From the UK, Iceland was only a three-hour flight away but it felt like another planet. The muddy, mossy tundra ran all the way to the base of the mountains, some blanketed by snow and some barren, with tiny waterfalls splitting the rugged cliff-faces like pale veins and venules. Herds of Icelandic horses tossed their heads against the rain and the occasional dusting of sheep huddled near the white-and-red barns. There was so much open space and open sky, and I wished so badly for the clouds to clear and for the Northern Lights to dance across the stars, but I could not have been so lucky just for a weekend.

That was not to say that the rest of the trip was not good, as it was beautiful and a landscape photographer’s dream location regardless. The first place that I went to when I flew in was Reykjavík, the capital city whose name translated to “Smoky Bay” in Icelandic due to the geothermal hot springs in the area. I only spent a brief time in my host city, long enough to check out the waterfront and taste a comforting traditional dish of lamb soup at Kaffi Loki. Visitors must bear in mind that meals in Iceland are expensive especially because grains and produce must be imported since the farms don’t grow anything except grass.

The next stop was a dusk to night visit to Sky Lagoon, the newest geothermal spa only ten minutes outside of the city center. It was relaxing and an overall interesting experience to be submerged in the warm water while still feeling the droplets of cold rain. I did the spa’s seven steps which ranged from a cold plunge to a sauna and steam room. Into the night, bright red bloomed at the horizon line and the visitors to the Sky Lagoon watched the live eruption of Fagradalsfjall with awe. It had been the fourth eruption in the last few months but was handled well by Iceland’s emergency services, and I learned afterward that the Blue Lagoon tourists and population of the town Grindavík were safely evacuated.

The day after, I took an all-day tour of Iceland’s South Coast through the company Reykjavík Sightseeing. My tour guide was named Kat and she provided insightful bits of information as we drove through the shifting landscape. Early on, we passed through the snowy Hengill volcanic area as well as a town nestled in a valley that was warmed by geothermal activity. Following that, our first official stop was the waterfall Skógafoss. There, the difference in scale between the size of the cliff face and the tourists was incredible.

Our second stop was the black sand beach Reynisfjara. It was eerily beautiful with slick basalt columns of Reynisdrangar yawning toward the sky, the same geological structures that made Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland such a draw. However, it was the epitome of nature unharnessed, and Kat warned us about sneaker waves which would pull unsuspecting visitors into the strong, freezing ocean.

After our lunch stop in the coastal town Vík, we made our way to the glacier Sólheimajökull which was a ten minute trail off of the parking lot to a viewing platform. From there, I could make out the incredibly small silhouettes of people hiking across its surface. It was immense–blue in some areas, white in most, and streaked with the dark volcanic sediment everywhere in Iceland. Ice floes trailed off from the glacier into a lake, and Kat informed us tragically that Sólheimajökull lost ten meters of water a year due to global warming.

Our last stop was the waterfall Seljalandsfoss which had a path stretching behind the water. It was a little scary to venture across without hiking boots, as some of the ground was slippery with ice and snow, and I had no traction on my sneakers when changing elevation. It was rewarding, however, to have made it to the other end and to get the photos of it from there.

Due to poor weather, the Northern Lights portion of our tour was canceled. It was always a risk with planning such a short trip to the polar regions–buy it when it was cheap and keep an eye on weather forecasts and moon phases for illumination, but it will always be like throwing a dart at a shrouded target. Maybe in a long while, I will return to the country in search of them or I’ll end up scouring the dark skies of Canada or Alaska that are closer to where I live long-term.

My overall weekend in Iceland was an experience that I am not likely to forget, and it was an absolute goldmine for a photographer. I loved focusing on minimalist landscape shots as well as emphasizing what I referenced earlier–comparing the size of the people to the sheer scale of nature. The whole country was brimming with photography opportunities and there were so many moments on the tour bus where I wished to pull over to the side of the road for a shot. A specific missed one that comes to mind was a portrait of the Icelandic horses who I’d only seen from a distance.

If I were to return again for a longer time period–and for anyone else planning a similar visit–I would look into renting a car for weather-experienced drivers as the roads are often empty. This way, you would be able to build your own itinerary, stop whenever you wanted, and chase the Northern Lights yourself. However, for a one-day itinerary with not a lot of ideas for what to see, the guided tour was well worth it.

All photographs by Carissa Leong (@carissalphoto.cr2)