Unless you've been under a rock your whole life, you certainly know that Iceland is a dream destination for photographers.
From black sand beaches to incredible waterfalls, volcanoes to glaciers, hot springs to canyons, and everything in between, Iceland offers perhaps more fodder for a landscape photographer's camera than any other location on earth.
As a result, when planning a trip to Iceland, it can be a little overwhelming trying to decide what locations you can live without and which ones are must-see.
Here's a quick list of some of the best photography spots in Iceland to help you plan your Iceland photography adventure.
Haifoss & Granni - The Twin Waterfalls
What's better than one beautiful waterfall? Two beautiful waterfalls.
Located in southern Iceland near the highlands, these twin waterfalls, both of which are fed by the Fossá River, a tributary of the Þjórsá, Iceland's longest river, cascade hundreds of feet down a cliff.
The Þjórsá is a glacier-fed river that cuts through the Þjórsárdalur Valley. Both it and the Fossá River have helped create a gorge through which the river's waters flow.
The terrain here is stunning - the flat valley contrasts beautifully with the steep walls of the gorge, giving you all sorts of textures and colors to highlight in your photos.
What's more, you can photograph the twin falls from the ridge of the gorge, which provides an ideal spot for a panoramic photo. But you can also hike down to the bottom of the falls for impressive shots of their termination at the bottom of the gorge.
Reynisdrangar Sea Cliffs
Also in southern Iceland is another must-see location for your Iceland photography trip - the Reynisdrangar Sea Cliffs.
These massive basalt formations stand more than 200 feet above the surface of the ocean and the black sand beach below.
Legend has it that these formations were created when two trolls who were attempting to pull a three-mast ship toward shore were caught in the sunlight and turned into stone.
The cliffs aren't the only feature here to photograph, though.
Reynisfjara Beach is a gorgeous, dramatic black sand beach (just one of many in Iceland, as shown above) that can more than stand on its own as the subject of your photographs.
In fact, the beach has been noted as being one of the most beautiful non-tropical beaches on earth.
Akranes Fishing Village
First settled in the 9th Century, Akranes is a quaint fishing village on Iceland's southwestern shore, not far from Reykjavik.
Most photographers that visit this area concentrate on the town's two lighthouses, one of which is still in use.
Langisandur Beach is another popular destination, which, along with the other beaches in the area, provide excellent opportunities for photographing the incredible array of birds that call this area home.
But the best hidden gem in Akranes is an old dry-docked ship that's just rotting away.
The Höfrungur was built in 1955 in the Akranes shipyard and was originally part of the local herring fleet.
However, the ship has been sitting there decaying for years and years, and makes for quite a dramatic subject for your images.
How to See Iceland
Though you can certainly tour Iceland on your own and have a great time, for my money, seeing Iceland as part of a photography expedition is the way to go.
Of course, being that Iceland is such a fantastic place for photographers, there are tons of photo tours available.
One that stands out, though, is the Land of Fire and Ice Expedition by ApertureXplorer.
There's a few reasons why this photography tour caught my eye.
First, it's nine days of adventuring in Iceland, seeing its beauty, and honing your photography skills.
Though it's impossible to see all of Iceland's beauty in a week and a half, it'll sure allow you to put a dent in your list of must-see places that this island nation has to offer.
Second, the itinerary for this trip is absolutely stacked.
There's the usual suspects - Reykjavík, the Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck, Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon, and Kirkjufell just to name a few.
But you also get to see lesser-known places like those I described earlier in the article to give you a more complete picture of what this part of Iceland is like.
The beauty of the itinerary - apart from the laundry list of possible locations - is that these locations are all located near one another. That means less travel time and more time behind the lens to capture the incredible beauty of Iceland.
Lastly, something else that helps you get more time behind the camera and less time traveling from one location to the next is the fact that this expedition puts you in mobile accommodations.
That is, each night you'll sleep in a camper van on location.
Not only do these camper vans offer a comfortable place for two adults to sleep on a full-size mattress, but they also allow the expedition to be far more flexible regarding the places to see and stay.
There's no more cutting your photo sessions short to catch a shuttle back to the hotel. Instead, you can stay out there in the beauty of Iceland with the ability to get up at a moment's notice to capture the breathtaking scenery before you.
It also helps that ApertureXplorers is run by two young, ambitious gentlemen by the names of James Conomea and Kyle Doughty.
Like me, both James and Kyle are trained pilots that rekindled their childhood passion for photography later on in life.
Their approach to photography adventures - to bring people to areas of the world they might not otherwise get to see and to tell stories with their photos - is an inspiring way to see the world and learn more about how to take incredible photos.
James and Kyle's Iceland expedition is scheduled for October 15-23, 2018. If you've ever thought about visiting Iceland, doing so with these guys leading the way is the best way to do it!