Iceland in Winter

[ekovisions]

<p>Hi Folks--I'm going to be visiting Iceland for photography beginning Nov 26th. This happened on a bit of whim, as an add-on to another trip, so I've only known about the trip for 2 days. Yes, I know it will be terribly cold and dark. I'll be there for 4 nights, 3 full days, 2 half days. Most of the posts I've found are about Iceland in Summer, as most aren't silly enough to head there this time of year. Any insight you can provide would be great. </p>

<p>Questions:</p>

<p>--Any special equipment I need? I have 2 digital SLRs, 3 zoom lenses (ultra wide, middle, tele), good tripod, 3 batteries for each camera. Polarizer, cable release, dust blower, ND, yada yada. Wondering if there is anything unique to shooting in Iceland that I should consider, besides gloves, warm clothing, and extra batteries for the cold. </p>

<p>--I plan on staying in Reyk for at least a night or two--is there a 2nd homebase that would be good for photography? </p>

<p>--Passability: if I leave Reyk and rent a car, how passable are the roads likely to be? Any areas I should avoid? Is renting a car by myself in winter a ridiculous idea?</p>

<p>--Biggest Photography Goal: Northern Lights. Praying for good weather and a bunch of solar activity. Suggestions for where to go (I know: out of Reyk) would be great. 2nd: icebergy lagoons, multiple shades of blue. Thoughts? 3rd: ??? What do you suggest? Since I don't have a ton of time, I'll probably have to concentrate on one or two parts of the country. Recommendations welcome. </p>

<p>Thanks much. </p>

<p> </p>

[david_henderson]

<p>I've done some research on this but whilst I've photographed in Iceland twice in summer- once recently. I haven't yet been in winter though one of my daughters has. </p>

<p>There's a world or difference between</p>

 

<ul>

<li>staying in or around Reykjavik and taking organised trips to Gullfoss, Pingvellir, etc . These are plentiful and could easily occupy you for three days or so. </li>

</ul>

 

<ul>

<li>Hiring a vehicle and venturing off on your own. Have you checked the cost of vehicle hire in Iceland? You'd pretty much be limited to Route 1 round the island as there are few other paved roads and even fewer that benefit from snow clearance. and you'd need to understand that a large majority of the available accommodation is open only in summer or shoulder seasons. There are hotels that stay open in areas like the northwest fjords -where I've recently been- but they fall short of guaranteeing that the roads will be open to get there- or get out. The big problem you have in unpredictability. You might have perfectly decent conditions on the way somewhere but be blocked in when you try and get back, and there is no amount of checking climate data or weather forecasts that precludes that possibility. I have little doubt however that with research you'll be able to find places to stay and a car, though just how far you'll get in a few days is a matter for conjecture. </li>

</ul>

<p>I wouldn't want to do the latter alone in winter. There's just too much doubt about the conditions and the fact that in reality on such a short trip you wouldn't get much further than you can reach on tours out of Reykjavik. In general I have to say though that I don't regard Reykjavik as a very interesting city in itself. </p>

[Jerry_]

<p>Have done a Google search for weather in Iceland? And for the times of sunrise vs. sunset?</p>

<p>Like Alaska, towards the 21st of December, the nights grow longer; the days shorter. And the sun, unlike in most parts of the warmer world, does not rise up into to sky very high in the winter months.</p>

<p>Are you equipped for winter weather survival? Spare food, water (and a means to keep it from becoming ice,) and some basic knowledge of what to do if a storm starts and you are off in the boondocks looking for the Northern Lights?</p>

<p> </p>

[ekovisions]

<p>Of course--I know it will be very dark (~5 hours daylight) and very cold. I live in Vermont, so I'm not a total stranger to winter survival. It looks likely that I may have snagged a local guide for parts of the trip. Still, any suggestions on day trip locales or equipment are still very welcome. Most likely I'm going to be staying in Reyk the whole time. </p>

 

[charles_stobbs3]

I have found Reyk to be boring, in the summer, when I could see it. The people and customs can be interesting.

[frank uhlig]

Well, Vermont is at the latitude of southern France, Northern Italy etc. And Iceland and Fairbanks, Alaska, also have the same latitude.

 

I would not want to visit there in winter, though. Photography needs light, maybe 2-3 hours of useful sunlight in November/December this far north ....

