Tom Archer is definitely up there as one of Hidden Iceland’s favourite photographers. We had the pleasure of taking him around some of our favourite sights where we spoke about our shared love affair with the country. Have a read below for Tom’s account of summer in Iceland, while chasing the midnight sun.
I have long had a love affair with Iceland. There is no country quite like it on Earth; vast, barren, volcanic lands stretch to the horizon, rolling hills marbled with snow stand under colossal glaciers, icebergs float majestically through freezing lakes and wash up on beaches, steaming blue geothermal spas blend into the landscape. Dozens of gigantic, thundering waterfalls cascade from cliff edges. In the winter the aurora dances through the sky like a celestial lava lamp. It may have been my fifth time back in this beautiful country but it was my first in the summer. It was also my first time seeing the midnight sun.
The midnight sun is a phenomenon in the extremes of the Northern and Southern Hemisphere during the peak of summer. The sun sets so late (in some areas it doesn’t set at all) that it never gets dark. Sunset and sunrise merge and you end up with the most beautiful and dramatic light that lasts for hours – a photographer’s dream.
It’s a strange sensation, to be up at midnight with the sun still bright in the sky, it feels magical and quite surreal. The best way to experience it is to sleep during the day and stay up all night, even more so if you are a photographer.
Having a midnight sun doesn’t mean the weather will be good however. But you often find that as the sun passes low on the horizon, it penetrates underneath the cloud layer creating dramatic skies.
This lone house in Arnarstapi sits on the edge of town between the mountains and the ocean. Can you think of a more tranquil or beautiful place to live? This secluded little town can be discovered on Hidden Iceland’s scheduled Snaefellsnes day tour or extended into an overnight private trip, year round.
Midnight is the best time to be road tripping in the Icelandic summer! This was taken on our way to Kirkufell.
Kirkjufell is a famous and unique mountain, this classic shot of it taken from behind Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall. You may recognise it from Game of Thrones seasons 6 and 7 where it was used as Arrowhead Mountain north of the wall.
Below is one of Iceland’s most iconic waterfalls and a personal favourite – Skógafoss. It stands at over 60 metres and is an impressive sight to witness. The best thing about this waterfall for me is you can almost walk straight up to the base of it. Be prepared to get very wet though! If you are with the Hidden Iceland team you can see this and other waterfalls along the way on their South Coast: Fire and Ice tour.
The shot below was taken very shortly after the ones above. The mist was making the sunlight almost tangible and creating an incredibly beautiful scene. It doesn’t take long for weather to change there however and moment later it turned to thick fog. In my opinion though, Iceland is impressive to photograph in any weather.
To experience all of these spots you can check out Hidden Iceland’s scheduled tour page. Alternatively, if you would like an even more personalised experience you can plan a private trip with us too.
