Iceland Photo Tours
Iceland Photo Tours
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Iceland photo tours is a company specializing in landscape photography tours and workshops in IcelandOur customers are both professional and amateur photographers. We welcome enthusiastic photographers of all skill levels on our tours. Our aim is simply to help you find and create images that express your unique experience.Passion for Photography is All You Need
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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5.0
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bestlisa
West Virginia19 contributions
Jan 2023 • Solo
I saw quite being driven around in keep. We chased the northern lights and got some great pictures. Very friendly. Next day I used same group to show me geysers waterfalls and many exciting areas
Written January 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
vatravelingbug
Arlington, VA374 contributions
Sep 2014 • Friends
We took a gamble booking Iceland Photo tours--and won big!
When we first started planning our trip for two photographers and their wives, we planned to create our own tour so started researching attractions and spots to visit. In the process, we stumbled on Iceland Photo Tours and were intrigued by its itinerary--even though there were few reviews about the company. Alas, the dates for an upcoming photo session he was offering didn't work for us. So we asked if we could create our own private tour--and Haukur Snorrason readilly agreed. We recruited another couple to join us and left the planning to Haukur and his longtime, lovely partner Hadda Gisladottir who runs the Hrifunes Guesthouse where we stayed for half of the tour. (Check out my 5-star review for the guesthouse.)
Haukur (we called him "Hawk" as he suggested) is a generous, helpful and fun guide who seems to know every corner of Iceland. It helps that he's also a pilot and has flown over all parts of the country so he knows very remote, beautiful places. He has a monster truck that can go over all sorts of terrain and cross streams (rivers too), taking us to places most tourists (and probably Icelanders too) never see. We never would have even thought of venturing to many of these spots, even with a high-clearance 4-wheel drive. We went to places so remote that a couple of days, we never ran into other people. Haukur also closely watched the weather, choosing each day's itinerary for the best photographic lighting and always looking, as he drove, for the best light from which to take a photo. Even novices couldn't fail to get good photos.
Some earlier reviewers complained that Haukur didn't provide criticism of their photos. If that's what you want, then find a photo workshop that provides that. But if you just want to enjoy the beauty of Iceland with a fun Icelander, you can't go wrong with IPT.
When we first started planning our trip for two photographers and their wives, we planned to create our own tour so started researching attractions and spots to visit. In the process, we stumbled on Iceland Photo Tours and were intrigued by its itinerary--even though there were few reviews about the company. Alas, the dates for an upcoming photo session he was offering didn't work for us. So we asked if we could create our own private tour--and Haukur Snorrason readilly agreed. We recruited another couple to join us and left the planning to Haukur and his longtime, lovely partner Hadda Gisladottir who runs the Hrifunes Guesthouse where we stayed for half of the tour. (Check out my 5-star review for the guesthouse.)
Haukur (we called him "Hawk" as he suggested) is a generous, helpful and fun guide who seems to know every corner of Iceland. It helps that he's also a pilot and has flown over all parts of the country so he knows very remote, beautiful places. He has a monster truck that can go over all sorts of terrain and cross streams (rivers too), taking us to places most tourists (and probably Icelanders too) never see. We never would have even thought of venturing to many of these spots, even with a high-clearance 4-wheel drive. We went to places so remote that a couple of days, we never ran into other people. Haukur also closely watched the weather, choosing each day's itinerary for the best photographic lighting and always looking, as he drove, for the best light from which to take a photo. Even novices couldn't fail to get good photos.
Some earlier reviewers complained that Haukur didn't provide criticism of their photos. If that's what you want, then find a photo workshop that provides that. But if you just want to enjoy the beauty of Iceland with a fun Icelander, you can't go wrong with IPT.
Written September 22, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sabyasachi T
Kolkata (Calcutta), India101 contributions
Oct 2016 • Couples
Iceland had for long been on our bucket list and we recruited the services of Iceland Photo Tours to design a private tour for two of us. At the initial planning stage we mostly corresponded with Hadda to set up the itinerary and were provided all information and documents like a true professional organisation. We were left with no questions unanswered when we landed up in Reykjavik in the first week of October, knowing fully well how wet it can get during that time of the year. We met Haukur in a downtown cafe the day before our tour was to start and we soon realised he was every thing we look for in a photography guide and a lot more. We were supposed to do a anti-clockwise tour of the island country, but Haukur and Hadda considered the weather forecast for the next few days and turned around our tour to a clockwise one. It meant rearranging all the hotel bookings and a lot of extra work for them, but what a brilliant gesture it was. While we were enjoying bright sunny days in the North, we learnt it was raining in the South, where we were supposed to be, hadn’t it been for the turnaround.
Once on the road, we soon realised how our choice of photography matches with his and he too was quick to understand what we were looking for. From then on it was a breeze. We enjoyed each others company, having endless conversations from photography to politics to sports and we never realised when we had crossed that boundary from being a client to a friend. Haukur is a wonderful photographer, probably one of the best in his country. Yet he is very down to earth and by his own admission he loves to interact with different kinds of people. He loves the countryside and knows the roads and dirt tracks like the back of his hand, not one to rely on GPS. He would stop the car where ever he could and we would have an impromptu photo session. Being on a private tour, he allowed us to be completely flexible with the timings and places we visited and the time we took at each place. Having been on a 11 day tour around the country, I can safely say that our discovery of beautiful Iceland would have been incomplete without Haukur and his able guidance. We plan to go back to Iceland and would surely rely on his expertise.
Once on the road, we soon realised how our choice of photography matches with his and he too was quick to understand what we were looking for. From then on it was a breeze. We enjoyed each others company, having endless conversations from photography to politics to sports and we never realised when we had crossed that boundary from being a client to a friend. Haukur is a wonderful photographer, probably one of the best in his country. Yet he is very down to earth and by his own admission he loves to interact with different kinds of people. He loves the countryside and knows the roads and dirt tracks like the back of his hand, not one to rely on GPS. He would stop the car where ever he could and we would have an impromptu photo session. Being on a private tour, he allowed us to be completely flexible with the timings and places we visited and the time we took at each place. Having been on a 11 day tour around the country, I can safely say that our discovery of beautiful Iceland would have been incomplete without Haukur and his able guidance. We plan to go back to Iceland and would surely rely on his expertise.
Written November 20, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Abdulkhalek
Doha, Qatar5 contributions
Mar 2013 • Solo
**( as something went wrong with my new Win.8 LibreOffice the first draft of my review was repeated ) here is revised one
I have joined Iceland photo tour (winter experience) in last march with Haukur, since I was looking for a winter tour because I found Iceland landscape photos are more unique in winter beside the opportunity that winter offers of witnessing the aurora and exploring the ice caves which both we had in this tour.
