Land of fire and ice

We knew 5 days would be a short time to explore the unreal landscapes Iceland had to offer, but any and every second spent on that magical land is bliss.

It was our first trip without baby L and we got to push our limits — we set out to drive all around Iceland through the Ring Road (aka Route 1) in just 5 days. Had lots of check points planned, but found even more surprises as the land revealed itself along the way.

It’s certainly the most expensive country that we’ve been to, but that comes with the territory (pun intended). The isolation that makes Iceland harsh to live in, also makes it one of the most pure and wondrous places to visit. And whatever I write, nothing will do it justice, so I’ll just leave you with these 1+ year old pictures.

Check Lena’s site for more photos and details of this trip.

128 responses

  1. These are amazing shots Filipe, looks like a great adventure! Are some of them HDR composites or that’s just camera dynamic range?

    1. No HDR shots here, just dynamic range with slightly more editing than normal on some of them. Mostly gradients to compensate for exposure differences. Thanks so much, Elio!

  2. Great photos! I can’t wait to go back myself.

    1. Thank you! I hear we’ve got another meetup coming up real soon. ;D

  3. Absolutely incredible

    1. High praise coming from you, Jeff. Thanks so much!

  4. markdrovdahl Avatar
    markdrovdahl

    Stunning.

  5. Top notch pictures. <3

  6. Michal Obi Avatar
    Michal Obi

    Great photos. How are you finding the a6500 and which lenses did you use? I need to go back here and do a proper road trip!

    1. Hi there, Michal. I love the a6500 and used the 10-18mm almost exclusively on this trip. Since then I’ve upgraded to an A7 III though! Thanks for the kind words.

  7. 👏👏👏

    Fantástico :) Na verdade, por causa da Islândia ser tão popular eu tenho o bichinho de ir às ilhas Faróe. Já está a ver que é um daqueles destinos que vai explodir nos próximos anos. Só aquela imagem do lago em cima de falésia junto ao mar é daquelas coisas únicas no mundo. Pena não ter glaciares :/

    1. Verdade! Também andei a ver dessa volta, mas por agora temos outros planos. :) Obrigado, Tiago! Abraço!

  8. i grew up in Brooklyn New York City in the 1930’s and fell in love with Finland in 1961 and have lived here in Helsinki permanently for the last 50 years but if I had a second chance to spend the rest of my life in what extraordinary beauty this planet still has to offer your wonderful photos of Iceland tempt me sorely.

    1. Thank you for the kind comment. I love Finland! More precisely, I love the very small patch of land way up north in Inari, Lapland where I spent a week during a European Youth Gathering in 2002. Iceland has the same untouched, pure vibe as that part of Finland — such beauty!

  9. สวยงามมากๆ😮👍

    1. ขอบคุณมาก 🙌

  10. Really beautiful photos!

    1. Thank you, really appreciate that!

  11. On the top of my list and even more so now with these images. The waterfall shots are my favorite. Off to Lena’s site for more now.

    1. I know it’s a cliché, but Iceland should be at the top of everyone’s list! Maybe an obvious thing to note, but it’s a cliché for a reason. Thanks for your comment, did you enjoy Lena’s pictures too? :)

      1. Sadly, I tried to load a couple of Lena’s posts at different times and was unable to on every attempt. It is possible that a slower internet here in Brazil is causing the problem, but other’s pages load eventually. Disappointing as I enjoy tales of Iceland

  12. Wonderful photo’s – such a calming landscape

    1. Indeed! And what’s not captured here (obviously) is the sounds of Iceland. We’re so used to the sounds that surround us every day, that standing on Icelandic lands feels eerily silent. Only the nature speaks there.

      1. Nature’s silence is an amazing gift
        Thank you for sharing
        Eco 🌿

  13. Tapase Avatar
    Tapase

    Wow…how beautiful??

