Chasing the Midnight Sun in Iceland on Film

In February of last year my friend @Avdidit on instagram (who I had never before met in person yet) posted on his story about a planning a trip to Iceland to capture the midnight sun which takes place in the weeks surrounding June 21. A phenomenon where the sun never truly sets and golden hour + sunsets last for hours. After a few messages I ended up jumping on the trip and we got to planning. It was upon joining this trip that I learned the importance of a well thought out itinerary.

We had a handful of must see locations we wanted to shoot across the south coast and planned on arriving to these destinations for the best possible light.

What made our trip super impactful was a well-researched document with pins and stops along the way. This way, we were able to make the most of our 7 days in the country. What followed were some of my all-time best photographs yet. We got incredibly lucky not only with the weather but also with the sunlight. Iceland is often known for its rainy and rough conditions, and outside of some 60+ mile an hour winds, the midnight sun did not disappoint, and we were greeted with sunsets and sunrises that I’ll never forget.

When embarking on any photo trip, I like to pack simply.

For this trip, I shot on the Leica M6 and the Mamiya 7 II with Portra 400.

The best thing about a road trip is the unexpected and unplanned beauty you find along the way.

The photo pictures just below was shot just off a road that leads to the landfill. Just driving and looking out the car window offered incredible landscapes I hadn’t seen photographed before.

I feel like the unplanned stops along the way are what really create the full picture of what a place is like. The “journey, not the destination” type beat. This is where I often create some of my most meaningful work.

The architecture of the Icelandic churches held an allure that constantly drew me in. This photo was taken at 12:45am after we wrapped up a long day of travel. I forgot my tripod and shot this handheld on the Mamiya 7 at 1/15 second at F4.