East Region Shooting Stories

We left our sunny days in Vik behind us as we started driving in the pouring rain, with wind trying to knock us off the road, to our next base 2 hours away near Diamond Beach and the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoons. Weather permitting, we planned to stop at the Eldhraun Lava fields and the Svinafellsjokull glacier for hiking / shooting along the way.  At over 500 square miles, the Eldhraun lava field is one of the largest in the world.  It was created in a massive eruption that lasted a year starting in 1783 causing crop failures and disease in both Iceland and Europe. The thick pillow of moss that has grown over it sometimes takes a century to mature. We both braved the rain with a stop to shoot there.  I cannot say enough about the dedication of Anastasia to create in the harshest conditions. The rain supersaturated the deep green color of the moss and gave her a wild look with her wet hair. We shot quickly and jumped back in the car for a shot of Icelandic schnapps (Aquavit)  to warm us up.  The rain and fog continued to follow us through the rolling alluvial plains in this part of the country.

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It was still spitting rain when we arrived at the trailhead for the Svinafellsjokull glacier. I decided not to take the long hike because I would be too slow. So, Anastasia took off to go exploring for two hours while I had fun shooting landscapes of the glacier and of her disappearing over the horizon as a "little white dot" in her white coat against this massive landscape of mountains and flowing glaciers. When she returned, her faithful hiking boots of 10 years had lost both soles.  I kidded her that she was taking this war refugee status a little too far as she was now a shoeless refugee. No problem, we could get her some new boots when we get to our base later in the day. The rain picked up again as we hit the road (the Iceland Fairies were being kind again to slow the rain every time we wanted to explore!). We arrived at the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon and Diamond Beach and were sad to discover the beach had no "diamonds". Typically little icebergs from the glacier lagoon flow out to sea through a channel and are broken up by the ocean to be deposited back onto the beach.  With the heavy rain, it appeared to have melted all the ice on the beach. We decided to keep driving to our base and come back tomorrow with hopefully less rain,  and after getting her some new boots.

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We were checking online for a place to buy boots and could only find places 3 hours back in Vik where we had come from, or 3 hours north in Egilsstadir where we planned to fly from 4 days from now.  Surely there was a local store!  After checking into our new base, the locals confirmed that those were the only places to buy hiking boots in that part of Iceland. YIKES! The original plan was for us to stay two nights in our current location near the lagoon, then two nights near Hofn to shoot around the Stokknses mountain area and other waterfalls near there so that we had the maximum opportunity to shoot several sunrises or sunsets at each location.  Then, spend one day driving the 3 hour drive, shooting or sightseeing along the way, to Egilsstadir to catch a late night plane back to Reykjavik.  With the weather forecast calling for rain most of the next 4 days, and Anastasia not having waterproof boots, we had to change the plan. Most of the places we needed to shoot required some hiking, and even with her dedication, that was dangerous with no boots and the rain. The weather looked better in Egilsstadir and that is where we could find new boots. We were  at the end of the busy tourist season with most places booked up. I was not optimistic of finding a place in Egilsstadir.  BUT OMG. The Iceland Fairies provided again!  There was only one place available online, and I booked it. It turned out to be the best place we stayed in Iceland.  It was one of three cabins on a property 10 minutes from Egilsstadir in the middle of a forest overlooking the valley below. There was a creek and waterfall nearby in the forest and a sauna and jacuzzi available. Once we got there we found it to be eclectically decorated with the hostess providing homemade yogurt every morning.  PERFECTION! Plus, we discovered that trees do exist in Iceland! I cancelled our bookings and we decided to go back to the glacier lagoon in the rain before it got too dark. We arrived before sunset and got to appreciate the amazing spectacle of these little icebergs slowly floating out to sea with seals playing in the water.  Such incredible sizes and shapes! I wish we could have had time and the right weather to explore it more.

