2. It’s not the Mediterranean, so bring your woolly long johns!

When you have made that hard decision on when to go, there is another thing you should consider. No matter which time of year you will visit, it's going to be cold. While it can get fairly warm in summer it will be freezing cold in winter. With a name like Iceland, this is almost common sense, but even with the warming sun the wind has the ability to chill you to the bone and will definitely ruin your time if you stay outside with the wrong clothing. We highly recommend a thorough layering system with a merino wool base layers like these, followed by a mid-layer and a waterproof jacket. 

Photo by Simon Markhof

As long as it is dry, you can move around to stay warm quite easily, however, It is always a good idea to have some rain clothes with you when you go on longer hikes no matter what the weather looks like at the start. On my last trip, I come across some people going on hikes in sweatpants and a t-shirt. While the weather looked promising at the start of the hike it changes very quickly and 15 minutes after starting along the path, the rain and wind came without warning, the next moment I saw these guys with nothing but a t-shirt freezing badly. Don't make the same mistakes: Bring weatherproof layers! Pretty much every outdoor gear clothing makes rainjackets and any of them will do. We personally like Marmot Rain Jackets because they are a good balance between price and functionality. 

As a landscape photographer, I found out that patience is one of many parts in achieving a good end result. So while you stand there waiting for the perfect light, freezing because you do not move much, having warm clothes is crucial for waiting for that amazing light to come. The last thing you want is to abort your session because you weren’t prepared for the cold weather. It kind of goes without saying but we'll say it anyway, bring your photography gloves! The last thing you want is cold hands.

What are the Warmest Gloves for Photography?

Photo by Simon Markhof

If you're not into long hikes in bad weather, don't worry. Iceland is great in that you don’t always need to go for those longer hikes as photo opportunities can often be found close to the road. Either way, be prepared to endure the cold and changing weather conditions.

3. Use your gear and worry less.

Let's get this out of the way now: It will rain and even with the best rain jacket, you will get wet.

When you get caught in the rain or the spray from the waterfalls, or you find that there is snow sitting on your camera, just keep your camera out and keep shooting. Shooting through the wet conditions means more photo opportunities, amazing mood and drama in your images and at the of the day you shouldn’t worry too much about your gear.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying act stupid and ruin your gear but I’m saying to not be overcautious. The gear is built to last and it will definitely survive a little rain or a waterfall shower. Usually, the housings and lenses are sealed and are way tougher than we think. So use that expensive gear you have paid for, stop worrying about it and keep shooting, you will ultimately get way more out of your trip this way.

Photo by Nico Ruffato

If you are struggling to change your mindset about the weather destroying your gear, there are camera rain covers, available from different companies to help protect your gear.

I opt for an easy fix of wiping the water off my lenses and camera before I put them back into my bag, and it has always been fine. To keep the moisture out of my bag, I started collecting the little moisture-absorbing bags that came in many packages from things I buy. I then store them in my photography bag and It works like a charm, plus it does not cost anything.

4. You will constantly be changing lenses.

Now that you have stopped worrying about your gear, get prepared to change your lenses constantly.

Swapping between wide-angle to telephoto to mid-range-zoom, I was forever changing to what I thought would look good and increasing the diversity of my photos. The Icelandic landscape is conducive to many compositions in one area at different focal lengths. There are just so many opportunities so please use that expensive glass in your bag and avoid missing out on photo opportunities because of being lazy.

The main reason I am saying this is because I was surrounded by random photographers in Iceland, and I overheard someone saying  “this would be cool with a telephoto lens, but I can’t be bothered changing lenses now“. That mentality is the difference between great photographers and mediocre photographers.

5. Stop taking the same photo as everyone else

Yeah, of course, you have to take a shot of Skogafoss or any other famous attraction of the Icelandic landscape, but please do yourself a favour and stop copying other photographers. I came to Kirkjufell waterfall and saw photographers queue up to take the exact same shot we have all seen sprawled across the internet a thousand times.

Photo by Simon Markhof

It is not a bad thing to take that shot or any of the other iconic Iceland images, but Iceland is as an outstandingly beautiful location and finding unique compositions is honestly not that hard. The country is so photogenic and there is much more to it than just ticking off the well-known photo spots.

My advice; Use those well-known images for inspiration, but If you stop chasing the same shots other people have already made and start seeing the country with your own eyes, there will be a ton of new and exciting subjects to shoot.

Pro tip: try to go to the east fjords as well as to the north which gets less photographed. In general, it's a good idea to give yourself plenty of time to drive down side roads and explore interesting subjects. The famous spots are famous for a reason but there is so much more to shoot in Iceland that enriches your portfolio and the overall experience of your trip.

Photo by Simon Markhof