Winter is coming

“How is Iceland in winter”, is a question I frequently get from workshop participants during the summer. It’s a fascinating season and now that winter is approaching I’m looking forward to the snow and frost and hoping that we’ll get a “real” winter with lots of it.

I’ve never before had such interest in winter tours as this coming season and one of the attractions are the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis), which go through an approximately 11 year cycle in intensity with next year being a peak. It doesn’t mean that the Northern Lights don’t appear during the low period of the cycle, it just promises to be more frequent and intense. Although, as with any natural phenomenon, it’s unpredictable.

I enjoy photographing the Northern Lights but I must admit I sometimes prefer to just watch them, as photographs don’t do the experience justice. It’s as close to a spiritual experience as any to watch the lights race across the night sky – such a magical sight. And there is so much more to the Icelandic winter than the Aurora.

Fresh snow on the glaciers and sub-zero temperatures that make ice caves safe to enter, and even freeze waterfalls and glacial lagoons, are among what I look forward to exploring. Snow patterns on black sand beaches and alpenglow on the majestic mountains of the Vatnajökull regions. I’m getting an urge to go on a short excursion to that region, which is among my favorite areas in Iceland and an absolute favorite for winter work.

Winter is coming and I can’t wait to get out into conditions in early November that will hopefully be extreme and challenging. I will undoubtedly have new images to post here once I return.