Failte isteach

John Kent

Charlie O Neill

Chris Ducker

Ronnie Kilkenny

Gerard Kelleher
Fergal O'Callaghan
Peter MacMenamin
Michael Delahunty

                    

     Our guide for the trip was Rafn Sig  a very well known and published native photographer.

See some of Rafn's work >  HERE and HERE
  Cost Eur 2700pp   

                                   

                                                 

                                   Feb 19 - 29,  2016  We traveled to Iceland 

This is the group  >

                                                           Flights
 Dublin to Reykjavik 
about Eur 318 including 20kg bag and 12Kg carry on bag
Most people needed the 12kg carry-on to accommodate cameras and lenses.

                Feb 19         DUB   11.10           Arrive 13.35
                Feb 29        Depart 06.20           Home 08.40
                                       

                                  Itinerary and Accommodation                             
                                      

Feb 19 arrive Reykjavik at 13.35
                                Pick up by our Driver guide Rafn
                                Drive north to Snaefellsnes Peninsula

    19 - 20 - 21         3 nights in  Hotel Framnes  in town of  Grundarfjförður
       
                                                  
     22                    Travel  to the Golden Circle East of Reykjavik  

    22-23-24            Hotel Skogafoss       
                        
    25               Ice Cave tour is booked

                              Hotel Hof 1       Hof is near Jokulsarlon and the ice Lagoon 

        
                              Hotel Skaftafell 

                              Hotel Stracta 

  28                       Back to Rekjavik through the Reykjanes Peninsula
                            Gueshouse 101   Laugarvegur  

  29                      Home


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                            Clothing  _  What to wear.
               There is no "One kind of weather in Iceland  -  There is every kind of weather".
                            "There's no such thing as bad weather  - just improper clothing".
                                                    Very changeable weather.
When the wind is not blowing you will have no problem staying warm. 
Temperatures are about -4 to +1 because of the Gulf Stream.
Winds in Iceland are legendary -  40 meters per second !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wearing wind and water resistant outer layer that has insulation is the key.
Three layers is the way to go - Inner  - Middle and Outer layers.
Inner layer - provides comfort by keeping the skin dry - not cotton.

Merino wool inner layer
showing legs and top.

  The material is thin and lasts    well. 

Often referred to as Thermals.                                                                                              
Great Outdoor store Dublin.




Middle layer  -  Thin fleece 
 When the wind is not blowing
you should be warm enough with the inner layer + Fleece.



What about a thermal flask for lunch on the road?

Small hand towels.

Swim Trunks



Gloves
1.  Glove liners are very small, light  stretchable gloves that fit inside bigger waterproof gloves.
     Cheap - so get a few pair in case they get wet.   (Great outdoors.)
2.  Waterproof ski gloves - must be good quality  e.g.  Goretex

  


Balaclava ??

You can buy HotHands fleece gloves - they are gloves with pockets and in the pockets are warmers that last 10 hours.
Click  HERE  
"Hot hands" -  hand warmers £1 each from Amazon UK
HotHands is the brand name.

A hat with ear flaps £12 
from Absolute Snow.co.uk

Berghaus Hurricane 2 layer GoreTex jacket above right   €159   see  HERE
This jacket has 2 layers has a peaked hood.
The hood is essential and goes over your hat and can be adjusted for stong wind.

BOOTS
They need to have good grip
and be waterproof.
On the Right Timberland Chocorua Gore-Tex
Hiking boot

Good quality walking socks.

Ice spikes are essential





                                                                     
                                 Money (Eur)
Estimate costing per person 

Flights                                      320             Includes 20Kg bag+ 5 or 12Kg carry on bag
Accommodation  10x70   =    700             Based on sharing hotel double room @ E140 pn
Driver guide                          1200 *
Evening meals  10x40             400
Ice cave tour                            160
________________________________
Total                   about         2780     


Iceland is EXPENSIVE
Bring you Duty free litre + mixer
                                                                             

                                                               Driver Guide     

Rafn Sigurbjornsson   Driver and Photographer is to be our Driver and Guide.

                                
  Rafn is a well published Icelandic photographer.
 Rafn Sigurbjornsson  see HERE  for his web site and pictures.
 Rafn's Facebook page     HERE
 Author of 8 pocket sized photography books on individual parts of Iceland.

