We’re unpacked from our Iceland adventure, and all we can say is “WOW!”
It began months ago in our San Diego office, where the endless sea of amazing images on ViewBug inspires us daily to push ourselves creatively, support others’ passion for photography, and experience more of this beautiful planet. Recently, it’s been impossible to ignore all the unbelievable images from Iceland. We had to experience it for ourselves. Lucky for us, two amazing photographers (and friends) agreed to tack 5 days onto their own 11-day Iceland photo tour, and show us their favorite spots along the southern coast. It turned to to be the trip of a lifetime!
First, we owe a HUGE thank you to Ken Kaminesky, Patrick Di Fruscia, Dream Photo Tours and Fujifilm X. You were exceptional travel companions and you gave us the adventure of a lifetime. Ken and Patrick’s intimate knowledge of Iceland paired with their extensive local connections made for the trip of a lifetime. Simply put, it was beyond epic!
While the weather wasn’t completely cooperative (it was mid-March after all) it didn’t slow us down. In fact, 4 hours at the heavily traveled Skogafos on day 1 were especially amazing as gale force winds, intermittent rain storms, and temps just above freezing cleared out the tourists, and a 15 minute period of combined sun and rain produced incredible shooting conditions and extravagant rainbows. We closed out day 1 with atomic conditions on Black Beach in Vik, where we were sandblasted with such strong winds that all respectable cameras had to wait in the safety of the car. We had a blast even without the nice gear, and it was a good reminder that sometimes it’s good to leave the camera behind and just soak up the moment!
Days 2-4 included unforgettable excursions to see: icebergs floating out to sea through Jokulsarlon lagoon, Vesturnhorn mountain plunging into a stunning black sand beach overrun with alien sand dunes, hundreds of Icelandic horses foraging and playing along the rocky sea cliffs of Hofn, the sun set over the glowing blue glacier at Skaftafel national park, and a few ridiculous secret locations just off the beaten path where we spent hours without seeing another human.
We’d all seen amazing images of Iceland, but it did little to prepare us for its absurd beauty. Visiting Iceland is probably a little like visiting the moon in that your jaw drops, and doesn’t recover until you’re on the space shuttle/plane home. The landscape changes so much from minute to minute it hard to catch your breath!
Shameless plug, but having the Dream Photo Tour guys to show us around ensured that our adventure was overflowing with one unforgettable experience after another. If you’re thinking of visiting Iceland - we highly, highly recommend joining Ken, Pat, and Dream Photo Tours. They will absolutely help you get the most out of your trip.
Closing out the trip wandering the streets of Reykjavik with 62 new friends, Dream Photo Tours, and Fujifilm was a perfect bow on an unforgettable trip.
It was so great to connect with so many ViewBug photographers in such a charming city. We’re already looking forward our next photo adventure and photo walk - we just need to decide where and when! Stay tuned…
In the meantime, we hope our adventure provides a bit of a spark for your next photo adventure. This world is so big and incredible, but it’s never been more accessible. Iceland might not be on everyone’s bucket list, or it might not be accessible enough, but adventures lie around every corner if you look. Maybe a nearby national park could be the perfect canvas for your next photo adventure, or perhaps exploring the streets of a nearby city with friends is the right adventure for you. It’s all good, as long as you’re getting out, exploring, having new experiences, and discovering new things - with your camera at your side! There’s nothing like exploring with your camera to help you see the true beauty in the world.
So get out there, and take lots of photos along the way! We can’t wait to see them on ViewBug. You never know who will be inspired by your images to plan their next photo adventure!
