Iceland is a land of dramatic contrasts where fire meets ice, featuring active volcanoes, massive glaciers, geothermal hot springs, and the mesmerizing Northern Lights. This Nordic island nation offers breathtaking natural wonders from thundering waterfalls to black sand beaches, making it one of the world's most unique travel destinations.
Best photo spots
Iconic and lesser-known locations worth shooting.
Diamond Beach
Translucent blue icebergs scattered on black sand with the ocean in the background. Every piece of ice is unique and constantly changing as it melts.
Best time: Sunrise or sunset (golden hour)
Kirkjufell & Kirkjufellsfoss
Iceland's most photographed mountain with its distinctive cone shape and the small waterfall in the foreground creating a classic Icelandic composition.
Best time: Blue hour (winter) or midnight sun (summer)
Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach
Basalt column formations (Reynisdrangar sea stacks), jet-black sand, and crashing Atlantic waves create a primordial, otherworldly seascape.
Best time: Stormy overcast days or golden hour
Seljalandsfoss – Behind the Falls
The path behind the 60-metre curtain of water provides a unique viewpoint shooting outward through the falls with the surrounding landscape visible through the veil of water.
Best time: Mid-morning on a sunny day for rainbow light
Landmannalaugar Rhyolite Mountains
The multi-coloured rhyolite mountains in shades of red, orange, yellow, and green create abstract, Mars-like landscape photographs unlike anywhere else in Iceland.
Best time: Late afternoon for long shadows on coloured mountains
Northern Lights at Þingvellir
The dark skies above Þingvellir National Park, just 45 minutes from Reykjavik, provide some of the most accessible Northern Lights photography in Iceland with dramatic landscape foreground.
Best time: Clear nights from September to April
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
Blue icebergs floating in a glacial lagoon with Breiðamerkurjökull glacier in the background. Seals swimming among the ice add wildlife opportunities.
Best time: Blue hour or sunrise for mirror-still reflections
By subject
Match your shooting interest to Iceland's strengths.
Northern lights photography
Dark areas away from Reykjavik – Þingvellir (45 min), Reykjanes Peninsula, or anywhere along the Ring Road on clear nights. Check aurora forecast on vedur.is.
Waterfalls photography
South Coast road (Route 1) – Seljalandsfoss and Gljúfrabúi, Skógafoss with its rainbow, and lesser-known Svartifoss in Skaftafell with basalt columns.
Glaciers photography
Jökulsárlón for floating icebergs, Diamond Beach for ice on black sand, Svínafellsjökull for accessible glacier tongue, Sólheimajökull for guided glacier photography.
Midnight sun photography
Any west-facing location after 10 PM in June–July. Grotta lighthouse in Reykjavik, Snæfellsnes Peninsula cliffs, or highland areas for unobstructed horizon.
Volcanic photography
Landmannalaugar for colourful rhyolite, Krafla caldera and Námafjall geothermal area near Mývatn, Eldborg crater in Snæfellsnes, and Hekla volcano.
Wildlife photography
Látrabjarg cliffs in Westfjords for puffins (June–August), Ytri Tunga beach for seals, Skjálfandi Bay for whales, Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón for seals on ice.
Best times to shoot
Light, weather, and seasonal considerations.
- Sunrise
- 3:00 AM in June (midnight sun barely sets). 9:30 AM in December. Golden hour light is extraordinarily long in Iceland during shoulder seasons.
- Golden Hour
- Iceland's golden hour lasts 1-2 hours due to low sun angle, especially in spring and autumn. The light quality is exceptional compared to equatorial countries.
- Sunset
- 11:30 PM in June. 3:30 PM in December. The long summer golden hour is one of Iceland's great photography advantages – 2-3 hours of warm light.
- Blue Hour
- Follows sunset by 30-45 minutes in shoulder seasons. In winter, the blue hour can last 1-2 hours with the sun barely rising above the horizon. Ideal for Northern Lights photography in conjunction with aurora.
Photography tips
Make your shots stand out.
Bring a polarising filter – it dramatically reduces glare from Iceland's abundant water surfaces and intensifies sky colours.
Waterproof your camera equipment – Iceland's weather changes instantly and rain/spray from waterfalls can arrive without warning.
Use ND filters for long-exposure waterfall shots and to capture silky water in Iceland's many rivers and cascades.
The low sun angle in Iceland means golden hour light is exceptionally warm and long-lasting – plan your schedule around sunrise and sunset times.
For Northern Lights: shoot in RAW format, use a sturdy tripod, ISO 1600-3200, f/2.8 or wider, 10-15 seconds for moving auroras or 25-30 for faint ones.
Drones are prohibited in national parks (Þingvellir, Snæfellsjökull, Vatnajökull) and near populated areas without permits. Check regulations before flying.