 

So: go to the pubs, the disco scene in R. and see what the locals do to survive. And why not just stay home; these long night dives all look alike. One goes to Iceland for the scenery, the glaciers, the fjords, the sky, not for darkness. But to each his own. And do consult an atlas sometime before you go and take triple long johns and so forth ... Good luck. Can you still cancel?

[david_henderson]

<p>Iceland is a lot warmer than its latitude indicates, which is just as well. But at the end of November you get 5 hours between sunrise and sunset. Its a photographer's dream- you can have late breakfasts and early dinners and not miss a thing!</p>

[ekovisions]

<p>@David that was my thought. @Frank, wow, why the negativity and condescension? Totally unnecessary. </p>

[gungajim]

<p>Five hours of photography in a new locale is better than one day sitting at home. Do the driving parts before sunrise and after sunset and be in position to shoot during the brief moment of daylight. GJ</p>

[tom_mann1]

<p>One of the big winter hobbies in Iceland is driving monster trucks (in groups, for safety) cross country to interesting out-of-the-way places such as hot springs, having a picnic there, and then driving back. If I were going to Iceland in the winter, I would research the monster truck clubs (...they don't call them that...), pick a well-established / well-known one, and see if you could arrange some ride-alongs. If you are good at high quality automotive photography, maybe you could do some bartering, e.g., your guide's monster truck painted with light against an aurora filled sky. I did a completely DIY trip incl. non-traditional lodging, and found it somewhat difficult to arrange such lodging and other logistical details ahead of time over the Internet. However, 99.9% of the people speak English, and a couple of overseas telephone calls would likely be very beneficial.</p>

<p>I've taught skiing for years, used to participate in autocross races on frozen lakes, and am generally a cold weather guy from upper NYS, but after spending a week in Iceland in the summer and seeing how utterly desolate many parts of the main road (the Ring Road) are, I would definitely want to make use of local expertise and their vehicles.</p>

<p>WRT the photography, I would strongly suggest a backup plan in case the weather (either solar or terrestrial) doesn't cooperate with your primary plan. Are you interested in how people cope with the conditions, landscapes and bizarre snow covered lava formations, fishing boats, or something else? How would you shoot the subject of interest if it wasn't in Iceland, but just up in VT? Daylight only, HDR, multiple strobes, hour long time exposures in the darkness, golden hour only, etc.</p>

<p>HTH,</p>

<p>Tom M</p>

<p>PS - I'm really jealous! Have lotsa fun and bring back pix to show!</p>

[tom_mann1]

<p>I decided to do a bit of poking around on the Internet. You might want to take a look at some of the following links. You may not be interested in any of these commercial winter tours, but at least it will give you an idea of the places that one can go and the sorts of things that can be done in the winter with a super Jeep or super-truck:</p>

<p>http://snowmobiletours.is/CombinationTours/WinterCombinationDayTours/<br>

http://www.wexas.com/Iceland-holidays/offer/Iceland-Super-Truck-Experience-101831.html<br>

http://www.natureexplorer.is/private-tours/longer-tours/glacier-extreme/<br>

http://www.scandinaviantravel.com/icelandWtours.html<br>

http://www.randburg.com/is/halendingarnir/<br>

http://www.icelandictravelmarket.is/activity/4x4-tours/winter-highlights-img54/457/default.aspx</p>

<p>Tom M</p>

[mariosforsos]

<p>Sure you can hire a car and drive in Iceland. Thing is it's gonna cost you. In my personal opinion WAY too much for the offering BUT, on the other hand, it will offer you the much needed freedom you will need to get beautiful shots. One word of caution: be careful of the damned sheep!!!! They are everywhere, they are treacherous and they WILL try to get you killed!</p>

<p>Now, as to driving in Iceland: chances are you will have to stick to Route 1 which pretty much circumnavigates the island. As far as I know, it is also the only route routinely cleared from snow in the winter months. However, do not think that makes it either easy or safe to drive on. The tarmac is NOT in the best of conditions and there are patches which are, essentially, tightly packed gravel. Nevertheless, I would hire and car and, at least, drive to Jokulsarlon (the iceberg lake) which, if memory serves, is around 200km away from Reyk. On they way you pass by two amazing waterfalls and I think you should stop there too.</p>

