Cold days

Photography in Iceland is a bit binary: You can have really bad days and you can also have the most amazing experiences. Weather is extremely volatile and the bad days are just that: really bad. My latest trip through Iceland didn’t start well with extreme rain for almost 48hrs. But things improved when we arrived in the town of Höfn.

Magical Vestrahorn

Nestled on Iceland’s southeastern coast, Vestrahorn is a dramatic mountain range rising sharply from the black sand beaches. It’s a place of moody beauty, often shrouded in mist or hidden behind thick clouds. But on this particular evening, luck was on my side—the mountains were partially visible. Clouds and low fog added a mysterious atmosphere.

Person in an orange jacket standing on the black sand dunes at Vestrahorn at blue hour

Contrast

The beach around Vestrahorn is surreal. Not only is the sand black, but the entire area is sprinkled with hundreds of fairly large moguls. These are covered with yellow grass on top. It’s super cool to slalom through this landscape.

Golden grass on black sand dunes in front of misty Vestrahorn mountains

The Blue Hour

Right around the start of the blue hour, the fog around the mountains put on a great show. And I was lucky to have the beach pretty much to myself. This is somewhat unsual – Vestrahorn is often beleaguered by other photographers. Just the following morning, two buses dropped off an army of people who then blocked all the nice views.

Person in an orange jacket on the wet black beach at Vestrahorn, mist over the mountains

Photography choices

All photos were taken with my trusted Fuji X-T5. It was a challenge to keep the lenses somewhat clean – the mist from the angry ocean and the rolling fog continuously created a fine layer of moisture. I decided to process the images with the Fuji Classic Negative film simulation. This adds to the moody atmosphere.

Would I return? Absolutely. Because places like Vestrahorn are never the same twice, and the magic always awaits.

Hiker on a black sand dune facing the stormy peaks of Vestrahorn at blue hour

Black sand dunes and tidal pools below the jagged Vestrahorn range at blue hour

Snow-dusted Vestrahorn peaks rising above dark dunes under heavy clouds

Lone figure reflected on the wet sand at Stokksnes beach below Vestrahorn

Long exposure of waves washing over the black beach at Vestrahorn at blue hour

Shell and pebbles on the black sand beach at Stokksnes, Vestrahorn in the distance

Grassy dunes in front of mist-covered Vestrahorn peaks

Enjoyed this post? I share new photos regularly on Instagram and post cycling and travel videos on YouTube. Follow along, or browse more stories on the blog.

Visited 256 times, 1 visit(s) today