It was 10 days /9 nights we (we were 7 participants ) ran through a wide range of weather conditions, the strong blizzards that hit for 4 days when were in the north then the sunny yet cold days in the south and in between them : some overcast nights other clear (one only actually :) ) with aurora.
I can here say that in some aspects the tour was wonderful and great experience, first of all Haukur is a really good person and I found that in the day one (5 months earlier) when i sent him first Email inquiring about the tour. He arranged everything I had asked him for, he offered a great help for me in some winter stuff since I couldn't found it in the place where I live, I would like to say he is seriously responsive and cooperative in every aspects about the details of the tour and what one client might ask him for, a thing we don't really find in other tour agencies when they just tailor the tour regardless any considerations of the client wish or demand .
he is quite knowledgeable about Iceland geology and he knows every place we passed by (why it called this name, a story behind this and that) ... and can explain to us a lot about the volcanoes, waterfalls, capes, mountains, ..fields, farms ... everything.
he showed a real solidity, driving through the worst weather condition could someone imagine in the arctic countries meanwhile we were just relaxing in the his giant tires lifted truck.
his sense of humor and personality make his company a real pleasant unforgettable experience.
Hadda his wife was great lady her warm welcoming and hospitality in their guesthouse beside that Dellllicious food she cooked for us just threw away the tiredness after 5 days in the tour, the Mediterranean marinated fish and the goes the next day, adding to it that personal lovely guesthouse were really wonderful treat for our senses, and it was best meal we had in the tour, she regulated the tour in well organized way.
Have been saying that facts regarding the tour considering it just a tour shouldn't let us neglect the main purpose of this tour: the photography, about this aspect I can say that this tour is almost good to medium if I must be fair.
I have been in DSLAR photography for 3 years and my main interest is a landscape photography, and it is just a hobby for me, but I took it seriously, I usually be in the location for photography within the golden hour when the sunset/sunrise light illuminates the land/sea/mountain whatever with subtle light, or when dawn or dusk gives me a chance to capture some unique colors I could add it to basic subject I am photographing, and this is what every landscape photographer does, better than getting a frame with just ordinary light which is not much different from any other ordinary postcard. simply this thing was missing in this tour, except one morning by the lagoon (according to our wish) but for the whole tour we were sitting having dinner or breakfast meanwhile the last/first rays of shy winter sun lightening the tips of the mountains or coloring the clouds or spreading its light along the vast snow covered beautiful landscape! If it is possible to me to call it a photography tour then the tour leader should be more interested in the time of photography and adjust the breakfast/dinner time according to the "good light display" (if it is a good term to use ) and not the contrary.
staying at Vantajokul lagoon was very short, we spend one night only and catch one overcast morning :( and in my opinion it is absolutely the most beautiful scenic place in all Iceland and it is what the name: ICE-LAND is all about, if I will visit Iceland for one more time is just because really I want to take chance to spend more than 2 days by that outstanding place. we should have stayed 2 nights by Myvatn according to the itinerary ( but we missed one day because of the blizzard) so we spent one day only at Myvatn, and it is really less interesting place and a way behind the beauty of Vantajokull Lagoon and the glorious glaciers which worth more time to stay and explore its beauty.
the aurora night was definitely the highlight of the tour scene wise, we were so lucky to be among those who witnessed that awesome display that night, but our photos outcome was poor, we got photos for beautiful aurora as a background of guesthouse backyard!! in the time when all photographers who are interested in night shooting and aurora fly to Iceland in the harsh winter weather in order to catch a real beautiful Icelandic landscape subject as a foreground for those dancing green giants, this goal we just missed, Haukur didn't give us a drive to a real outdoor place where we can compose a good aurora shots. some other participants objected when I suggest a short drive to a small lake where we can catch at least a reflection for aurora saying : it is far!! (as I remember I flew 22 hours including the lay-over to shoot aurora, 15 minutes drive is just a silly thing to worry about) !!
I think it would be quite suitable if Haukur had searched for good places, or scouted ones particularly for the aurora, he, as a photo tour leader should motivate us and push us to the limit in moving between locations in order to get the best results, but what happened was different in most of the times.
I carried 3kg sturdy giant tripod and every time we got to the location for shooting I should worry and concern not to delay the others by using long-exposure, did any serious photographer worry about the time he is spending to compose a photo and shoot in slow-shutter speed when he is basically engaged in a "photography tour " not only a "tour" ? this is a point I wanted to refer, it would be very good for our tour leader Haukur, if he specified and explained to the all group that this is a serious photo tour not only a tour with some photo-taking and it might take some participants some time in taking photos in long-exposure and a metering the right exposure using filters ..etc, and the rest should respect that.
overall, the tour was wonderful anyhow, it is just a chance to visit that part of the world and get to know people (good people actually) in spite of being under the expectations and failing in satisfying that passion of the light.
So in 2 words : if you are serious landscape photographer you better identify to Haukur (who is really cooperative) your expectations, your demands, your SHOOTING PREFERABLE TIME, what you really want from a photo tour to be and work on managing it the right way and tailoring the right details and keep in mind that you should have some motive to push your leader in photography field (you are the one who should concern about the golden time, the spectacular places, the time you spend in shooting in each place) not anybody else.
I have joined Iceland photo tour (winter experience) in last march with Haukur, since I was looking for a winter tour because I found Iceland landscape photos are more unique in winter beside the opportunity that winter offers of witnessing the aurora and exploring the ice caves which both we had in this tour.
It was 10 days /9 nights we (we were 7 participants ) ran through a wide range of weather conditions, the strong blizzards that hit for 4 days when were in the north then the sunny yet cold days in the south and in between them : some overcast nights other clear (one only actually :) ) with aurora.
I can here say that in some aspects the tour was wonderful and great experience, first of all Haukur is a really good person and I found that in the day one (5 months earlier) when i sent him first Email inquiring about the tour. He arranged everything I had asked him for, he offered a great help for me in some winter stuff since I couldn't found it in the place where I live, I would like to say he is seriously responsive and cooperative in every aspects about the details of the tour and what one client might ask him for, a thing we don't really find in other tour agencies when they just tailor the tour regardless any considerations of the client wish or demand .
he is quite knowledgeable about Iceland geology and he knows every place we passed by (why it called this name, a story behind this and that) ... and can explain to us a lot about the volcanoes, waterfalls, capes, mountains, ..fields, farms ... everything.
he showed a real solidity, driving through the worst weather condition could someone imagine in the arctic countries meanwhile we were just relaxing in the his giant tires lifted truck.
his sense of humor and personality make his company a real pleasant unforgettable experience.
