Chasing Iceland Autumn Colors in Akureyri

I spent the majority of October exploring Iceland and chasing the stunning Iceland autumn colors from Akureyri to Jokulsarlon. As with my previous trip to Iceland, Icelandic photographer Ivan Olafsson joined me the experience. Ivan and I attended journalism and photography school together in Victoria, BC, and we make a point of teaming up for a personal photography trip every year. In the past, we’ve explored Iceland, Scotland, Slovenia, and Croatia. This year, we returned to Iceland because we weren’t just shooting for fun. After a week chasing Iceland autumn colors across the north, we returned to Reykjavik and met Brendan van Son and nine guests at the airport to begin a 9-day photography workshop across the south coast.

Every time I visit Iceland, I am blown away by its landscapes. I’ve yet to visit another country that has so many iconic photography locations in such a small area. Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss are just thirty kilometres apart and there are at least a dozen photo-worthy stops between the two, including hidden waterfalls and a backcountry hotspring pool. It’d be possible to spend the entire day just along this section of road; however, it’s also easy to push forward towards Vik and a series of dramatic black sand beaches call for another day’s worth of shooting.

During both my personal time in Iceland and during the workshop, I focused on my photography in a different way. I wanted to shoot images that spoke to my interaction with the landscape and my travel experience. I largely avoided shooting the classic images of these landscapes, with a few exceptions, in favor of seeking something distinct. The effort paid off, too, as I returned with some of my all-time favourite images. I’m currently editing a fine art selection that I’ll be posting to my website soon. I cannot wait to share them with you.

Unfortunately, there is a downside. These images speak largely of my interaction with the Icelandic landscape. They aren’t the classics, so they won’t garner the same engagement on social media. As a photographer, it’s easy for me to claim that doesn’t matter. But I’ve been fortunate to have a large social media presence that has help accelerate my photography career. in 2017, likes, comments, and shares are valuable currency. It’s a compromise, but it’s one I am finding easier to make recently as I strive to improve my craft and truly discover my style and art.

I hope you enjoy the results as much as I have.

Iceland Autumn Colors Available to Download

On this trip, Ivan and I ventured north to Akureyri. It was my first trip to the north and I was surprised to discover stunning Iceland autumn colors and several forested valleys. It was stunning, so I’ve put together quite the collection of images for my monthly desktop wallpaper downloads. There are two options for each display type, so please download the one that works best for you!