Iceland, 16-27 August 2026

I had an absolutely amazing time photographing Iceland with Photo Adventure Tours, led by Greg Johnson. I joined eleven other photographers—and, as it turned out, we were all ladies! It didn’t take long before we jokingly dubbed ourselves “Greg’s Sister Wives.” Poor Greg. 

For twelve days, we toured Iceland from top to bottom, east to west, and just about everywhere in between. We had long days, a few very long nights, and enough laughter to keep us going when sleep was becoming a distant memory. There were plenty of waterfalls to photograph, which meant plenty of opportunities to use my Neutral Density (ND) filter. An ND filter allows you to slow down your shutter speed, giving waterfalls that beautiful, silky, “milky” look.  And in Iceland, we certainly got our money’s worth out of that filter!  Our first attempt was at Kirkjufellsfoss, with the famous Kirkjufell mountain towering behind it on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Kirkjufell was featured as the “Arrowhead Mountain.” in Game of Thrones.  That evening, we returned hoping to photograph the Northern Lights.

Unfortunately, Lady Aurora apparently had other plans.  She was either hiding, taking the night off, or simply didn’t feel like cooperating with eleven photographers and their cameras. We waited. We watched. We hoped. We saw a glimmer, but that was all.   But there were plenty more waterfalls to practice on.  Skógafoss, one of Iceland’s most famous waterfalls, frequently produces beautiful single or double rainbows thanks to the enormous amount of mist and spray. Then there was Kvernufoss, a bit of a hidden gem. We hiked through a mossy canyon to reach this beautiful waterfall—and even had the opportunity to stand behind the falls!  By the end of the trip, I’m pretty sure I could attach an ND filter to my camera blindfolded.  Actually getting a proper photograph with it is another matter.

And not all of our late nights involved photography. Sometimes they involved good old-fashioned shenanigans.  Put eleven women together, add long days, tired brains and plenty of laughter, and you can imagine what happened. The laughter was infectious, and those were some of the moments I will remember most.  Along the way, new friendships were made and old ones were reestablished. And, naturally, there was food!  Our meals were delicious, and we even sampled the famous Icelandic hot dog—a local favourite that definitely earned its place on our Iceland adventure list.

We headed to Húsavík for a whale-watching tour with North Sailing. We were lucky enough to see some white-beaked dolphins and, yes, we did see a blue whale.  Well…we saw the back of a blue whale.  The blue whale is the largest animal on Earth and migrates into Icelandic waters each summer. Apparently, finding one requires a little luck.  We found one.  It surfaced, showed us its back, and promptly disappeared.  I’m trying to be grateful.  Let’s just say it wasn’t exactly the highlight of my trip!  Fortunately, the day got considerably better afterward with a visit to GeoSea Geothermal Sea Baths in Húsavík. Sitting in the warm, mineral-rich seawater while overlooking Skjálfandi Bay and the mountains was absolutely fantastic.  After days of travelling, hiking, photographing and occasionally chasing wildlife, soaking in an infinity pool with that view felt like heaven.

Then there was Lake Mývatn.  The name Mývatn translates to “Lake Midge.”  And Iceland, apparently, does not believe in false advertising.  There were thousands of them.

They don’t bite, but they swarm around your face, your eyes, your mouth… basically anywhere you would prefer a midge not to be.  Eleven photographers who had bravely faced waterfalls, wind, rain and long days suddenly became very interested in getting back into our vehicles.  Quickly.  Very, very quickly.

We photographed old churches, sheep, wild horses and some of the cutest little creatures one can point a camera at—puffins! They are just so darn cute.

And then there were the landscapes.  We stood on Black Sand Beach, surrounded by Iceland’s dramatic volcanic coastline. At Diamond Beach, chunks of crystal-clear glacial ice wash ashore and sparkle against the black volcanic sand, looking remarkably like diamonds.  At Vestrahorn, we photographed the striking black sand dunes, with their wind-carved shapes and tufts of bright green and golden grass.  Everywhere we looked, Iceland seemed to be showing off.  We also made the walk down into the famous Kerið Crater, estimated to be about 6,500 years old. Once inside the crater, we were surrounded by steep walls of bright red and orange volcanic rock, rising about 180 feet above us. At the bottom sits an incredible aquamarine-blue lake, its colour influenced by minerals in the surrounding volcanic soil.

And that was Iceland.

Waterfalls that looked like silk. Mountains that belonged in television shows. Glaciers that looked like diamonds. Tiny puffins. Wild horses. A whale that gave us exactly one good look at its back. Thousands of midges who clearly thought we were the main attraction.  And eleven women who laughed their way across an entire country with Greg bravely leading the way.  I came home with thousands of photographs, a new appreciation for ND filters, a few more laughs than I left with, and some wonderful new memories and friendships.  Iceland was spectacular.

The photographs will help me remember the scenery. But the people, the laughter and the shenanigans are what I’ll remember most.

And yes, Greg…the Sister Wives are already talking about the next adventure.