Hadda his wife was great lady her warm welcoming and hospitality in their guesthouse beside that Dellllicious food she cooked for us just threw away the tiredness after 5 days in the tour, the Mediterranean marinated fish and the goes the next day, adding to it that personal lovely guesthouse were really wonderful treat for our senses, and it was best meal we had in the tour, she regulated the tour in well organized way.
Have been saying that facts regarding the tour considering it just a tour shouldn't let us neglect the main purpose of this tour: the photography, about this aspect I can say that this tour is almost good to medium if I must be fair.
I have been in DSLAR photography for 3 years and my main interest is a landscape photography, and it is just a hobby for me, but I took it seriously, I usually be in the location for photography within the golden hour when the sunset/sunrise light illuminates the land/sea/mountain whatever with subtle light, or when dawn or dusk gives me a chance to capture some unique colors I could add it to basic subject I am photographing, and this is what every landscape photographer does, better than getting a frame with just ordinary light which is not much different from any other ordinary postcard. simply this thing was missing in this tour, except one morning by the lagoon (according to our wish) but for the whole tour we were sitting having dinner or breakfast meanwhile the last/first rays of shy winter sun lightening the tips of the mountains or coloring the clouds or spreading its light along the vast snow covered beautiful landscape! If it is possible to me to call it a photography tour then the tour leader should be more interested in the time of photography and adjust the breakfast/dinner time according to the "good light display" (if it is a good term to use ) and not the contrary.
staying at Vantajokul lagoon was very short, we spend one night only and catch one overcast morning :( and in my opinion it is absolutely the most beautiful scenic place in all Iceland and it is what the name: ICE-LAND is all about, if I will visit Iceland for one more time is just because really I want to take chance to spend more than 2 days by that outstanding place. we should have stayed 2 nights by Myvatn according to the itinerary ( but we missed one day because of the blizzard) so we spent one day only at Myvatn, and it is really less interesting place and a way behind the beauty of Vantajokull Lagoon and the glorious glaciers which worth more time to stay and explore its beauty.
the aurora night was definitely the highlight of the tour scene wise, we were so lucky to be among those who witnessed that awesome display that night, but our photos outcome was poor, we got photos for beautiful aurora as a background of guesthouse backyard!! in the time when all photographers who are interested in night shooting and aurora fly to Iceland in the harsh winter weather in order to catch a real beautiful Icelandic landscape subject as a foreground for those dancing green giants, this goal we just missed, Haukur didn't give us a drive to a real outdoor place where we can compose a good aurora shots. some other participants objected when I suggest a short drive to a small lake where we can catch at least a reflection for aurora saying : it is far!! (as I remember I flew 22 hours including the lay-over to shoot aurora, 15 minutes drive is just a silly thing to worry about) !!
I think it would be quite suitable if Haukur had searched for good places, or scouted ones particularly for the aurora, he, as a photo tour leader should motivate us and push us to the limit in moving between locations in order to get the best results, but what happened was different in most of the times.
I carried 3kg sturdy giant tripod and every time we got to the location for shooting I should worry and concern not to delay the others by using long-exposure, did any serious photographer worry about the time he is spending to compose a photo and shoot in slow-shutter speed when he is basically engaged in a "photography tour " not only a "tour" ? this is a point I wanted to refer, it would be very good for our tour leader Haukur, if he specified and explained to the all group that this is a serious photo tour not only a tour with some photo-taking and it might take some participants some time in taking photos in long-exposure and a metering the right exposure using filters ..etc, and the rest should respect that.
overall, the tour was wonderful anyhow, it is just a chance to visit that part of the world and get to know people (good people actually) in spite of being under the expectations and failing in satisfying that passion of the light.
So in 2 words : if you are serious landscape photographer you better identify to Haukur (who is really cooperative) your expectations, your demands, your SHOOTING PREFERABLE TIME, what you really want from a photo tour to be and work on managing it the right way and tailoring the right details and keep in mind that you should have some motive to push your leader in photography field (you are the one who should concern about the golden time, the spectacular places, the time you spend in shooting in each place) not anybody else.
Written April 19, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mkwli
Hong Kong, China39 contributions
Mar 2013 • Couples
I had read the Tripadvisors reviews before joining the March 2013 Winter Experience Photographic Tour led by Haukur (Hawk). We started off with seven participants, with photo skill levels ranging from new to DSLR to serious amateurs. Firstly, the good points about this tour:
1. We ran into the most severe snow blizzard of the season with all major roads closed for a day! For a couple of days, one simply couldn't even hold the tripod still! But after the blizzard, the whole Iceland was covered with snow with beauty everywhere.
2. We also had a few days of good weather, with good sunrise and sunsets. Couldn't complain about the weather really.
3. On one of the clear nights, we saw one of the best aurora displays of this season.
4. For the two nights stay at Hawk's country home, Hawk's wife Hadda cooked for us. Hadda is a very good cook. The two dinners were one of the highlights of this tour. In general, Iceland's food is of a high standard and reasonably priced.
5. It's a 10 day tour (9 nights). Despite losing a day to the snow blizzard, we never felt the need to rush. If anything, the pace was too relaxed for a photo tour.
6. Hawk is a nice guy and a good driver. We never felt unsafe on the road even with the snow blizzard.
Given the above, we could have a perfect photo tour, one that combines excellent photos with Hadda's Icelandic cuisine. This would have been the case if this was merely a small group tour and not a "photo" tour. As a photo tour, the shortcomings were:
1. We learned no/little photo techniques/skills from Hawk on this tour. I noticed no serious effort on Hawk's part to teach any of us, neither before nor during the trip.
2. As a professional photographer, Hawk had not demonstrated how shots were to be made nor shown us his shots.
3. Breakfasts and dinners were arranged at 7:30am and 7pm respectively, with no plans for shooting at golden hours at all! At the request of some participants, this was changed in the latter part of the tour, but the efforts weren't serious enough, like sunsets merely along road sides.
4. Aurora was the deciding factor for many of us taking this trip. None of us have photo the aurora before. However, Hawk did very little in preparing us for taking aurora photos, other than telling us to shoot at high ISO. On the most sunny and clearest day of the entire trip, he said in the morning of taking us to a glacier nearby to shoot the aurora and that it would be nice there. He didn't do so in the end, and we ended up merely shooting outside and close to his country home. That night, we did have one of the best aurora showing. But very unfortunately, even if we knew how to take good photos of aurora, we had practically no interesting foreground! Worse still, most of us failed to take decent aurora photos, not surprisingly for first timers with little instruction. The aurora started very early that night, clearly visible at 9:30pm, and lasted for hours! Hawk could have driven us to a more interesting foreground even after the aurora started! I could only imagine any serious professional would have done more, not just for the participants, but also for himself.
