Iceland is a photographer’s dream, with its incredible landscapes and breathtaking scenery. Here are the best locations for photography in Iceland.
From glaciers and waterfalls to black sand beaches and lava fields, Iceland offers the best locations for photography, and endless opportunities for capturing stunning shots. I have been to Iceland several times to capture landscapes and it never disappoints.
Whether you’re looking for glaciers, mountains, the Aurora or black sand beaches, there are so many incredible locations to choose from – you won’t know where to point your camera as there’s so much to see!
Here are my top photography locations in South East Iceland:
Vatnajökull National Park: Vatnajökull National Park is home to the largest glacier in Europe, and offers a variety of landscapes, including glaciers, ice caves, and waterfalls. Skaftafell is a popular spot within the park, known for its black sand beaches, glaciers, and the Svartifoss waterfall.
There is so much to photograph here, so you’ll want to allow for a day or two to give you a chance to get close to the best locations.
Jökulsárlón: Jökulsárlón is a glacial lagoon located in the southeast of Iceland. It is famous for its floating ice chunks that have broken off from the nearby Breiðamerkurjökull glacier.
The lagoon offers a unique opportunity to photograph the ice in its natural setting, with the Vatnajökull National Park as a beautiful background.
This is an incredible place to capture. Diamond beach is opposite the ice lagoon, where the ice bergs drift out to sea and wash up on the black sand beach. This means you can capture the best of both areas in a single shoot.
Here’s the website for the lagoon here
Vestrahorn: Vestrahorn is one of the most famous mountain ranges in Iceland, with iconic peaks stretch out over a black sand beach. It’s breathtaking.
Spend some time here and wait for the sea to create a beautiful reflection of the mountain in the still pool of water that’s left behind.
Reynisfjara: Reynisfjara is a black sand beach located on the south coast of Iceland. It is known for its unique basalt columns, and offers a dramatic and otherworldly setting for photography.
The beach is also home to the Reynisdrangar sea stacks, which are a popular spot for photography. The beach has been used in many Hollywood films because of it’s stunning natural beauty.
How to choose your next camera here
Skaftafell: Skaftafell is located in the Vatnajökull National Park in the southeast of Iceland. It offers a variety of landscapes, including glaciers, waterfalls, and black sand beaches.
It is also home to the Svartifoss waterfall, which is surrounded by hexagonal basalt columns, making for a unique and dramatic photo opportunity.
Fjadrargljufur: Fjadrargljufur is a narrow canyon located in the southeast of Iceland. It offers a unique and dramatic landscape for photography, with its steep cliffs and crystal clear river running through it.
Seljalandsfoss: Seljalandsfoss is a waterfall located on the south coast of Iceland. It offers a unique opportunity to walk behind the waterfall, making for a great photo opportunity.
Wear some waterproof clothing as you’ll get very wet on this walk. The rocks can get very slippery too, so hiking boots are essential.
Skogafoss: Skogafoss is a waterfall located on the south coast of Iceland. It offers a great opportunity for photography, with its powerful and misty spray.
The sheer size of this waterfall is hard to take in. Spend some time here to wait for your chance to be alone in the photos (as above). There’s a lot of spray so take a water proof jacket.
Sólheimajökull: Sólheimajökull is a glacier located in the south of Iceland. It offers a great opportunity for photography, with its rugged and otherworldly landscape.
Vatnajökull: Vatnajökull is the largest glacier in Europe, and offers a variety of landscapes, including glaciers, ice caves, and waterfalls. It is a great spot for photography, with its vast and otherworldly landscape.
These are just a few of the many great photography locations in South East Iceland, and there are many more places to discover. The best time to visit for photography in my opinion is either October or March.
These months provide a fantastic opportunity for both daylight and night photography. The summer months are light for almost 24 hours a day, so there’s no opportunity to see the Aurora, whereas in the early spring and autumn months there’s a good balance, giving you around 8 hours daylight and plenty of night to capture the Aurora.
