Throughout the trip, Mattias Klum will be available for photo tips as well as help in image editing and in image criticism. Mattias will also give lectures and talk about his photographing philosophies. The exact times for this are decided based on weather and wind. There will also be several personal portfolio reviews where only you and Mattias go through the photos you take during the trip, so that you can be inspired in the best way by one of the world’s leading nature photographers.

During the week, Mattias will also give out photo assignments to challenge you to think creatively and see the possibility in different images. These tasks will be demonstrated during the trip so that everyone can see each other’s photos, giving you the opportunity to see how the other participants did with the task.

DAY 1, (AUG. 18) – KEFLAVIK – KERLINGARFJÖLL
Meeting: At 10:00 AM right after customs control at Keflavik Airport. Here you will be met by Mattias Klum and Zoom Phototours’s host, Daniel Iglesias.

The first stop of the trip will be Kerlingfjöll, which will offer us fantastic photo opportunities already on our first day. When we arrive, we check in at the first class Highlandbase and just as the name suggests we are now in the Icelandic Highlands.After dinner, it’s time to embark on the first photo session of the trip. At Kerlingarfjöll, a mountain area that is as fascinating as it is beautiful, a cavalcade of colours and shades will greet us, and Mattias will be there to provide tips and advice on taking pictures in the evening light. The weather in the area is very fickle, so the landscape in front of us can change in just a few minutes; it’s important to constantly be on the look-out for new photo opportunities.

 Back at the hotel we listen to a lecture by Mattias and get inspiration for the photo adventure that lies ahead in the coming days. (D)

DAY 2, (AUG. 19) – KERLINGARFJÖLL – LAKE MYVAND
Morning photography session at Kerlingarfjöll. The thing that is unique about Kerlingarfjöll is the yellow-coloured mountains and the dramatic landscape. Due to the high altitude and cold air, the weather is often dramatic here as the ground is very hot, and the opportunities for exciting images are abundant.

After breakfast and check-out, we continue our journey through the beautiful Icelandic landscape which will offer lots of interesting photo opportunities during the coming days. One thing that distinguishes Iceland’s nature is the many and beautiful waterfalls. One of these is Godafoss, a mighty waterfall in Iceland. Here we will make a stop. The surrounding rocks divide the fall into several sections, which allows you to work with several different compositions and views. For impactful images, you can experiment with different shutter speeds, for example, when the water rushes down the 12-meter-high drop. Mattias is always on hand for personal guidance, and he will share tips from his long career as one of the world’s foremost photographers.

The final destination on this day is Lake Myvand and our hotel,  where we check in late in the afternoon, followed by dinner. Myvatn is located in a very active geothermal area, which provides a unique and beautiful geology. Many of the islands here are pseudo-craters, formed by steam explosions when magma rose under pockets of water, and many of them are bizarre basalt columns rising vertically from the surface. After dinner we will visit Skútustaðagígar, a row of pseudo craters, which is one of the most interesting places for photographing pseudo craters. In addition, the evening light gives us the opportunity for many exciting photos. (B, D)

DAY 3, (AUG. 20) – LAKE MYVAND
Myvatn is the fourth largest lake in Iceland. Due to its volcanic activities, the lake and its surroundings are one of Iceland’s most amazing natural experiences and a heaven on earth for the photographer. Near Myvatn is Dimmuborgir, a lava field covered in spectacular lava formations formed from volcanic activity, and caves that offer perfect photo opportunities. Many scenes from Game Of Thrones were filmed at Dimmuborgir, such as Mance Rayder’s wilderness camp. Nearby Myvand is also the Krafla caldera, which contains the infamous Víti Volcano, the name of which translates to “hell”. (B, D)

DAY 4, (AUG. 21) – LAKE MYVAND – EGILSSTAÐIR
After breakfast and check-out, we head towards Jökulsárgljúfur which means “Glacier River Canyon” and is a mighty canyon that the glacier river Jökulsá á Fjöllum carved out of the Icelandic landscape. The canyon is about 500 meters wide and about 100 meters deep. Through this canyon flows the 21 mile long river Jökulsá á Fjöllum. During the day we will make two main stops at places that draw our attention a little extra; Asbyrgi and Dettifoss.

Ásbyrgi Canyon is a large horseshoe-shaped and lush gorge with steep cliffs that are up to 100 meters high. The pictures here tend to be magnificent and at the same time very different from most other Iceland pictures.

