Kýlingavatn lakeA small and beautiful lake in the Highlands of Iceland on a good summers day.

My 10 best photos of 2015

Iceland is a photographers dream come true! That is what I have been told by several of my customers these past three years. Maybe I did not quite realize that myself, because I am Icelandic and have lived and photographed here all my life. The ever changing landscape and conditions make such a variety of photo opportunities from one day to the next, or even from one hour to the next. I had a good photography year in 2015, my photo-tours were productive and I met a lot of interesting people who traveled with me in Iceland and I could share my knowledge of the land. One of the things I noticed is that I did not shoot as many photos in 2015 as in 2014, and maybe it is because I am becoming more selective of my motives. The advantages of traveling with other photographers is that you learn some new tricks and methods that can be useful for your photography and make you grow as a photographer. Hopefully I have also been able to share some of mine to them at the same time.

It was not an easy task to choose these ten photos out of all my tours this year, and I have left out many gems that could have been here, but you have to start somewhere. 

Goðafoss waterfallThe waterfall of the Gods, Goðafoss, is in North Iceland just by the main road No. 1 around Iceland.

This location is on the east side of Goðafoss waterfall in the river Skjálfandafljót. You have to climb down to the water bed and from there it can be easily accessed. A long exposure (1-5 sec or more) works well here.

IcebergsOn the beach at Jökulsárlón, the Glacier Lagoon, you can find Icebergs like these thrown up on the coast by the waves of the Atlantic.

The Icebergs rolling in the surf are a beautiful sight, but the waves can be dangerous if you come to close. Many photographers have got wet on this coast and some of them have lost their gear in the waves.

Reynisdrangar sea stacksThe Reynisdrangar sea stacks are at the Black beach Reynisfjara in South Iceland. This location is sometimes difficult and dangerous to access, and impossible on high tide.

The Reynisdrangar sea stacks are one of my favorite locations on the south coast.

Fjallabak NorthThe road through Fjallabak north is winding through one of the most spectacular landscape in Iceland.

One of many beautiful vistas in the Highlands at Fjallabak north. This is called Illagil, or Evil gully.

Reynisdrangar sea stacksOn a stormy winters day in South Iceland this is the view from Dyrhólaey peninsula. This is a 600 mm zoom.

Another angle of the Reynisdrangar sea stacks, this time from Dyrhólaey peninsula in a heavy winter storm.

Thingvellir National ParkThe Þingvellir (Thingvellir) is both a historical and geological site, where the Eurasian- and American tectonic plates meet. In Thingvellir the first parliament was established 1000 years ago.

Þingvellir (Thingvellir) is the site of the oldest parliament in the world, first established in the year 1000. and now a National Park. 

Aurora Borealis at Thingvellir.The Thingvellir area is a wonderful location to photograph the Northern lights.

Northern lights at Thingvellir, a great location to see them on a still night.

Emstrur at Fjallabak South.The mountains in the Fjallabak area are colorful and rough.

The Emstrur mountain range in Fjallabak south in the Highlands of Iceland. Green luminescent moss and old volcanoes are characteristic for this area.

Ófærufoss waterfallThis waterfall is in the Fjallabak area in the river Syðri-Ófæra. It falls into the Eldgjá volcanic crevice.

Ófærufoss waterfall in the river Syðri Ófæra falls into the volcanic rift Eldjá (Fire canyon) which was formed in a huge eruption. It is the largest volcanic canyon in the world, 270 m deep and 600 m wide at its greatest. In the year 934 was the largest flood basalt here in historic time. The areal extent of the lava is around 800 km2 and an estimated 18 km3 of magma poured out of the earth.

These ten photos are just a tip of the iceberg of my photography year, and I am sure that 2016 will be even more productive for me and my photo tour clients.