secrets of the north

Iceland Highlands Photography Expedition

Small-group expedition exploring remote volcanic landscapes in North and East Iceland.

September 2026

1-5 | £4899

7-11 | £5199

REQUEST TO JOIN

What to Expect

This is a photography-focused expedition designed around light, location, and conditions.

We will explore remote areas of North Iceland and the Highlands, working with changing weather and natural light to capture strong landscape images.

Each day is planned around conditions, with multiple location options prepared in advance.

This allows us to adapt in real time, ensuring the strongest possible photographic opportunities regardless of weather or access.

This is not a standard workshop. It’s a carefully designed photography experience built around conditions, locations, and the time needed to create strong images.

❋ REYKJAVIK PICK-UP & DROP-OFF INCLUDED

Transport from Reykjavik to Akureyri and return included, ensuring smooth access to the expedition locations

❋ SMALL GROUP

Limited to 6 photographers to allow time, space, and flexibility on location.

❋ 7 NIGHTS ACCOMMODATION WITH BREAKFAST)

Designed to maximise time in the field while allowing for travel and flexibility

Accommodation is provided in shared twin rooms with private bathrooms - single occupancy may be available at an additional cost, subject to availability.

❋ REMOTE LOCATIONS

Access to highland landscapes and lesser-known areas rarely included in standard workshops.

❋ PHOTOGRAPHER-LED

Hands-on guidance in the field, focused on composition, light, and working with changing conditions.

❋ FLEXIBLE ITINERARY

Each day adapts to weather and light conditions to maximise photographic opportunities.

Northern lights over a silhouette of mountains at night, displaying vibrant green, purple, and pink hues in the sky filled with stars.

expedition overview

  • This expedition focuses on the remote landscapes of North and East Iceland, including coastal formations, volcanic terrain, waterfalls, and highland environments.

    Alongside well-known locations, we prioritise lesser-visited areas and hidden compositions, with each day shaped by conditions to maximise photographic opportunities.

  • The workshop is limited to 6 photographers, allowing time, space, and flexibility at each location.

    This creates a more focused and personal experience, with the ability to work closely on compositions, adapt to individual goals, and avoid the limitations of larger groups.

  • This workshop focuses on developing a stronger and more intentional approach to landscape photography.

    We will cover composition, working with natural light, long exposure techniques, use of ND filters, focus bracketing, and image stacking, as well as how to read and adapt to different environments.

    We will also cover post-processing workflows and image refinement, helping you turn your captures into finished, portfolio-ready images.

  • This is not a rigid itinerary workshop. The route and daily plan remain flexible to respond to weather, access, and photographic potential.

    This allows us to prioritise conditions and position ourselves in the strongest possible locations at the right time.

    We actively monitor conditions and will make every effort to photograph the Northern Lights whenever opportunities arise.

  • The workshop is hosted by Diana Firlag and guest Jon Golden, operated in partnership with a licensed Icelandic tour operator - Thor Excursions

    Transport, access to highland routes, and safety are managed professionally, allowing you to focus fully on the photographic experience.

    All logistics are handled, so you can concentrate entirely on shooting and learning in the field.

  • The workshop is offered across two dates:

    1–5 September 2026 — £4,899
    7–11 September 2026 — £5,199

    Price is per person and includes 7 nights accommodation with daily breakfast, all transport throughout the workshop (including Reykjavik pick-up and return), and full photography guidance during the expedition.

    The first night is scheduled prior to the workshop start to allow for an early departure on day one, and the final night is included after the workshop to accommodate return travel to Reykjavik the following day.

    Flights, lunches and dinners, travel insurance, and personal expenses are not included.

    A deposit of £800 is required to secure your place, with the remaining balance due 60 days before the workshop start date.

    Due to the small group size, places are limited and allocated upon confirmation.

