2020 Iceland Photo Tour

JM Lobert Photography LLC

REGISTER HERE

Overview

This is a 7.5 day and 7 night photography tour to Iceland, 22 to 29 March, 2020.

The tour will be filled with photo opportunities day and night, but the emphasis is on night photography in hopes to capture as many aurora nights as possible. That means that we will plan on being active during the day, but give preference to night photography, in case of compromises.

The tour is for experienced and mature photographers who are familiar with their equipment and know the basics of night photography. Our two operators will assist with guidance to shooting the aurora and other scenery, but this is not a workshop with formal instructions or classroom sessions.

March is one of the best times to see the aurora and be comfortable from a temperature and weather perspective. However, weather in Iceland is very unpredictable, often changes in a matter of minutes and that there is no guarantee to see the aurora. It is a natural phenomenon, which might be obscured by overcast skies. As long as there is visible aurora, any destination in Iceland is excellent and a supreme location to capture this phenomenon straight overhead.

Logistics

Arrival in Iceland: Sunday, 22-March-2020 (before noon), flights leave the US the evening before, arrival is usually early in the morning Iceland time.

Departure from Iceland: Sunday, 29-March-2020, usually in the afternoon, you will arrive back in the US late afternoon. The tour only needs a five work day absence.

We will have fixed hotel bookings in three locations, with specific shooting destinations.

Transportation in Iceland from the airport and back, as well as between destinations is included and will be done in a van accommodating the six attendees and two organizers.

Your Organizers

Your tour guides are Jürgen Lobert and Lisa Ryan, two very experienced night and long exposure photographers based out of Massachusetts, who have organized workshops and tours (including Iceland) before and who both instruct night photography. With only six attendees, the organizer : attendee ratio will be a very low 3:1.

Photography

The tour is tailored to emphasize night photography, as the aurora can only be seen during the night. There will be some moonlight on the first three nights, darkness after that. Moon and aurora are a great combination.

But even without aurora, all locations will be interesting for regular night photography and light painting is a great addition. Natural rugged coast lines, unique moss-covered plains an moon-looking landscapes, industrial sites, hot springs and glacier lagoons, black sand beaches, light houses, ship and airplane wrecks and stone arches, ponies and lots of great waterfalls are all part of the program.

There will be plenty of daytime opportunities to take photos, Iceland has a very varied scenery, but we will not be maximizing daytime shooting and sunsets may coincide with dinner and getting to our destinations. When driving between locations, we can stop, as long as we get to the destination on time.

Itinerary

The tour will include three main locations.

1) From the airport, we will transition to Vik on the south coast and stay for three nights. Destinations around Vik are typically within 10 minutes to one hour driving distance and include black sand beaches, stone arches, a lighthouse, the town of Vik, waterfalls, moss fields and canyons, a wide variety of locations.

2) From Vik, we will transition to the Snæfellsjökull peninsula in the north-west and stay at a lovely small guesthouse. Here we will find a National Park, the iconic Kirkjufell peak waterfall, ruins and rugged shorelines, among other attractions.

3) Our last two nights will be spend in Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital where most of the island’s population lives. Our hotel will be right on the largest church in Iceland. A supreme location right in the heart of the city, with many very unique attractions in walking distance.

4) The Reykjanes peninsula in the south-west is only an hour away and will be our main destination for shooting a number of otherworldly locations, such as the Blue Lagoon, an industrial plant with lighthouse and large hot spring/geyser and a wonderful coast line.

Tour pricing

The total fee per attendee to the event organizers is $4150. The tour cost includes the following:

· All transport from and to the airport and between locations

· Wifi access in the van (if service is available)

· Cost for three hotels (3, 2, 2 days), single occupancy rooms

o Shared double rooms (2 beds) will get a $450 discount per person

· One group dinner during the last two days in Reykjavik

· All breakfasts

· Assistance to shoot and get set up with a unique 3:1 ratio of attendees to organizers

· 7.5 days and 7 nights of photography, weather permitting

· Rainy day activities such as group editing sessions or image review

Not included in the above fee are anything not listed, but particularly:

· Meals for lunch and dinner (except 1 group dinner), count on about $480 total cost

· Beverages, especially alcoholic drinks (expensive!)

· Flight to Iceland. Pricing early on is $400 and will increase to $600 towards the trip, $800 within 4 weeks of the trip.

· Any personal expenses for gifts etc.

To secure your spot for this tour, which we expect to fill up quickly, please register here.

The deposit is non-refundable, unless it is canceled from our end. Trip insurance is recommended. In case the participant cannot attend, a replacement may be suggested.

The remainder of $3150 is due no later than 60 days prior to the trip (23-January-2020). Payment options include payment in full, with a $100 discount before October 1, 2019.