February 2 – 11,2014 in Iceland
with Scott Martin and Lance Keimig

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Iceland has been a popular destination for photography workshops for the last ten years or so, and for good reason. We’ll have 9 days and 8 nights to explore and photograph this amazingly beautiful country, and all expenses except international airfare, gratuities, and alcohol are included. Having two instructors<!–more–> promises lots of one-on-one attention with participants!

Northern Lights

If you have ever wanted to see or photograph the northern lights, this is a great opportunity. We are a bit obsessed with the night sky and like all of our night photography workshops,  we will be shooting at night as well as the day. The Aurora has been especially active over the last year, and with a little luck, the pattern will continue thru the winter of 2014. During this tour, we will go out to photograph at night whenever the weather is decent. The best time for viewing the Northern Lights is at night from October to April.

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Itinerary

Our itinerary will focus on the south and west sides of Iceland, and we’ll make the most of our time with a balance between seeing as much as we can, and not being constantly on the move. The proposed itinerary below will be modified to fit the weather and interests of the group.

Feb 2nd
Flights depart from the US in the evening for an overnight flight to Reykjavik.

Day 1 – Feb 3rd
Arrive at Keflavík airport early in the morning, where we will be greeted by Chris, our guide for the trip. Head west towards the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. If weather is good we could do a detour into Borgarfjörður to photograph the waterfalls Hraunfossar and Barnafoss. Arrive at Hotel Hellnar in the afternoon, check-in and head out to shoot soon after. Evening shoot close to Hellnar, Búðir or Arnarstapi./p>

Day 2 – Feb 4th
We explore more of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Locations include Svalþúfubjarg cliff, Lóndrangar sea stacks and Djúpalón pebble beach. On the north side of the Peninsula we have small fishing villages, waterfall Kirkjufellsfoss and mount Kirkjufell and Berserkjahraun lava field.

Day 3 – Feb 5th
Travel day towards the south shore to our final destination of Vík. During our drive we stop at waterfall Skógafoss and the evening shoot will most likely be at Víkurfjara or Reynisfjara beach.

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Day 4 – Feb 6th
Another day for the locations near Vík. We can go the beaches again and Dyrhólaey cliff, back to Skógafoss waterfall if people want. Stay Another night at Vík.

Day 5 – Feb 7th
Travel east towards Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon. Stops for photography on our way would typically be Eldhraun lava field, Foss á Síðu, Dverghamrar. Arrive at Hótel Gerði in the afternoon and head out to lagoon for shooting

Day 6 – Feb 8th
After a morning shoot with Icebergs on the beach we go to Skaftafell national park, photograph Svartifoss waterfall and Svínafellsjökull glacier. Explore and photograph an ice cave.

Day 7 – Feb 9th
Another day for glacier lagoons and ice bergs, glaciers and possibly ice caves.

Day 8 – Feb 10th
Travel back towards the city, revisit some locations on our way back, typically I aim for getting the evening light at Dyrhólaey cliff. We then stay our last night in either Hvolsvöllur or Hvergerði (both relatively close to Reykjavík)

Day 9 – Feb 11th
Drive towards the airport at Reykjanes Peninsula for our afternoon flight home. Before arriving at the airport, we will shoot on one or two final locations on the Reykjanes Peninsula – perhaps lake Kleifarvatn and Reykjanestá- a lighthouse and cliff with sea stacks.

Some people may choose to travel a day or two early to have time to adapt to the new time zone, or to see Reykjavik, the capital city. If you choose to do this, we can suggest accommodations in the city. If you arrive early, you’ll need to make your own way to Reykjavik, but we are happy to offer suggestions

What To Expect

This photo tour will feature long days and nights with intense periods of photography. It’s not a workshop- there is no formal instruction, lectures or critiques. There won’t be time, as we’ll be photographing day and night. This is not to say that it won’t be a learning experience, but the first and foremost goal of this trip is to provide you with a comfortable and organized opportunity to create images of the dramatic landscapes of iceland and of the Aurora. You’ll be working closely with people of varying levels of photographic experience, and we’ll all learn from each other and making friends along the way. Scott and I will be available to work with you in the field offering both creative and technical advice. There may be time for casual sharing and review of images, especially if there is some weather.

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Weather

Expect temperatures to be as cold as 20° Fahrenheit, but mostly temps will hover around freezing day and night. It may rain, it may snow, and the wind will definitely blow. despite being called Iceland, the winters are not nearly as bad as they are in the American Midwest or northern New England!

Meals, Accommodations, and What To Bring:

We will be staying in small hotels that are simple, clean and comfortable, and often used by photo tour groups like this one. All meals are included during the tour, with breakfast and evening meals generally being taken at our hotel, and lunches will generally be packed picnic lunches on the go. There will be lots of seafood- but other choices as well. Snacks and alcoholic beverages are not included. Dietary restrictions can be catered to with advance notice. Extensive information about clothing and camera gear will be provided upon registration.

Fine Print

The price of this trip includes:
* Transfer from/to airport upon arrival and departure
* Transportation in the comfortable AWD minibus during the tour.
* 8 nights hotel accommodation
* Full board from breakfast on day one to breakfast on day 9
* Professional Icelandic tour guide Chris Lund
* One on one time with professional photographers Lance Keimig and Scott Martin
* Day and night photography at some of the most spectacular locations in Iceland
* With a little luck, the Aurora Borealis

The price of this trip does not include:
* International airfare from your home city
* Travel insurance
* Equipment insurance
* Alcoholic beverages

Registration

The minimum group size is six, the maximum is ten.
The base price of the trip is $5595 based on single accommodation (1 person per room).
Two people sharing a room can deduct $350 each from the cost of their tour
Your deposit of $500 (due at registration) guarantees you a spot on the tour.
A payment of $2000 will due Novemner 1, 2013
A second $2000 payment will due December 1, 2013
A final payment of $1095 will be due January 1, 2014.

Credit card deposits are accepted for the initial deposit. Further payments can be paid by check with a $100 refund onte final payment, or by credit cards subject to a 3.5% credit card transaction fee.

Photos on this page are © 2013 Scott Martin

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