The waterfall Dettifoss, Europe’s mightiest waterfall, is 44 meters high and splits the landscape with an impressive force. Here you can catch the power of water as it plunges into the canyon with a great splash.We then continue towards Egilsstaðir  After dinner we will work on our photos from the day and Mattias will walk around and offer feedback on your photos. (B, D)

DAY 5, (AUG. 22) – EGILSSTAÐIR – HÖFN
Today our journey continues towards Höfn and Vestrahorn where a photo session at Stockness Beach, with its vast plains covered by rolling dunes of lava sand covered with grass, awaits us. The landscape spreads out towards the lonely mountain Vestrahorn on the horizon. Mattias will show us how to work with foregrounds and how to think in order to create a depth in the images that draws the viewer’s eye into the picture. If the weather is on our side, you will have the opportunity to photograph the mountain peaks wrapped in dramatic clouds. We explore the area with Mattias and find plenty of small streams and brooks that form lovely foregrounds to the mountains that are reflected in the water surface. During the day we check in at our hotel in Höfn. After dinner we will also photograph the sunset at Stockness Beach. (B, D)

DAY 6, (AUG. 23) – HÖFN – VIK
From Höfn we move on over the land of fire and ice. Our first stop will be at Jökulsarlón, a large glacial lake with calving ice from Breidarmerkurjökull. This glacial lake in connected to the sea via a short watercourse that brings smaller icebergs out to sea. On the sea side, these icebergs lie washed up on the shore and sparkle like crystals. The place has become almost iconic because of its unique landscape of ice, black lava sand and sea.

During the day we will also make a stop at the world’s largest lava field, Eldhraun, which was formed during the volcanic eruption of Laki in 1783. Our viewfinders are greeted by the seemingly endless and moss-covered lava that spreads out as far as the eye can see. Then we continue to our hotel in Vik, Iceland’s southernmost town.

We end the day at the cape Dyrhólaey, 120 meters tall, which used to be a volcanic island. The cape ends in a spectacular rock arch, perfect for creative shots. However, wherever you turn your camera, you will be offered fantastic motifs, such as the lighthouse, the rocks and the kilometre-long lava beaches where the waves of the sea constantly wash in. When the sun goes down, we point our cameras towards the cliff arch as the last rays of the sun paint the coastal landscape red. (B, D)

DAY 7, (AUG. 24) – VIK – SELFOSS
Today we continue along the coast, and we’ll photograph some of Iceland’s famous waterfalls; Seljalandsfoss, Gljúfrafoss, Kvernufoss, Skogafoss. You will have the opportunity to capture the water effectively with different shutter speeds as it falls out over the steep precipices.

Seljalandsfoss is a narrow waterfall that plunges over the cliffs of western Eyjafjöll. At the foot of the rocks there is a path on which we will walk. This path leads us through the watery mist into a cave behind the fall, letting us shoot the waterfall from inside the cave, giving us exciting and different pictures.

Next to Seljalandsfoss is also Gljúfrafoss which is partially hidden behind a rock wall in a cave whose walls are covered in green moss. Gljúfrafoss is very spectacular and considered one of Iceland’s hidden gems and offers fantastic opportunities to get exciting photos as the water gushes out over the cave opening high up above. Please note that wide angle lenses are needed here if you want good pictures.

Skógafoss is one of the country’s most impressive waterfalls and with a drop height of more than 60 meters, it is also one of the country’s coolest. Skógafoss plunges down cliffs that historically used to make up the coastline. Now, the sea is five kilometres away, so the water from the river Skógá instead plunges down onto flat ground before it flows out into the sea.

Kvernufoss is beautifully situated in a valley near Skogafoss. The waterfall is found at the end of the valley, which itself is a beautiful walk and looks like something out of the Lord of the Rings. Via a small path you can enter a cave behind the waterfall and use wide-angle lenses to get exciting pictures with the waterfall in the foreground and the valley in the background.

 In the evening, Mattias will select the Image of the trip, which will advance to the finale of the ”Image of the year 2024” competition, after which a final dinner will be served. (B, D)

DAY 8, (AUG. 25) – SELFOSS-KEFLAVIK
After check-out we depart towards Keflavik airport for flights home. (B)

HELICOPTER PHOTOGRAPHY

For those of you who have booked a helicopter flight with Mattias, it will take place either in the morning or afternoon of August 25th, or in the morning of August 26th, depending on weather conditions. The flight lasts 3-3.5 hours and will be conducted in a helicopter without doors to provide the best photo opportunities as we fly over places that are normally inaccessible without a helicopter. During the tour, we will also make one or two stops on a mountain peak with views over a valley or volcano. The exact flight route will be determined based on the weather, wind, and volcanic activity. Meals are paid individually on-site.

Overnight accommodation will be at the first-class Reykjavik Natura – Berjaya Iceland Hotel near Reykjavik’s domestic airport and just a stone’s throw from the helicopter landing area. (F)

More about the hotel can be found here.

Mattias Klum is a photographer, cinematographer and director. In an artistic way that is entirely his own, he describes and portrays animals, plants and natural and cultural settings in the form of articles, books, films and exhibitions. Since 1997, Mattias has produced multiple articles and thirteen cover stories for National Geographic magazine. He has produced 9 film projects and published 14 books to date.

Klum is also an internationally sought-after lecturer and has given more than 3000 lectures worldwide. His photographs have been shown in one-man exhibitions at renowned museums and art galleries all around the world. He has been named a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, awarded an honorary Doctorate in Natural Sciences by Stockholm University, appointed Fellow at the National Geographic Society, goodwill ambassador for IUCN and WWF and serves as a member of the Board of Trustees at WWF Sweden.