<p>Let's get to the "blue" icebergs. Icebergs are ONLY blue under certain conditions - in fact, under ONE condition and one alone: there has to have been rain the night before and sun when you visit. Otherwise they will simply be white (and not a very "clean" white at that). So, you WILL need to plan this carefully - I had to go there twice to get the images I got. Once there, I would most certainly advise you to take the little lake tour with the boats as this is, possibly, the closest you'll get to the 'bergs and will result in nice images.</p>

<p>Also, if you do rent a car, make sure you do not miss the Blue Lagoon. While touristy, it's still a magical place, photographically speaking. Leave the "resort" and wander around the truly volcanic landscape around it and you'll see what I mean.</p>

<p>Admittedly, the most beautiful and rugged landscape around Iceland is in the north of the island, but in the winter it can get as low as -50 degrees Centigrade, not conditions I would even dare to drive around hunting for images. Loads of mist (thick one as well), sleet and hard rain are more than commonplace and the roads are even worse than in the south. So, with the short amount you have in your disposal, I'd skip the north.</p>

<p>Camera-wise, I have no idea what cameras you've got, but I'll tell you this: I went there with my Nikon D700 and my D3 and was fine combatting the rain, the spray (because, let me tell you, 100m from the waterfal the spray is a LOT!) and the cold. BUT, I met two Swedes who had ENORMOUS problems with their Canon 5DIIs, another person who had his SONY go belly-up at them and various other camera-related problems from the water. (apparently, when people see someone walking around with tons of camera gear, they immediately confide their woes onto him...;-))) Sure, the cold will sap your batteries, but your biggest problem will be water. I'd seriously think about investing in a waterproof pouch or something like that - it'll definitely save your bacon.</p>

<p>It's an amazing, but VERY, VERY difficult place to travel around - have fun.</p>

[tom_mann1]

<p>Four additions to Marios' note - three serious, one silly:</p>

<p>1. While the Ring Road is cleared of snow regularly, even along the more densely populated south coast, once you are away from larger cities, ie, the capital, Vik and Hofn, during a big storm, it can be hours till a plow comes along, so be prepared. </p>

<p>2. I'm pretty sure the boat tours of the Jokulsarlon don't run in winter. However, one can certainly take some nice pix from the edge of the lake.</p>

<p>3. If you want to get a sense of what the more mountainous, distant parts of the island are like without going all the way up north, a relatively easy drive from the capital is to head out to northern shore of the Snæfellsnes peninsula and stay at the (small) Hotel Frames in the picturesque fishing village of <a title="Grundarfjörður" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grundarfj%C3%B6r%C3%B0ur">Grundarfjörður</a>. Personally, I wouldn't risk the Snæfellsnes loop in the winter unless very stable good weather was predicted. It's a well maintained road, but once past <a title="Grundarfjörður" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grundarfj%C3%B6r%C3%B0ur">Grundarfjörður</a>, people, settlements and gas stations are few and far between.</p>

<p>4. Speaking of the omnipresent and oblivious sheep, the locals pronounce the word as "seep". If that's not bad enough, ask a local to pronounce "fishing rod". Try not to have liquids in your mouth when you hear the answer. ;-). Then to be fair, reciprocate the amusement by you trying to pronounce *any* of their words, e.g., "Eyjafjallajokull" ;-)</p>

<p>Cheers,</p>

<p>Tom M<br /></p>

[aplumpton]

<p>As David says, the sunrise and sunset can each be visited easily during the day, and the weather forecast for the principal city over the next week is relatively sunny and the temperature varies only between 2 and 6 C, night and day, that is, to as much as 11 F above freezing. Not very cold (it'll likely be as cold or colder in much more southerly Vermont).</p>

<p>I guess it will be important arrange to be get to the major sites around the island, or those you want to photograph, with ample time to photograph them in the 5 hours of light.</p>

<p>Sounds like a great trip.</p>

[ArthurRichardson]

<p>I have never been to Iceland, but would love to go there. If time is limited, do your research before you leave and pick only two to three locations you want to photograph. There is no point in wasting valuable time in travelling from a to b, if you can also take your time around the places you chose before hand.</p>

<p>Comment like "I think Reykjavik is boring" are best left for oneself. Very subjective, and of little added value here.</p>