Best Photography Spots in Iceland: A Photographer's Location Guide

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Why Iceland Is a Photographer's Paradise

Iceland packs an absurd amount of photographic variety into a small island. Waterfalls, glaciers, volcanic beaches, geothermal pools, and the Northern Lights are all within a few hours' drive of each other. The light is unique too. In summer, the midnight sun gives you golden hour that stretches for hours. In winter, the sun barely clears the horizon, bathing the landscape in soft, directional light all day long.

Whether you're shooting with a smartphone or a full-frame mirrorless setup, Iceland delivers. Here are the locations worth prioritizing, along with practical tips for getting the best shots at each one. When you get home, run your images through ExifGrabber to review the EXIF metadata and see exactly which settings produced your best frames.

Essential Gear for Iceland

Before diving into locations, a few gear notes. Iceland's weather is unpredictable and often brutal. Wind, rain, and salt spray are constants on the coast.

A sturdy travel tripod is non-negotiable for long exposures at waterfalls and black sand beaches. Bring a circular polarizer to cut glare on wet rocks and boost color saturation in overcast conditions. An ND filter set opens up long exposure possibilities even in bright daylight. If you're into long exposure work, check out our guide to ND filters for recommendations.

Pack rain covers for your camera bag and a microfiber cloth you don't mind sacrificing to salt spray. Lens changes outdoors are risky here, so a versatile zoom like a 24-70mm or 24-105mm is more practical than primes.

The South Coast

Skogafoss

Skogafoss is a 60-meter curtain waterfall that's easy to access right off Route 1. On sunny days, the mist creates reliable rainbows in the morning light. There's a staircase to the top that gives you a dramatic overhead angle looking down the river valley.

Camera settings: Use f/11 to f/16 for edge-to-edge sharpness. A shutter speed of 1/4s to 2s with an ND filter will give the water a silky look without losing all texture. Keep ISO at 100. Arrive at sunrise before the tour buses show up.

Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach

The jet-black sand, columnar basalt formations, and crashing North Atlantic waves make Reynisfjara one of the most dramatic coastal locations anywhere. The hexagonal basalt columns at Halsanefshellir cave are a natural leading line that practically composes the shot for you.

Safety first: The sneaker waves here are genuinely dangerous. People have died. Never turn your back on the ocean, and stay well above the wet sand line. No photograph is worth the risk.

Camera settings: A 24-70mm lens at f/11 covers most compositions. For wave motion blur, try 1/2s to 1s exposures. The black sand can fool your meter into overexposing, so check your histogram and dial in -0.3 to -0.7 EV compensation.

Dyrhólaey Arch and Puffins

The Dyrhólaey promontory sits just west of Vik and offers sweeping views of the coastline, including a massive natural rock arch. From May through August, Atlantic puffins nest on the cliffs here. The colonies are most active in the evenings when puffins return from fishing.

For puffin shots, bring a 70-200mm telephoto or longer. Stay on marked paths and give the birds space. Fast shutter speeds (1/1000s or faster) are essential to freeze their rapid wingbeats.

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

Jökulsárlón is a glacial lagoon where icebergs calved from the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier drift slowly toward the ocean. No two visits look the same because the icebergs are constantly shifting, melting, and flipping. Seals often swim among the ice, adding wildlife opportunities.

Wide-angle lenses capture the scale, but don't neglect the telephoto for isolating individual icebergs and their textures. Overcast days actually work well here since the diffused light brings out the blue tones in the ice without harsh shadows.

Diamond Beach

Right across the road from Jökulsárlón, chunks of glacial ice wash up on a black volcanic sand beach. The contrast of crystal-clear ice against dark sand is stunning, and the effect is best at sunrise or sunset when the ice catches warm light.

Get low. Shooting from ground level with a wide-angle lens makes the ice chunks look monumental. A polarizer helps manage reflections on the wet sand and ice surfaces.