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The next morning we started our new plan. Because we were now staying 3 nights in Egilsstadir, this allowed us to visit the famous Studagil Canyon with the largest display of basalt rock in Iceland as well as take the time to explore the eastern fiords on the drive to Egilsstadir as well the ones near it once we got there. The other advantage to the new plan was the area tended to have less tourists giving us more opportunities to shoot. Not to mention a sauna and jacuzzi after long days of exploring. Our first stop was at Stokksnes mountain, part of the original plan.  This is a massive jagged mountain right by the ocean with an expansive black sand beach  and dunes topped by grasses in the foreground. This was one of the locations I was most looking forward to see and shoot. True to the forecast it was foggy and raining in the morning.  On the positive side, it meant less people at the location (it was sparsely attended). When we  arrived it was windy blowing from the ocean were I would need to point my camera and raining. We performed our ritual requesting the fairies help, donned our rain gear and hiked to find a beautiful sand dune framed by grasses.  The mountain loomed in the distance with the top shrouded in fog.  I did some test shots having to frequently wipe my lens from the wind blowing rain straight into my camera. Then, as Anastasia was preparing to shoot by starting out with some fashion, the fairies performed their magic with the rain slowing to a sprinkle and the wind shifting.  We quickly shot some fashion and then nudes. I loved the atmospherics of the foggy, and saturated colors from the rain and how Anastasia was using the space to be part of the tableau. I felt we had captured it, but now Anastasia was inspired by the place and wanted to keep shooting from a different point of view with a different mountain in the background. She posed and pranced in the rain totally caught up in the moment and got some fabulous images of her joy. Before she froze, I ended the shoot and we ran back to the car. As soon as we got inside, the rain began to pour again.  Thank you, Fairies!

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We headed down the road. The next major sight was driving down one of the largest eastern fiords, Berufjordur.  It is 20KM long and 2 to 5 KM wide with jagged high mountain peaks on each side. Today, it was still spitting rain and the fog was hiding the mountain tops and at times coming very close the the ground.  The fairies now delivered a light show!  With the sun peeking through the fog, we started seeing rainbow after rainbow....so many we lost count. They were everywhere - in front of us, and off to either side as well. Then I saw the thickest and lowest rainbow I had ever seen.  It was just off the ground and very wide from top of the curb to the bottom.  I swear it felt like we drove through it as it was that low to the ground and directly in front of us.  When we got to the end of the fiord, we found a vast black sand beach with swirling fog from the wind with the sun peeking through. What a shooting opportunity!.  We quickly found a place to pull over, Anastasia grabbed a peach colored fabric and we hit the beach.  As the wind blew, Anastasia pranced in the fog with the fabric billowing into beautiful shapes and accentuated by periodic highlights from the sun. These were some of my favorite images that we shot in Iceland; so artistic and unique.

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After the shoot, we had to make a decision to take a short cut via the gravel Oxi road or drive around the other side of the fiord and drive up the valley in the next fiord. I had read the Oxi road was mostly in steep mountains. With my fear of heights and the rain/fog, I decided to use the other route.  This still involved driving a gravel road that was just as long as the Oxi, but was mostly through the rolling hills of a valley with just one scary piece when you had to climb the mountains at the end to reach the next valley and the main paved road to Egilsstadir. As we rounded the headlands on the other side of the fiord, we rain into more rain and fog on a steep mountain road with drop offs to the ocean below.  With the high wind, the ocean was crashing into the cliffs below us. We spotted a turn off to an overlook and paused to explore.  True to form, my partner the Mountain Goat, scurried off to a cliff overlooking the ocean to get a closer look at the crashing waves directly below her. Then she found a path to the beach where a massive sea stack enhanced the scenery.  I contented by myself with my 200mm lens capturing landscapes and her little white dot as she explored the area. 

We soon found ourselves at the end of the next fiord and driving on a gravel road in the rolling hills of the valley at the end of the fiord.  Deep green tall mountains surrounded us with the occasional thin steam of waterfalls here and there. The tops were covered by fog, but the rain had ceased. It was a beautiful drive with the occasional sheep herd to avoid on the road. When driving up the switchbacks to reach the top of the mountain, I realized the road would be near one of those waterfall streams.  Just before reaching the top, one of switchbacks was close to the stream.  We had not seen a car the whole time we were driving the 40 KM in the valley.  I pulled over to the side and we shot some quick nudes on the steep mountain side with the water fall cascading from above and the valley stretching out before us.  We completed getting over the mountain pass.  On the other side we found a beautiful scene with a waterfall and foggy mountain in the background with a herd of cows near the road. Anastasia wanted a picture with the cows. She donned her green dress we have used so much and slowly approached her new friends.  The cows had other ideas and ran off leaving her behind. We laughed at their rejection of her. We said good bye and completed our drive to our new base for 3 nights in Egilsstadir.