5. Of the entire trip, the Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon was the most unique and most photogenic area, but we had only one day there. If the trip was organised with photo taking as the priority, we should have stayed at least two nights there, if not more. It would have been a perfect location to photo the aurora.
6. It is not ideal to have the photographer as our photo guide and driver, for reasons now seem obvious. He simply couldn't look for aurora at night, drive around the next day, and still be seriously interested in photography!
7. For a photo tour, the lodging chosen should have been close to the sunrise and sunset points, but this was not the case. (The lodging themselves were not bad.)
8. His motor vehicle/equipment needed better maintenance. The car pulled along a carriage to store luggage, and the carriage had a flat tire middle of the trip! A couple of days later the car had a technical problem and we had to switch car while on way to shooting sunrise!
Overall, while Hawk was friendly and knowledgeable about Iceland, we honestly didn't feel his passion and enthusiasm in photography with this tour. I understand this was not a photo workshop, and I was not looking for photo instructions and techniques. I was hoping that, by joining a photo tour, I can at least be sure of being at the right place at the right time/light and coming away with some good photos, hopefully more than just tourist photos, but this tour fell short even of that. I can see this tour being good for the casual snappers, but not serious amateurs.
1. We ran into the most severe snow blizzard of the season with all major roads closed for a day! For a couple of days, one simply couldn't even hold the tripod still! But after the blizzard, the whole Iceland was covered with snow with beauty everywhere.
2. We also had a few days of good weather, with good sunrise and sunsets. Couldn't complain about the weather really.
3. On one of the clear nights, we saw one of the best aurora displays of this season.
4. For the two nights stay at Hawk's country home, Hawk's wife Hadda cooked for us. Hadda is a very good cook. The two dinners were one of the highlights of this tour. In general, Iceland's food is of a high standard and reasonably priced.
5. It's a 10 day tour (9 nights). Despite losing a day to the snow blizzard, we never felt the need to rush. If anything, the pace was too relaxed for a photo tour.
6. Hawk is a nice guy and a good driver. We never felt unsafe on the road even with the snow blizzard.
Given the above, we could have a perfect photo tour, one that combines excellent photos with Hadda's Icelandic cuisine. This would have been the case if this was merely a small group tour and not a "photo" tour. As a photo tour, the shortcomings were:
1. We learned no/little photo techniques/skills from Hawk on this tour. I noticed no serious effort on Hawk's part to teach any of us, neither before nor during the trip.
2. As a professional photographer, Hawk had not demonstrated how shots were to be made nor shown us his shots.
3. Breakfasts and dinners were arranged at 7:30am and 7pm respectively, with no plans for shooting at golden hours at all! At the request of some participants, this was changed in the latter part of the tour, but the efforts weren't serious enough, like sunsets merely along road sides.
4. Aurora was the deciding factor for many of us taking this trip. None of us have photo the aurora before. However, Hawk did very little in preparing us for taking aurora photos, other than telling us to shoot at high ISO. On the most sunny and clearest day of the entire trip, he said in the morning of taking us to a glacier nearby to shoot the aurora and that it would be nice there. He didn't do so in the end, and we ended up merely shooting outside and close to his country home. That night, we did have one of the best aurora showing. But very unfortunately, even if we knew how to take good photos of aurora, we had practically no interesting foreground! Worse still, most of us failed to take decent aurora photos, not surprisingly for first timers with little instruction. The aurora started very early that night, clearly visible at 9:30pm, and lasted for hours! Hawk could have driven us to a more interesting foreground even after the aurora started! I could only imagine any serious professional would have done more, not just for the participants, but also for himself.
5. Of the entire trip, the Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon was the most unique and most photogenic area, but we had only one day there. If the trip was organised with photo taking as the priority, we should have stayed at least two nights there, if not more. It would have been a perfect location to photo the aurora.
6. It is not ideal to have the photographer as our photo guide and driver, for reasons now seem obvious. He simply couldn't look for aurora at night, drive around the next day, and still be seriously interested in photography!
7. For a photo tour, the lodging chosen should have been close to the sunrise and sunset points, but this was not the case. (The lodging themselves were not bad.)
8. His motor vehicle/equipment needed better maintenance. The car pulled along a carriage to store luggage, and the carriage had a flat tire middle of the trip! A couple of days later the car had a technical problem and we had to switch car while on way to shooting sunrise!
Overall, while Hawk was friendly and knowledgeable about Iceland, we honestly didn't feel his passion and enthusiasm in photography with this tour. I understand this was not a photo workshop, and I was not looking for photo instructions and techniques. I was hoping that, by joining a photo tour, I can at least be sure of being at the right place at the right time/light and coming away with some good photos, hopefully more than just tourist photos, but this tour fell short even of that. I can see this tour being good for the casual snappers, but not serious amateurs.
Written April 10, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello. Due to lack of time, I finally would like to answer Mr. Li that participated in our around winter experience tour.
To some of the critics I am getting from Mr. Li, I would like to say this.
First of all, people come with very high expectations for the Aurora. Photographs of Aurora in Iceland that are taken in great locations like the Glacier Lagoon can we found on the Internet and it seems like they are just waiting for you there to be photographed. I however meet photographers that have been waiting for days, up to a week in the same hotel, hoping to be able to catch the Aurora over the glacier, and sometimes its works sometimes not.
We got great aurora on our tour, but when they showed up we were already in another location 200 km away from the Glacier Lagoon. Mr. Li mentions we were only outside the guesthouse photographing the Aurora. That is not true. When Aurora appears in the sky you do not jump straight into a car and drive to another place to find a better foreground. You start photographing immediately since you never know how long the lights are up there. I know this from a bitter experience, pushing everyone into a car rushing to a nearby foreground only to experience that when you get there, the lights are over, gone. The lights can vary from 5-10 min display up to hours. You never know.
