Ok guys, last installment of my travels to Iceland (I still have some shoots I did there that I will blog, but as far as sightseeing type stuff this is it!). If you missed my first two posts, check them out
here and
here!
Day 4: That morning we did a shoot at a lighthouse outside of Reykjavik focusing on natural movement and less posing, more directing which I enjoyed since I love documentary style photography. I'll be posting some of those images in a different post soon! We took photos on the beach and then went to a little island where the lighthouse stood. On the island the grass felt as soft as it looked, and I definitely laid down in it for a little while - how could I resist?
That afternoon we went to the Blue Lagoon, which was amazing!! I didn't take my camera, so I don't have any photos of it to share other than cell phone pics. It was just as beautiful as it looks in photos, and I highly recommend going if you get the chance. The lagoon itself is little more mint green than blue, but really who cares? There are steam caves, a swim up bar, waterfalls, bridges, and you can do different facial masks for a full spa experience. It was busy but not overly crowded, and there are a lot of little alcoves so you can relax with less people around if you choose. Gosh, it was beautiful and so relaxing, I wish I could go back right now!
Day 5: We had a free day, so some of the other girls and I went on a 6 hour horseback ride through the fields, rivers, and mountains of Iceland. I was worried I would be super sore for days afterward, and I almost didn't go, but I'm SO glad that I did. It was incredible!! I haven't ridden a horse since I was a kid, but our guide was awesome and I ended up with a beautiful white horse named Gabon. Our guide called her a "Barbie pony", and I was happy because I really wanted a white horse to ride!
My favorite part of the entire day was when we rode through this big open field along the river with all of these ponies just roaming around and grazing. They would come up to us, and a bunch of them followed for quite awhile! There was one point when we rode through a few streams and stopped for lunch, and I looked back and about 10-15 ponies were running through the water towards us. It was just like a movie - so beautiful!! I would highly recommend the company we went through if you are ever in Iceland and want to ride horses, definitely check out
Eldhestar,
Day 6 : We did a shoot at the Black Sand Beach in Vík on day 6 which was a lot of fun, and so cool to see. We again had beautiful weather, and the beach was quite busy but we found a little cave area to take photos. The landscape there is very interesting, pebbles, black sand, and basalt columns. I loved all the different formations throughout the rock! We were told to stay away from the water by locals, as the current is very strong and the tide comes in quickly, so we admired it from a distance!
After we finished our shoot at the beach we headed to town where we ate at this cute little restaurant, followed by a visit to Skógafoss which is a huge waterfall. Man, that place was gorgeous (I feel like there aren't enough adjectives to describe all of the spectacular sights in Iceland!) and we were there in the evening so it had pretty much emptied out as far as tourists. There were just a handful of people there with us, which made it feel so magical! The photos I took at this waterfall, with the water droplets all over my lens, are some of my favorite from the entire trip.
Day 7: We spent the day finishing up workshop stuff with classes, one on one time, and dinner at Rekjavik Fish. Then, we packed up and got ready to head home the next day! I was so sad to leave, but I'm so grateful for such a cool experience. I can't wait to tell you where I'm headed for next year's adventure!
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