    1. Right? Iceland is pure magic.

  14. Wow, such a nice set of photos from Iceland ! Congrats!

    1. Thank you so much for the kind words, Pierre!

  15. Kanta verma Avatar
    Kanta verma

    Great shots ….

    1. Glad you enjoyed them!

  16. stunning sceneries and pictures ! Hope to get there some day… . Gr Stef

    1. You should, it’s truly a unique place and, again, the pictures don’t do it justice at all!

  17. Beautiful Pictures

    1. Happy you liked them. Have a fantastic day!

      1. Thank You 🙂

  18. Amazing! Great shots. I can’t wait to go myself in June. Doing the roadtrip. Greetings from Belgium

    1. Uh, that’s awesome! Wish you luck on your adventures, and be sure to grab a few guesthouses in the middle of nowhere so you can experience the real Icelandic people and culture.

  19. Nice post. I recently started blogging. Check it out

    https://bigworldawaits.travel.blog :)

    1. Thank you! Nice photos and stories! Keep it going, and I’ll be following.

  20. Woww wonderful shots

    1. Appreciate it, Alisha!

  21. Great pics. You have an artistic eye.

    1. Thank you so much for the kinds words!

  22. great images… takes me to the word where one finds serenity… love it

    1. Beautiful, that’s exactly what I wanted to achieve with these. Thank you!

  23. thank you 😊

  24. These are wonderful! I suggest a return visit in winter some time. I went in late March/early April several years ago and everything was magnificent ice and snow visits. Totally different.

    1. Definitely want to go back and see how the landscapes change throughout the different seasons. Though we went during summer and it was really cold sometimes, so I can only imagine what it would feel like in colder months.

  25. These are some amazing pictures. I’m going to be working in Iceland over the summer for 7 weeks so I hope to be seeing a lot of this kind of thing. I’ve never been over the summer before so I’m expecting it to be different to the winter months. Thanks for sharing.

    1. My pleasure, glad you enjoyed the pictures. Have a great time there!

  26. Lovely pics. What time of year did you go?

    1. This was during the peak of (what I’d consider) summer: August. Thank you!

  27. These are amazing!!

  28. Beautiful images! You’ve got a keen eye. I forwarded this post to a friend who will visit Iceland next month, to whet her appetite.

    1. Thank you for the kind words, Cate. Hopefully your friend enjoyed them as well — thanks for sharing! :)

  29. Aurora_1611 Avatar
    Aurora_1611

    My best friend moved to Iceland, so the country has always meant a lot to me. Beautiful images, by the way; the photography is brilliant!

    1. It’s hard to stay indifferent to such a unique country. Thank you so much, Aurora!

  30. Breath taking captures! Must have been a memorable trip :)

    1. Indeed it was, unforgettable scenery and experiences (though quite expensive!).

  31. Oh how beautiful are the photos, and the portrait is just spectacular, as are the landscapes. Loved it totally. Would love to hear your comments on some of my photos too.

    https://wanderersjunkyard.wordpress.com/2019/05/08/amritsar-the-golden-way/

    1. Thanks so much! I’ll take a look at your photos today.

  32. Mother earth let you lie down and showed you stars, cloud, sunshine, all blue and green side of her for whole 5 days 👍

    1. Yes, yes, yes!! Mother earth is kind and lovely.

  33. These photos are incredible! Thanks for sharing.

    1. Happy you like them! Thank you.

  34. Awesome… looks like good times

    1. Yep, quite the trip!

  35. That landscape is unreal! Wow! Brilliant photography of such beautiful scenery. 😍

    1. Unreal is an understatement; it really is something out of this world. Thanks for your comment, appreciate it!

  36. a beautiful work from God’s creatures … very natural and hopefully all happy

    1. Couldn’t agree more.

  37. For some unknown reason, the title reminded me of the immigrant song :)

    1. Hahah! Now that would be a great soundtrack!

  38. The place looks mesmerizing. But it has a bit of a morbid feel to the beauty. It is in stark contrast to Port Antonio in Jamaica. I had written a travelogue on it at
    https://randommusings.blog/2019/04/13/trip-to-port-antonio-jamaica/

