik. A long hard first day. But everything we were hoping for.

Iceland Day One - Spring 2022

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