The Snæfellsnes Peninsula

Kirkjufell

Kirkjufell is arguably Iceland's most photographed mountain, and for good reason. The classic composition includes the small Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall in the foreground with the distinctively shaped mountain behind it.

Camera settings: f/11 to f/16 at ISO 100. Use a shutter speed of 1/2s to 1s to give the waterfall some motion blur. A 16-35mm wide-angle lens is ideal for fitting both the falls and the mountain into the frame. In winter, this is one of Iceland's best Northern Lights locations. Don't forget to turn around and check the lake behind you for mountain reflections.

Búðakirkja (The Black Church)

This tiny black wooden church sits alone against the Snæfellsjökull glacier backdrop. The stark contrast between the dark church and the surrounding landscape (green in summer, white in winter) makes it incredibly graphic. It works in almost any weather condition, and stormy skies only add drama.

The Golden Circle

Gullfoss

Gullfoss is a massive two-tiered waterfall that appears to vanish into a canyon. Multiple viewing platforms give you different perspectives. The upper platform provides a sweeping wide view while the lower walkway puts you close enough to feel the spray.

In winter, ice formations along the canyon walls add another compositional element. Use a fast shutter speed (1/500s or faster) to freeze the power of the falls, or go slow (1/2s or longer) for the classic silky water look.

Þingvellir National Park

The rift valley where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are visibly pulling apart offers unique geological compositions. The Öxarárfoss waterfall and the Almannagjá canyon walls are the highlights. Autumn brings warm tones to the birch scrub that contrasts beautifully with the dark basalt.

The Highlands and Interior

Landmannalaugar

The rhyolite mountains here display an otherworldly palette of pink, orange, green, and purple. Access requires a 4x4 vehicle and is only possible in summer (roughly June through September). The colorful peaks are best photographed in soft, overcast light. Direct sun creates harsh shadows that flatten the subtle color gradations.

A polarizer is especially useful here to cut atmospheric haze and punch up the mineral colors.

Northern Lights Photography

If you're visiting between September and March, the Northern Lights are a major draw. Here are the key settings to start with:

• Aperture: As wide as your lens allows (f/1.4 to f/2.8 ideal)
• ISO: 1600 to 6400 depending on aurora brightness
• Shutter speed: 5 to 15 seconds (shorter for fast-moving curtains to preserve detail)
• Focus: Manual focus set to infinity, confirmed with live view magnification on a bright star

A fast wide-angle lens like a 14mm f/2.8 or 20mm f/1.4 makes a huge difference. A remote shutter release or 2-second timer prevents camera shake during the exposure. Our beginner's guide to astrophotography covers these techniques in more detail.

Practical Tips for Iceland Photography

Plan for the light. In summer (June/July), you get near-24-hour daylight with golden hour stretching for hours around midnight. In winter (November through February), you only get 4 to 5 hours of usable light, but it's beautiful, low-angle light all day.

Check road conditions. The Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration (road.is) provides real-time updates. Highland roads (F-roads) require a 4x4 and are closed in winter.

Respect closures. Some areas close seasonally for nesting birds or conservation. These closures are enforced and fines are steep.

Layer up. Conditions change fast. Wind chill at coastal locations can be brutal even in summer. Protect your hands with photography gloves that let you operate camera controls without going numb.

Shoot RAW. Iceland's dynamic range (bright sky, dark lava fields) benefits enormously from the latitude RAW files provide in post-processing.

Planning Your Route

Most first-time visitors follow the Ring Road (Route 1), which circles the entire island in about 1,300 km. A realistic photography-focused trip needs at least 10 to 14 days to avoid rushing between locations. The south coast from Reykjavik to Jökulsárlón is the most photographically dense stretch and can be covered in 4 to 5 days if you're short on time.

The Snæfellsnes Peninsula deserves at least 2 days and is often called "Iceland in miniature" because it concentrates so many landscape types into a small area.

Iceland rewards patience and repeat visits. The weather, light, and even the landscape itself are constantly changing. Go with a plan, but stay flexible. Some of the best shots happen when the conditions surprise you.