There is no light pollution around the guesthouse in Hrifunes, everyone got great Aurora and the group captured great northern light images this night, even you since you showed me a great photo that you took with aurora reflecting in the river. I placed candlelight into the old shed and used it as a foreground for us, we also had pine treetops and mountain hills. When the lights had already been there for one hour and every one got their picture, I gathered everyone into the van. I had two choices; going west for the Myrdalsjökull glacier as background or drive to a nearby hill for an overlook of a nearby river for reflection. I choose the river because the lights were more on the North east side of the sky where the river was, not on the north west side where the glacier is located. We got very nice reflections on that river from the Aurora. Mr. Li does not mention that in his critics, he just says I did not go to that glacier I mentioned to the group earlier that day. I did not know where the lights would end up in the sky as they did in this case; more on the northeast side. I also approached everyone on that hill and asked if everything was ok regarding the northern light photography, I did lend my tripod that night to help out one of the clients and I was also helping on locations with settings. Mr. Li also indicates I only mentioned high ISO as tip for photographing Aurora, again this is not true, I mentioned it on several occasions, even on our first day on the speaker in the Van. My tips were: you use large aperture, make steps in exposure time, giving the strength of the lights - and then you use 1600-3200 for ISO. Use wide angles lenses. Set your lens on MF. I can't help if you were not listening. I also did show my photographs to the group from various locations and time of year in Iceland, but you went to bed very early and must have missed it when I did. I also shared my photos on the camera display in the car and viewed photos from others, even yours. On the first day I was already teaching people that were not as advanced as you to make long exposure photos of the waterfall Hraunfossar where I took you and the others below the platform into the canyon where no tourists go. I also gave few other tips for long exposure shooting on that first day for stability and avoiding blurring the image. So saying I did not help people out is also not true or sharing my experience is not true either. You can ask these people your self. You on the other hand seemed to be quite qualified and capable to take care of your self, very advanced in equipment and discussions, I could see that pretty soon on the tour, and you never asked me about my opinion nor anything else regarding photography, which others members of the group did.
This tour was around Iceland tour in 10 days. This means we are a lot on the move and the itinerary is strenuous. We cannot be waiting at a all great locations for sunrise/sunsets that you may have liked since we are on a tour that has to go on, moving every day trying to cover as many interesting location as possible and we did get other locations instead. We got great sunset in front of the highest mountain of Iceland, Hvannadalshnukur in Vatnajökull glacier national park, very nice reflections in frozen and open ponds and beautiful twilight at the end of an over casted day at Tvottaskridur, coast line in the east fjords. We tried for sunrise at the Glacier Lagoon; we were at the beach very early morning, delaying our breakfast until later to get there before sunrise. That is what photo tours are about, not casual touristic snap shooting. We also delayed our breakfast following morning for 2 hrs. so we could get out early enough for sunrise at Hjorleifshofdi cape where I was hoping for sunrise with rocks that stand alone in the black sand in the foreground, however sunrise never came due to clouds. Still you say in your review I did not get you to right locations at right moments – well I do find that very unfair of you. I think the problem is that you (and MR. Abed also on the tour) see too many perfect weather and perfect photo conditions, highly photoshopped HDR photographs on some photographic websites from guys that have been ambushing one location for many days to get that one perfect photograph and you guys get disappointed when you do not get that image. These are two totally different things, to be on a tour like this one or spending a week or 10 days at 2-6 locations only. You also mention you did not feel from me any passion to photograph, well we had an unusually heavy blizzard on the first two days. Most guides may not have departed from Reykjavik due to weather forecast. I however was very keen on getting us over the mountain pass Holtavörðuheidi on the first day in very difficult blizzard with visibility of 0-20 feet. I did that because I knew that after or in a blizzard it could be very interesting to photograph horses and houses. Next day we drove into the old part of the Blönduós village in Northwest Iceland, which I normally do not, because I was hoping for nice ice formations on the houses, which proved to be right and we got great and different photographs. I think this is a good example of knowing the country and the conditions and finding and using nice opportunities, but maybe you thought this was all a coincidence. I also pulled you all over ice and snow to get to the east side of Godafoss waterfall for different angle where no tourists ever go. I can admit that this difficult weather conditions the first two days and having a sick person in the van that had to leave for a flight back to Reykjavik did concern me and may have drained some energy out of me so I may not have looked as enthusiastic as you might have expected.
I will consider your suggestion about adding in extra night at the Glacier Lagoon in order to raise the chances of getting nice sunrise there and Aurora, but doing even that does not guarantee the results that you came to Iceland for, all the way from Hong Kong.
This tour around Iceland in March was a photographic tour (excursion) not a workshop.
You say that you were not looking for photo instructions and techniques, so it is difficult to understand you complaints about lack of learning any techniques/skill from me on the tour.
For people looking for photography workshop with more instructions and teaching, you have to pay higher price.
This winter tour costs p/person approx 450 USD/day (group size 4-8)
If you check on other photography tours (workshop) offered in Iceland, you can find tours with more teaching focus and 2-3 photographers guiding a group of up to 14 passengers. For this you pay over 1000 USD/day p/person
I have looked at your photographs from this tour and to my opinion you managed to capture lots of wonderful photographs.
To bad that you have the feeling that your photos look like any other tourist photos good enough for casual snappers. This is not the case, if you care for my opinion.
Haukur Snorrason
Written May 7, 2013
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Fetustician
Nashville, TN485 contributions
Aug 2019
East Greenland Scoresby Sound - Sailing Photo Workshop 2019
This trip was a great disappointment for many reasons.
There was very little wildlife, no whale like in the brochure, just a single seal and a dozen seagulls. That is ok it is not predictable.
The trip brochure shows a glorious sail ship and promises to sail along in silence without disturbing the local area. Well we diesel motored the entire way!! No sailing whatsoever.
The "Donna Wood" was really a crappy boat. Way too small for the number of guests, not enough access to restrooms with lines not uncommon. A tiny steep ladder was the way to get out and in case of emergency I doubt we would be able to leave in time.
But the nail in the coffin was the water leaks! During a moderate storm sea water was leaking in our room fast enough that I had to spend part of the night mopping the water with a towel and squeezing the water in the sink. I had to rescue my laptop (which I had in the floor so that it would not fall down), so that it would not get wet!!! Some magazines were totally soaked. So did the blanket of one bed.
Much worst then that was the total absence of safety feature for passengers when the ship is rolling! There were two eye hooks but no string, no net and no rail to prevent the top passenger from falling down. It happened, and I caught my wife midflight and her muscles and spine have been sore ever since, as has my spine! She could not climb the ladder to go for breakfast lunch or dinner that next day.
We tried to sleep 2 in the lower bunk but they are so small that did not work. Incidentally there are no steps to reach that top bunk.
These are clearly not extraordinary events as we had wonder what the plastic on the wall was for. Therefore the company was aware of the issues but didn't consider that neither passenger comfort or even safety was sufficient reason to address the problems.
This is negligence and would not be allowed in the USA especially in view of the tragic recent boat fire.
