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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.

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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.

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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