Shooting in Terrible Weather: What Iceland's Worst Storm Taught Me About Dramatic Photography

Shooting in Terrible Weather: What Iceland's Worst Storm Taught Me About Dramatic Photography

Every photographer I know has a version of the same story: you’ve planned a shoot for weeks, you show up, and the weather is genuinely miserable. Not moody-miserable. Actually miserable. Wind, rain, low visibility, the works. Most people pack up and leave. I used to be one of those people. What changed my thinking wasn’t a book or a course. It was watching how working professionals handle exactly those conditions in real time.

How to Scout and Shoot Iceland's Highlands Like a Landscape Pro (Lessons from the Field)

How to Scout and Shoot Iceland's Highlands Like a Landscape Pro (Lessons from the Field)

There’s a particular kind of frustration that comes from arriving at a stunning location with no plan. You’ve seen the photos online, you know it’s spectacular, but you’re standing there spinning in circles, camera in hand, with no idea where to point it. I’ve been there more times than I’d like to admit, including one embarrassing week in Oregon where I spent three days circling a waterfall before I finally understood what I was actually looking for compositionally.