ICELAND & HIGHLANDS - SUMMER 2026

There are photography trips... and then there are journeys that stay with you long after you've unpacked your camera bag (and finally dried out your boots).

Over the past days, we explored Iceland's West Peninsula, ventured deep into the rugged Highlands (at least half of them; the eastern crossing had other plans for us), and wandered through the spectacular landscapes of the Southeast. We experienced just about every kind of weather imaginable: sunshine, rain, sideways rain, wind that nearly qualified as an Olympic event, mist, and skies that changed their minds every five minutes.

But that's Iceland.

It never promises easy conditions. Instead, it rewards those willing to embrace whatever it decides to throw their way.

We came home with photographs I'm incredibly proud of: towering waterfalls, black sand beaches, glaciers, mountains, dramatic coastlines, hidden canyons, and those magical moments when the light appears for about 37 seconds... just long enough to make you forget the previous three hours of rain.

One of the absolute highlights was spending nearly three hours surrounded by more than 5,000 pairs of puffins perched along the cliffs of Iceland's southeast coast. Watching them soar, land (sometimes gracefully... sometimes not!), and go about their day was an experience none of us will ever forget.

But if I'm honest, the photographs aren't what I'll remember most.

What will stay with me are the people.

The endless laughter in the vehicle. The spontaneous detours down roads that simply looked interesting. The thrill of discovering places we'd never seen before. The collective excitement when the light finally broke through the clouds. The stories, the meals, the jokes, and the feeling that every single day held another surprise.

Oh... and I was forced to watch FIFA every night. Canada, Spain, Germany, Argentina... somehow every match was "the game you have to see." I still maintain I was outnumbered.

Photography may have been the reason we came together, but friendship became the heart of the journey.

Roland, Dr. Dan, and Raul, thank you for sharing this adventure with me. Thank you for embracing Iceland's wonderfully unpredictable weather, for trusting me every time I said, "Just five more minutes..." (which everyone now knows rarely meant five minutes), for chasing light without complaint, for embracing every detour, and for filling every day with laughter.

The photographs will remind us where we were.

The friendships will remind us why we travel.

Until the next adventure...

Iceland... you beautiful, wild, slightly unhinged island... you've done it again.