    1. Yes, quite different sceneries though both beautiful and unique in their own ways.

  39. The place and the photos are simply breathtaking! Iceland got the place in top 5 must go places in my list more so after this post 😬

    1. Do it!! You won’t regret it. Appreciate your comment!

  40. Manicures and Cocktails Avatar
    Manicures and Cocktails

    Wow! These pictures have me speechless they are wonderful. Iceland looks so beautiful. I haven’t had the pleasure of visiting but intend to do so soon! Thank you for sharing!

    http://www.manicuresandcocktails.net

    1. Thank you for leaving such kind words. Appreciate them!

  41. Such a cool way to present a place as beautiful as Iceland!

    1. ¡Muchas gracias, Luis!

  42. Love authentic posts like this.

  43. Nomcebo Avatar
    Nomcebo

    Nice pictures 😍

  44. Absolutely breathtaking pictures…

  45. Your photos are breathtaking! I am so jealous :)

  46. Great photos. We too had little time in Iceland, so we just settled for the Snæfellsnes peninsula, but it was really worth it. I doubt there’s much – besides cities – in Iceland that isn’t jaw-droppingly cinematic.

  47. These pictures are absolutely stunning. It must have been an amazing trip. I hope to visit Iceland myself someday!

  48. Beautiful landscape

  49. 5 days are very short for this beautiful Iceland. We had 14, and that was Not enough…. 😉

    1. Hah, couldn’t agree more. Way, way too short of a trip to make the most out of every place we went through.

  50. Love your amazing photos <3

    1. Thank you for the kind words, appreciate them!

  51. ayorindekolawole Avatar
    ayorindekolawole

    Beautiful photos

  52. very beautiful, just breath taking pictures, makes you want to fall in love wtih the beauty of this world.❤❤❤

  53. Incredible shots and adventure. I feel like my life will not be complete until I see this place with my own eyes

  54. How do you copyright the images ?

    1. Not sure what you mean?

      1. Copyright as in, so that nobody can use them without your permission or monetize without your permission

      2. Ha, right. I don’t. :) I expect everyone to respect my craft and ask permission before using any photos.

  55. an incomparable masterpiece … indeed God above all else … God bless you my friend

    1. Indeed! And thank you, have a great day yourself.

  56. i really enjoyed your post. nice clicks keep it up i am following you.

  57. Just wow😳 great shots!

    1. Thank you so very much!

  58. You have done an amazing job!!
    The pictures are marvelous.
    I’m new on WordPress. Please check my writings here https://neha6bhagat.wordpress.com/2019/10/23/as-the-days-pass-by/

  59. Nicola Bargiacchi Avatar
    Nicola Bargiacchi

    This place has been on my bucket list for yearssssssss

  60. Your photos are superb! Glad I came across this post. I’ve been wanting to go to Iceland, and the way you captured everything just increased my conviction to be there.

    1. Thank you so much! One thing I did not manage to capture is the sounds — from absolute silence to blast of the immense waterfalls, Iceland soundscapes will stay with you for life.

      1. Maybe in the future you can create scenic films or clips about your travel experiences, so you can capture both the visual and auditory scene. :)

    2. Funny you should mention that, because I did take my drone and captured some of the scenery in video (although not the sound): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfnyJ_zbum4

  61. Amazing work! Iceland remains on the top of my list to visit one day. For now these shots will have to do, but they are stunning.

  62. Beautiful, breathtaking, brilliant images. Thanks and much appreciated for sharing

    1. Thank you for your kind words — I truly appreciate them.

  63. Wow! Those are breath-taking views

  64. These shots are blowing my mind! I would love to visit someday

    1. You absolutely should! Thank you.

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