The guide Raymond did a super job and was smart and competent. The cook seems to only know dishes where food is bathed in oil and garlic, the smell of which pervaded the whole boat. The captain, an old salt, was very friendly.
There were 2 zodiacs but only one was functional (it too leaked but was successfully repaired). For a group that like to take pictures, that is inconvenient as it is impossible to take pictures between the bodies on the opposite side of the boat.
Before booking a trip on that Donna Wood boat, I suggest you survey alternative that are safer.
This trip was a great disappointment for many reasons.
There was very little wildlife, no whale like in the brochure, just a single seal and a dozen seagulls. That is ok it is not predictable.
The trip brochure shows a glorious sail ship and promises to sail along in silence without disturbing the local area. Well we diesel motored the entire way!! No sailing whatsoever.
The "Donna Wood" was really a crappy boat. Way too small for the number of guests, not enough access to restrooms with lines not uncommon. A tiny steep ladder was the way to get out and in case of emergency I doubt we would be able to leave in time.
But the nail in the coffin was the water leaks! During a moderate storm sea water was leaking in our room fast enough that I had to spend part of the night mopping the water with a towel and squeezing the water in the sink. I had to rescue my laptop (which I had in the floor so that it would not fall down), so that it would not get wet!!! Some magazines were totally soaked. So did the blanket of one bed.
Much worst then that was the total absence of safety feature for passengers when the ship is rolling! There were two eye hooks but no string, no net and no rail to prevent the top passenger from falling down. It happened, and I caught my wife midflight and her muscles and spine have been sore ever since, as has my spine! She could not climb the ladder to go for breakfast lunch or dinner that next day.
We tried to sleep 2 in the lower bunk but they are so small that did not work. Incidentally there are no steps to reach that top bunk.
These are clearly not extraordinary events as we had wonder what the plastic on the wall was for. Therefore the company was aware of the issues but didn't consider that neither passenger comfort or even safety was sufficient reason to address the problems.
This is negligence and would not be allowed in the USA especially in view of the tragic recent boat fire.
The guide Raymond did a super job and was smart and competent. The cook seems to only know dishes where food is bathed in oil and garlic, the smell of which pervaded the whole boat. The captain, an old salt, was very friendly.
There were 2 zodiacs but only one was functional (it too leaked but was successfully repaired). For a group that like to take pictures, that is inconvenient as it is impossible to take pictures between the bodies on the opposite side of the boat.
Before booking a trip on that Donna Wood boat, I suggest you survey alternative that are safer.
Written September 6, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi ! You are commenting on the WRONG photo tour company!! We are www.phototours.is and we do not even do tours to Greenland. Unfortunatly the company you are referring to has copyed our Iceland Photo Tour name so the confusion is because of that and not the first time we have this happening. Would you plese remove your comment asap and place it where it belongs.
Perhaps next time you should travel with us the real Iceland Photo tours :)
Besta kveðja, Haukur Snorrason Photographer and owner.
Written September 7, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Adventurer763020
Michigan Center, MI1 contribution
Mar 2019
I met Kathleen Croft in Scotland in 2017; We became friends and even though I did not have the money to pay her to teach me photography she befriended me and taught me for free over the course of several years. I have grown and learned so much from her and have a passion for photography and travelling, just as she does. I want to thank Kathleen Croft for her compassion and willingness to encourage me in my passion and cultivate essential knowledge. I admire her work and am grateful for her compassion. Its not just about customer service and a company name; its about the person behind it.
Fondly GTB.
Fondly GTB.
Written August 8, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
flyinmom
Toronto, Ontario4,227 contributions
Sep 2018 • Solo
I recently traveled with Haukur through the Iceland Highlands, an area that is only accessible for about a quarter of the year (due to extreme weather condition). I had received a lot of conflicting info about traveling through the Highlands. Mainly around the issue of the vehicle and ability to transverse rivers up there. Since I had NO experience with this kind of travel, I went with my gut to not try that on my own. After a lot of searching and stratospheric price quotes to do this on my own, I discovered Haukur (Hawk, for those of us without Icelandic in our verbal arsenals) and his Iceland Photo Tours. Possibly the best decision ever to do it this way!
If you are not familiar with off-road driving, please do not attempt this on your own. This is NOT the place to start your learning curve!!! I cannot say enough good things about how safe I felt in Haukur's care, his expert knowledge of the terrain, and how it relates to photography.
On the issue of the roads: road might, perhaps, be too grandiose a word for what you drive on in the highlands! If you aren't 100% committed to watching the terrain, have the proper vehicle, and know how to drive through water that sometimes reaches the top of the wheelwells...then give over to someone as expert as Hawk. It is always a pleasure to watch an expert do what they do well, and I felt secure and well cared for throughout our 6 days of travel. He knows the best ways and places to travel in the Highlands, and maintains that vehicle superbly (The Beast, as this short traveler calls something that big...).
As to the photography side: Hawk is more than just good. He has a well trained eye, which didn't just come about from Instagram selfies! It comes from a lifetime with a camera in hand, from film through digital, and an artist's sense of composition. What isn't mentioned a lot in these reviews is that he is also a pilot. He knows this terrain not only at eye level, but from the air. His ability to fly over it routinely gives him the edge over other photo tours in that when he sees interesting locations from the air, he then follows up on the ground. This brings his clients to areas that are often far from the madding crowds of Iceland's massive tourist boon, into areas that are still pristine and without the destructive evidence of humans. And once you are there, he will guide you to THE perfect spot, no, not THERE...move over 5 meters...voila. I cannot tell you how many times that happened. It's not about trophy shooting, it's about having the knowledge from experience, knowing your subject matter to the finest detail. You're not necessarily going to hit "iconic" Iceland locations...he will give you a far better experience than that by finding equally spectacular locations, without having to battle the crowds.
Outside of our time jumping in and out of The Beast with the camera, there is the Hrifunes Guesthouse that Hawk and his wife Hadda run. One of the reasons I went with Iceland Photo Tours' Highland program was the ability to be based out of one location for several days, not worrying about luggage all the time. A separate review for Hrifunes is done, and they have done a superb job on creating a warm and welcome haven for travellers. Everyone raves about Hadda's cooking, and for serious good reason.
My days on this Highland tour were filled with exquisite locations, expert guidance, great conversation, MUCH laughter (did I mention he also has a wicked sense of humour??!) and rainbows. Can't ask for more than that.
If you are not familiar with off-road driving, please do not attempt this on your own. This is NOT the place to start your learning curve!!! I cannot say enough good things about how safe I felt in Haukur's care, his expert knowledge of the terrain, and how it relates to photography.