A volcanic crater filled with bright turquoise water, surrounded by brown rocky slopes with a small waterfall flowing down one side, in a mountainous landscape with snow patches and a large lake in the background under cloudy sky.
A person wearing a red jacket walking on a gray, barren landscape with large, snow-dusted mountains in the background.
Volcanic landscape with steaming fumaroles, colorful mineral deposits, and barren terrain under a cloudy sky.
A mountain landscape at sunset with snow-capped peaks in the distance, rolling dark hills in the foreground, and a pastel-colored sky.
A vast landscape of rolling brown and orange hills with a dirt road cutting through them, overlooking distant mountains under a partly cloudy sky.
Colorful aurora borealis lights in the night sky over silhouetted mountains, with a starry sky.
Dramatic landscape of a mountain with snow and ice, surrounded by water and rolling hills, under a clear blue sky.
A landscape of a canyon with colorful, rocky cliffs and rolling hills, under a partly cloudy sky.
Two hikers walking on a winding dirt trail through a barren desert landscape with rocky mountains in the background.
A rugged landscape featuring a waterfall cascading into a turbulent river surrounded by dark volcanic rocks and cliffs under a cloudy sky.
A barren desert landscape with a mountain in the background, a partly frozen body of water, and a clear blue sky.
Bubbles rising in a hot spring pool with a rocky wall in the background.
A person in a red jacket walking on a snowy, rocky landscape with mountains in the background and a cloudy sky.
Colorful house with a blue roof and green walls, located in a rocky, mountainous terrain.
A snow-capped mountain in the distance, with brown, rocky terrain in the foreground under a blue sky.
A powerful waterfall flowing through rocks under a cloudy sky.
A vast landscape with rolling hills in the foreground, dark shadows and patches of yellow grass, and a mountain range in the background with snow-capped peaks under a cloudy sky.
A mountain with snow on top during sunset or sunrise with a colorful sky.
Snow-covered desert landscape with rocks, tire tracks, and distant mountains under cloudy sky.
Snow-covered mountainous landscape with dark volcanic hills and a flat foreground.
A wide view of a powerful waterfall in a rugged landscape with dark rocks and patches of snow, under a cloudy sky.
Snow-covered mountains around a calm, reflective body of water, with a small turquoise crater lake in the foreground and cloudy gray skies overhead.
Scenic view of a mountain range with a prominent peak, grassy plains, and a small pond in the foreground under a partly cloudy sky.
Snow-capped mountain partly covered by clouds and fog in a dark, rocky landscape.
Grayscale landscape with rocks on the foreground, a body of water, and distant foggy hills or mountains in the background.
A rural landscape featuring a black house on a hill, snow-capped mountains in the background, a red tractor, and stacked hay bales in the foreground with green fields and trees.
Green grassy field with a few trees and a fence, snow-capped mountains in the background under a cloudy sky.
A scenic view of a river surrounded by tall basalt columns and green hills under a partly cloudy sky.
Night sky with colorful northern lights and stars over a dark silhouette of mountains.
A volcanic mountain with reddish and dark slopes under a partly cloudy sky at sunset.
Sunset over a mountain landscape with layered mountains and a sky filled with streaks of white and dark clouds
A landscape at sunset with colorful clouds and a small white house in the distance on a grassy hill.

  • Register your interest to receive priority access before spaces are released publicly.

  • You’ll receive a detailed overview of the expedition, including itinerary, accommodation, and what’s included.

  • A deposit confirms your place on the workshop. Due to the limited group size, spaces are allocated on a first-confirmed basis.

  • You’ll receive a preparation guide covering recommended equipment, clothing, and travel information.

  • We meet on location and begin the experience together, with final updates provided before arrival.

Booking Process

What’s Included

  • Accommodation -7 nights)

  • Daily breakfast

  • Transport - Reykjavik ↔ Akureyri + all local travel)

  • Photography guidance

What’s Not Included

  • Flights

  • Lunches and dinners

  • Travel insurance - required)

  • Personal expenses

Full itinerary and detailed information are provided after registration.

Led In Collaboration With

Female photographer holding camera

diana firlag

Landscape photographer specialising in remote environments and atmospheric light, working across diverse landscapes from mountains to coastal regions. Her work is defined by a strong sense of place, shaped through composition, natural light, and carefully selected locations.
Her photography has been featured across international platforms including PhotoVogue, and recognised through awards such as The Independent Photographer. Her work continues to evolve through extensive travel and on-location experience in diverse and challenging environments.
She leads the expedition with a focus on helping participants refine their vision and create more intentional, impactful images.

Photography Lead

Male photographer holding camera

jon golden

Highly experienced photographer with over three decades of professional experience, having worked across more than 60 countries and has documented some of the world’s most remote environments.
His work has been published in major international publications including National Geographic (US/CN), Geo (DE) and Panorama (IT), and spans landscapes from the Arctic, jungle and desert regions as well as Iceland’s highlands.
Joining as a guest photographer, Jon brings deep experience and insight into working in remote conditions and capturing powerful landscape imagery.

Guest Photographer

A man sitting cross-legged on a roof rack atop a rugged, grey off-road vehicle with large tires, set in a wide open landscape with mountains and dark cloudy sky in the background.

Thor Hjalmarsson

Local Icelandic guide and founder of Thor Excursions, based in the north of Iceland. Having grown up exploring these landscapes, he brings a deep understanding of the Highlands and remote regions far beyond the standard routes.

His work is focused on small, carefully designed journeys, with an emphasis on safety, access, and adapting to Iceland’s constantly changing conditions. This allows the expedition to respond in real time, positioning the group in the strongest possible locations.

Local Icelandic Guide & Operator

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Bookings and administration are handled by Lightfall Expeditions Ltd.

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