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The next day the first priority was buying new boots for Anastasia and upgrading my rain gear.  Our plan for the day was to visit Studagil Canyon and it was likely it would be raining. It took us all day to shop and drive to the canyon, hike and explore it. It was a beautiful,  but foggy drive. The basalt portion of the canyon is in a very narrow gorge. You can park at the first parking lot and hike 4 KM to get there, or continue on driving over a very rutted and rocky "road" (not really a road, more of a wide dirt path) to a second parking lot and hike 2 KM. We opted for the bone jarring car ride and shorter hike. It was still spitting rain, so the upgraded rain gear would come in handy.  The magnificent Studafoss waterfall is near the second parking lot. It it entirely formed by walls of basalt rock columns with greenery growing towards its bottom.  The hike from there to the canyon was over an improved gravel path and fairly easy with just rolling hills. We had hoped to shoot there, but even with the rain, it was too crowded. So we opted for lots of landscape photos capturing the varied shapes of the basalt columns of rock with the blue glacial stream flowing through it. Of course my daring partner hiked to the tops of several cliffs where I could capture her in this truly one of a kind landscape.  It is the largest collection of basalt rock formed in one place in Iceland.  I was amazed to discover how may native Icelanders had never visited it! It rained about half of the hike and I appreciated my new waterproof rain gear, feeling dry for the first time under those types of conditions. Of course, that was the last rainy day and didn't need it the rest of the trip!

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I really enjoyed the town of Eggisstadir. We found many nice as well as hole in the wall places to dine and loved our cozy cabin in the woods. I felt there was more nice dining places and shopping opportunities than Vik....and we know there was nothing in-between the two towns! It is a shame most people never visit this part of Iceland, or just pass thru driving on the National ring road without stopping to explore. With more time, I would go back there and explore more of the eastern fiords that extend to the north coast of Iceland. With some exploring, I think there would be many fabulous places to shoot without the crowds found in the south and other Instagram famous locations. Regardless of where you are in Iceland, once you are away from the towns, it is important to always travel with enough water and snacks to last for a day or two. When running around in the wild, there is no place to stop and eat, unless you plan includes a drive through another town as part of your exploring, and you should always be prepared in case you have car trouble and are stuck.  In many places in eastern Iceland, we may have seen  just few cars the whole day...and some places we never saw anybody else. Luckily I had phone service the whole time, so you could call for help if you needed to.

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For our last day in Egilsstadir, we planned to drive to the town of Seydisjordur and the fiord with the same name. This turned out to be one of the scariest adventures of the trip and some of the best images as well.  To reach Seydisjordur, you have to drive up a mountain through Fjardarheidi Pass, then down a steep winding road, passing two waterfalls before getting into town. When we reached the mountain top, we could see snow covered mountains higher than our current position covered in fog,  with the fog coming down to our level in the distance. We found this large lake with that view as a background and stopped to shoot. It was amazing. Anastasia found this flat rock just off the shore just big enough to pose on....like it was placed there waiting for us. She did a lovely job of getting very small on the rock and then doing more dramatic poses. We then went across the road to shoot from a different point of view with the foggy mountains in the distance.  We then started down the steep drive to town. We ran into some thick fog, but not too bad. We pulled over to shoot at Mulafoss Falls just outside of town.  There are a series of waterfalls leading to the one we were shooting at. Anastasia found perch overlooking the main pool of blue tinted glacial water and we captured several with the whole scene and then some focused on the main pool where we were located. We then drove into town for a nice lunch by the waterfront and then did some shopping. It is a very artsy town with lots of arts / crafts and clothes made by locals. I purchased some art souvenirs that I really enjoy - a carving knife with a reindeer horn handle tinted green from  being buried among the lava moss for a long time.  We had planned on driving to the end of the fiord to Skalanes which is a bird sanctuary and thought may have some cool, wild places to shoot by the ocean.  Unfortunately, we hit a water crossing that I thought was a little too deep for our SUV, so we turned around...but benefited from a very pretty drive.  Then came the scary part!.  The most scared I have ever been in my life. The fog we had encountered on the way in had drifted further down the mountain and, as we discovered, was heavier.  It was so thick that I could not see the front of the car. Any car passing us in the other lane, I could not see until they were beside us. I slowed to 10 to 20 KM speed as we drove through this for about 30 minutes. It was such a white void that I was starting to have optical illusions not sure what I was seeing.  I had Anastasia watching the right line to make sure I didn't get too close and I was watching the center line.  There is a series of switchbacks and no bumper guards between you and the white void.. You could not see when you needed to make a 180 degree turn on a switchback until you were right on top of needing to turn. There was no place to pull over to wait it out. We started asking our Fairy guides for help...soon we  realized that we had reached the top as the road started to level out and the fog started to disperse.  We both shouted with joy and relief, giving each other high fives for having survived the ordeal. Such an experience!

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The next morning we had an early flight back to Reykjavik.  I highly recommend this approach rather than driving 9 hours back to Reykjavik.  The flight is only an hour duration and less than $100 one way. We did have a funny experience at the small airport. We arrived at 8 am for our 10 am flight. The whole airport was locked with nobody around.  Finally a guy arrived on a bicycle at 9 am and unlocked the doors to let us in ..then suddenly all these people were there checking in....so guess we didn't get the memo :)