On the issue of the roads: road might, perhaps, be too grandiose a word for what you drive on in the highlands! If you aren't 100% committed to watching the terrain, have the proper vehicle, and know how to drive through water that sometimes reaches the top of the wheelwells...then give over to someone as expert as Hawk. It is always a pleasure to watch an expert do what they do well, and I felt secure and well cared for throughout our 6 days of travel. He knows the best ways and places to travel in the Highlands, and maintains that vehicle superbly (The Beast, as this short traveler calls something that big...).
As to the photography side: Hawk is more than just good. He has a well trained eye, which didn't just come about from Instagram selfies! It comes from a lifetime with a camera in hand, from film through digital, and an artist's sense of composition. What isn't mentioned a lot in these reviews is that he is also a pilot. He knows this terrain not only at eye level, but from the air. His ability to fly over it routinely gives him the edge over other photo tours in that when he sees interesting locations from the air, he then follows up on the ground. This brings his clients to areas that are often far from the madding crowds of Iceland's massive tourist boon, into areas that are still pristine and without the destructive evidence of humans. And once you are there, he will guide you to THE perfect spot, no, not THERE...move over 5 meters...voila
Outside of our time jumping in and out of The Beast with the camera, there is the Hrifunes Guesthouse that Hawk and his wife Hadda run. One of the reasons I went with Iceland Photo Tours' Highland program was the ability to be based out of one location for several days, not worrying about luggage all the time. A separate review for Hrifunes is done, and they have done a superb job on creating a warm and welcome haven for travellers. Everyone raves about Hadda's cooking, and for serious good reason.
My days on this Highland tour were filled with exquisite locations, expert guidance, great conversation, MUCH laughter (did I mention he also has a wicked sense of humour??!) and rainbows. Can't ask for more than that.
Written September 13, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rick K
San Diego, CA3 contributions
May 2013 • Solo
The “Around Iceland Photo Tour” from May 20-31, 2013 was my first trip abroad, and it turned out to be the adventure of a life-time! I don’t know where to begin to describe how pleased, thrilled, and privileged I feel that I was able to participate in this magnificent tour around Iceland, which in my mind is the most beautiful, serene, pristine, and welcoming country in the world!
The tour far exceeded my expectations in terms of: (1) the variety of spectacular landscapes, seascapes, and wild life (birds, horses) to which one could bear witness; (2) the quality of light and voluminous opportunities for making life-time photos; (3) the impeccable planning, organization, and implementation of the logistics of the tour; (4) the impressive and seemingly smooth instantaneous adjustment of segments of the tour due to road and weather conditions; and (5) the professionalism, dedication, warmth, enthusiasm, altruism, good nature, and humor of Haukur Snorrason and Hadda Björk Gisladottir, who could not have been more welcoming, kind, accommodating to the group and me.
From start to the finish, it was clear that Haukur and Hadda were seasoned professionals who took delight and personal commitment to ensure that the needs of the tour, the group, and individual participants were addressed and met. Haukur was in complete command of the tour. He is a perfect blend of explorer and outdoorsman - the consummate leader. Haukur knew the roads, the detours, the geography, the terrain, and the road and weather conditions like the back of his hand. Even on the days where we were met with bad weather, Haukur was patient, skilled, and maybe even clairvoyant to know where and when the weather might break, and it seemed like we always had a handful of great shots when the weather did not want to cooperate, which I found impressive and remarkable. Haukur is a knowledgeable leader in every sense of the word. He was even kind enough to provide historical and geological perspectives along the way, which I found very educational and helped put factual context to our voyage.
The accommodations and our meals along the tour were excellent. I was very pleased with the comfort, cleanliness, cuisine, and warmth and of the various hotel/guesthouse staff. Further, I was pleasantly surprised with the “picnic lunches” that Haukur and Hadda provided at two well-timed spots on the tour. The simplicity of these packed lunches and the togetherness with which we shared them were a joy. Well done!
Most of all, despite the hefty responsibility for safely and competently navigating the roads and weather, ensuring that the tour was on schedule, and going out of his way to bring us to the most beautiful and stunning reaches of Iceland, Haukur was “one of the gang.” He marveled with us over the scenery, as if it was also his first time viewing the breathtaking scenery. He joked and laughed with us. He shared stories with us. He shared hearty meals and good wine with us. And he made us laugh very hard, too. He has a great sense of humor, which made the tour that much more enjoyable. :-)
Hadda was equally a joy and a pleasure to know. She welcomed me and the other guests in open arms and made us feel like a personal friend and right at home. The meals that Hadda prepared for us were absolutely amazing! She prepared traditional Iceland dishes, three course meals, sweet desserts and treats, and a delight breakfast. Without question, she is the best chef in the world, and her cooking is second in quality and variety only to my beloved mother. Hadda went out of her way to accommodate us and partake in the joy and celebratory nature of the tour. And at the finale of the tour, I felt a warm sense of friendship, maybe even family, with Haukur and Hadda.
Four months later, in August 2013, I made a solo return trip to Iceland hike and photograph during which I lodged again with Haukur and Hadda at their guesthouse in Hrífunes (please, see my separate review of Hrífunes Guesthouse on TripAdvisor), which I used a “base” to explore southern Iceland. My second stay at Hrífunes was just as delightful as my first time on the “Around Iceland Photo Tour”. Finally, as I write this testimonial, I am already looking forward to booking my next tour with Iceland Photo Tours to experience and document more of the beautiful Icelandic culture that has cast a spell over me. Yes, the “Around Iceland Photo Tour” was that good.
All in all, joining this tour was one of the best decisions I have made in my life. If you are seeking adventure, to experience a new culture, to meet new and wonderful people, and to see and photograph the most stunning sites on Earth, this is the trip to book!
Takk fyrir, Haukur and Hadda, for making my dreams come true! You guys are the best! :-)
The tour far exceeded my expectations in terms of: (1) the variety of spectacular landscapes, seascapes, and wild life (birds, horses) to which one could bear witness; (2) the quality of light and voluminous opportunities for making life-time photos; (3) the impeccable planning, organization, and implementation of the logistics of the tour; (4) the impressive and seemingly smooth instantaneous adjustment of segments of the tour due to road and weather conditions; and (5) the professionalism, dedication, warmth, enthusiasm, altruism, good nature, and humor of Haukur Snorrason and Hadda Björk Gisladottir, who could not have been more welcoming, kind, accommodating to the group and me.