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ICE CAVES

Tour is booked for the 25th.

                                                                                                      Photo   David Noton        

     Dettifloss waterfall - best from the west side. Wind + spray can be a problem.

   Ice caves under the Vatnjokull Glacier (Southern Edge of that glacier) - tripod/long exposures.

       Can be dangerous without a guide - an ice guide. We will have an Ice guide.

     

    Skaftafell National Park - great hiking trails here in Summer. North of Hof in SE.

       Hveravellir Hot springs - inland

 Gullfoss waterfall    Best light in winter 1pm from Lower car park. Dangerous place to take risks looking for a better shooting spot. It has claimed quite a few lives.

 Hraunfossar  Waterfall - NE of Reykjavik - Great sunset location

 Skogafoss Waterfall - west of VIK. It used to fall into the sea - now 5km back.

Also Black lava beaches

24mm TS-E lens    2s at f/16  0.9 and 0.6 NDs  Photo  David Noton

This location is near VIK. Sea stack here also.

                                200 - 400  f/4 with 1.4x   f/10   ISO 400   Photo David Noton

If you are very lucky.  14mm lens   15s at f/4  ISO 3200                Photo David Noton

Waves at Renisfjara beach.  70-200 lens   Photo David Noton.

* It is a popular time in Iceland for photography
      David Noton will be there twice -  from 14-20 Feb.    (5 days)
                                         South Iceland   £2890 + flights + extras               Eur 4500
                                         and  28 Feb - 5 March  West Iceland  
                                                   Single room + £390          
      10 photographers + David, his wife Wendy and Jon Gooding.

Peter and Ed Gordon will be there from Feb 6-14  (7 days)                      Eur 4200
Single occupancy hotels - all food (not alcohol) -  transport in 4x4 - Flights extra.
Max 9 people     Guide TBA
South East for 4 nights then South West.

                                    

                                 *******************************

What to shoot

Reykjavik town

The harbour area

The Cathedral

Some of the town houses

The Lake

 The SNÆFELLSNES peninsula
(178Km N of Reykjavik)

Arnarstapi - near the tip of the peninsula

Sea stacks - beach - arches and  lava cliffs

Pyramid shaped Stapafell mountain

Kirkjufell & Kirkjufellsfoss

Need crampons to walk on the ice and get this shot - wide angle

as the waterfall is very small.

  

The South

Jökulsárlón

This is at Fjallsárlón  a glacial lagoon 10kmwest of Jokulsarlon
"In many ways it is more photogenic than the Jokulsarlon glacial logoon."

Above Seastacks at Reynisdrangar near VIK and Dyrhólaey
also in this area Black beach and Skogafoss below

Good location on dark cloudy days - long exposures
It is S facing!

Seljalandsfoss
Just off Route 1 as we head S.
You can get behind this waterfall  1/30s

Gluggafoss

Summer and winter shots
Ideal to visit going to Seljalandsfoss

The peninsula south of Reykjavik is Reykjanes Peninsula  

      Lakes

      The magnificent and tiny KRYSUVIKURKIRJA church

      Lighthouse at the tip

       

    Lighthouse

East of VIK is KIRKJUBÆJARKLAUSTUR  (71km)   Route 1

At the HVOLSVÖLLUR gas station there’s a Vínbúð (Iceland’s only chain of shops permitted

to sell alcohol)!!

GLÚFRAFOSS waterfall lies hidden in a deep fault in the rock  4x4 through water!

The famous SELJALANDSFOSS waterfall is quite unique and easy to get to.

Spectacular SKÓGAFOSS waterfall

Near Laki you find FAGRIFOSS waterfall

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                                       Web sites

         1.    Breiðamerkursandur: A Playground for Photographers

Where?    This is down at Jökulsárlón where the Ice Lagoon is (SE)

Click  >    HERE  to go to web site.                                                    

The Aurora Photo Guide: Runólfur Hauksson   Facebook

Here are shots of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula -

 all David Noton's work.

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                                                                  MORAVIA
Remember Marek Biegalski ?
Who?

Now you remember Marek ................
I have been inquiring about his workshops to Moravia.
September is full.
Spring is next one - I will keep you posted on this blog.

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