Vacation to ICELAND :) - Advice Requested re activities and gear

April is early in the season. I suppose not all the roads are snow and ice free. The must sees for me are Thingvellir and Jokulsarlon (south coast approx. 400km from Reykjavik). Visit Blue Lagoon for a swim or stop in a small village where they have a public swimming pool so you can visit something that seems to be a big part of icelandic "pool culture" :) In the southern part are some of the famous waterfalls. Food outside Reykjavik was not so impressive.
 
I visited Iceland years ago before I went mainly digital. Had my M6 and a 25 and 50mm with me and a lot of film. 25mm was wide enough for my taste.
 
tom.w.bn said:
April is early in the season. I suppose not all the roads are snow and ice free. The must sees for me are Thingvellir and Jokulsarlon (south coast approx. 400km from Reykjavik). Visit Blue Lagoon for a swim or stop in a small village where they have a public swimming pool so you can visit something that seems to be a big part of icelandic "pool culture" :) In the southern part are some of the famous waterfalls. Food outside Reykjavik was not so impressive.
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Blue lagoon is definitely on the to do list. Jokulsarlon and Thingvellier look spectacular! Thanks, putting them on the list too.

I feel like I will need a few months in Iceland to go everywhere I'd like to.
 
Tom A said:
David, I have been to Iceland - for a longer stay only once - in the 70's. Always wanted to go back - and will someday. As for gear, first comes cameras/film and any left over space is allotted to clothing. Good shoes (essential!!), rain/wind gear. Sweater (can be bought on site - they make great ones). You can usually wash stuff in the hotel - so one or two changes is more than enough. You are not going for a dress-up occasion anyway As for weather changes - the layered look works fine - add and subtract as the temperature requires.
It is a modern country and if you run out of something - you can find it there. Only cabin luggage, of course. Maybe even a small, mini tripod for macro work - about 50% more film and SD cards than you think you are going to use!!!!
What is remarkable is the clear air - mostly geothermal heating and brisk Atlantic winds blowing away any pollution.
If offered "Black Death" - politely refuse (local moon shine - and Icelanders are tough!). Some of the fish dishes are also a bit strange - but not directly life-threatening. Throw in some reading material as books in english tend to be a bit pricy - I usually take some paper-backs and then simply leave them behind. Of course, scour the book stores (there are many - Iceland is the only country with 100 % literacy rate in the world!) Some good photography books - at least that what I have heard.
Have a great trip and post a lot when you are back.
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I hear 1 in 10 Icelanders write a book. :)

I definitely need to get some good hiking boots. My current hiking boots are only ankle high and do not offer much support.

I will have four 32 gb memory cards and four camera batteries. I'm hoping that is enough.

I will decline the black death and post many photos upon my return (assuming of course that I am able to do at least some justice to the majestic landscapes).
 
Dang - I better start scribbling my novel. I'm Icelandic and now feel under pressure to fulfil these literary credentials. I don't live in Iceland currently but my brother sent me a good photography book called Black Sky - photos of abandoned farm houses, shot on film over many years. Some of it quite haunting and evocative. Check out rax - he shot some his stuff on a film Leica. Perhaps it can give you different ideas how to photograph nature there. http://www.rax.is/Sidur/Gallery.htm

Weather is a bit crazy, April will be cold but it's not as bad as when I grew up there in the 70s and 80s. Good advice to layer up.

I love the lava fields in the south peninsula - you'll see it as you travel from the airport. Not sure how photogenic that flat landscape is though. Dimmuborgir in the north are fantastic (rather eery lava cliffs and formations) but if you have limited time you may not head up north.

Enjoy the stay and have some shark. It smells bad but tastes like chicken.
 
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