From start to the finish, it was clear that Haukur and Hadda were seasoned professionals who took delight and personal commitment to ensure that the needs of the tour, the group, and individual participants were addressed and met. Haukur was in complete command of the tour. He is a perfect blend of explorer and outdoorsman - the consummate leader. Haukur knew the roads, the detours, the geography, the terrain, and the road and weather conditions like the back of his hand. Even on the days where we were met with bad weather, Haukur was patient, skilled, and maybe even clairvoyant to know where and when the weather might break, and it seemed like we always had a handful of great shots when the weather did not want to cooperate, which I found impressive and remarkable. Haukur is a knowledgeable leader in every sense of the word. He was even kind enough to provide historical and geological perspectives along the way, which I found very educational and helped put factual context to our voyage.
The accommodations and our meals along the tour were excellent. I was very pleased with the comfort, cleanliness, cuisine, and warmth and of the various hotel/guesthouse staff. Further, I was pleasantly surprised with the “picnic lunches” that Haukur and Hadda provided at two well-timed spots on the tour. The simplicity of these packed lunches and the togetherness with which we shared them were a joy. Well done!
Most of all, despite the hefty responsibility for safely and competently navigating the roads and weather, ensuring that the tour was on schedule, and going out of his way to bring us to the most beautiful and stunning reaches of Iceland, Haukur was “one of the gang.” He marveled with us over the scenery, as if it was also his first time viewing the breathtaking scenery. He joked and laughed with us. He shared stories with us. He shared hearty meals and good wine with us. And he made us laugh very hard, too. He has a great sense of humor, which made the tour that much more enjoyable. :-)
Hadda was equally a joy and a pleasure to know. She welcomed me and the other guests in open arms and made us feel like a personal friend and right at home. The meals that Hadda prepared for us were absolutely amazing! She prepared traditional Iceland dishes, three course meals, sweet desserts and treats, and a delight breakfast. Without question, she is the best chef in the world, and her cooking is second in quality and variety only to my beloved mother. Hadda went out of her way to accommodate us and partake in the joy and celebratory nature of the tour. And at the finale of the tour, I felt a warm sense of friendship, maybe even family, with Haukur and Hadda.
Four months later, in August 2013, I made a solo return trip to Iceland hike and photograph during which I lodged again with Haukur and Hadda at their guesthouse in Hrífunes (please, see my separate review of Hrífunes Guesthouse on TripAdvisor), which I used a “base” to explore southern Iceland. My second stay at Hrífunes was just as delightful as my first time on the “Around Iceland Photo Tour”. Finally, as I write this testimonial, I am already looking forward to booking my next tour with Iceland Photo Tours to experience and document more of the beautiful Icelandic culture that has cast a spell over me. Yes, the “Around Iceland Photo Tour” was that good.
All in all, joining this tour was one of the best decisions I have made in my life. If you are seeking adventure, to experience a new culture, to meet new and wonderful people, and to see and photograph the most stunning sites on Earth, this is the trip to book!
Takk fyrir, Haukur and Hadda, for making my dreams come true! You guys are the best! :-)
Written November 7, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shirley D
Yackandandah1 contribution
Mar 2013 • Solo
I joined the Iceland Winter Photographic Tour led by Haukur Snorrason in the hope of realising two lifetime ambitions: to experience the expanse of unique Icelandic wilderness and to witness (and hopefully photograph) the amazing spectacle of the Northern Lights. The nine days with Haukur surpassed all my expectations. The weather was unusually severe(as it was in much of the northern hemisphere at the same time) and it did require a change of itinerary because of widespread blizzard conditions and road closures. We also had a flat tyre on the rented trailer and the belt tensioner on the vehicle failed (which is not an indication of poor maintenance). A belt tensioner is a non-serviceable item and they can fail at any time especially under the extreme conditions we experienced with sand, volcanic ash and gale force winds! Haukur dealt with all of these unforeseen problems efficiently, professionally and with minimal disruption to our tour. He methodically cleaned the vehicle each morning and his driving ability (in diabolically treacherous conditions at times) was masterful with unwavering concentration and concern for the safety of his passengers. I had never used a digital camera before this trip and Haukur patiently solved problems for me and advised me as I observed him doing with another newcomer to photography in our group. He loaned me a tripod and set up my camera for the wonderful shots I now have of the Northern Lights. I noticed he did the same for two other people who were unsure of how to obtain the best results. The others on our trip were very experienced and well-equipped with cameras, lenses, tripods etc and did appear to have no problems. Haukur always offered advice when asked and did share some of his photos with a group of us in the evening. There is always a fine line in this situation between advising/assisting and appearing egotistical about your own work. Haukur always facilitated without interfering.
This, for me, was the trip of a lifetime. I would love to see Iceland in its Autumn/Summer moods and colours - maybe one day - I wouldn't hesitate to join another of Haukur's tours. He is a very proud and passionate Icelander with a gentle and sensitive nature who conducted this tour with professionalism and jolly good humour. I had a wonderful experience. Thank you sincerely Haukur and Hadda. You make a formidable team!
This, for me, was the trip of a lifetime. I would love to see Iceland in its Autumn/Summer moods and colours - maybe one day - I wouldn't hesitate to join another of Haukur's tours. He is a very proud and passionate Icelander with a gentle and sensitive nature who conducted this tour with professionalism and jolly good humour. I had a wonderful experience. Thank you sincerely Haukur and Hadda. You make a formidable team!
Written April 13, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Has anyone had recent contact with the folks at Iceland Photo Tours? I have reserved a slot for a Greenland Workshop with them in August and have been trying to reach them for some time, to ask some questions about the upcoming trip. All of my email and chat inquiries have been ignored completely. Are they still in operation? I know the demise of Wow Airlines has had a big impact on the economy and I'm worried that IPT may have been a casualty.
Written May 23, 2019
Hello
We do not have any Greenland tour scheduled and have not for several years.
You have contacted wrong company.
I hope you will find the correct one and get answers to your questions.
Kind regards
Hadda and Haukur Snorrason
Iceland photo tours
phototours.is
Written May 24, 2019
Hello Lisedal
Could you please contact TripAdvisor and ask them to remove this report from our site
It is not our company you are reviewing.
Hadda
Written May 14, 2018
Hi Chris, what is the name of tour operation, I am interested to take a tour next January.
Written October 26, 2016
Hello, haukur the photographer can come with us if we already booked a tour and how can we talk with him?
Written October 11, 2016
Hello, haukur the photographer can come with us if we already booked a tour and how can we talk with him?
Written October 11, 2016
Please send us your request to info@phototours.is
Kind regards
Hadda and Haukur
Written October 13, 2016
Would you recommend this tour for someone new to learning photography?
Written May 10, 2016
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