Iceland recommended gear list
I highly recommend two camera bodies on this trip. You can get away with one, but it’s good to have a backup in case one camera fails. There will not be anywhere to buy or rent another camera once the workshop begins.
LENSES
• Wide Angle Lens: We will be using wide angle lenses quite often in Iceland. It is best if you can get a minimum focal length of 16mm. 14 or 15mm is even better. Recommended lenses |CANON 15-35mm | NIKON 14 - 24mm | SONY 16-35MM | 10-22mm for crop sensor cameras
• Mid Range Lens: A mid range lens can be useful for landscapes as well as closeup horse photography. CANON 24-70mm | NIKON 24-70mm | SONY 24 - 70mm
• Telephoto Lens: We'll use telephoto lenses to photograph Icelandic horses and puffins. A 70-200 is great for horses and puffins. A 100-400 or 100-500 is great for puffins in flight and in the event that we see an arctic fox. CANON 100-500MM | NIKON 100-400MM | SONY 100-400MM
TRIPODS & BALLHEADS
A sturdy tripod is very important in Iceland because the wind can be relentless at times. I recommend a tall tripod without a center column that has legs that can swing out to a 90 degree angle.
• BEST VALUE TRIPOD: LEOFOTO 72" LS-324CX
• WATER RESISTANT TRIPOD: LEOFOTO 64" LS-324CXPRO+LH-40LR
• TOP OF THE LINE TRIPOD: 68.5" REALLY RIGHT STUFF TFC-34L MK2 Series3 Long-Leg
• TOP OF THE LINE BALLHEAD: REALLY RIGHT STUFF BH-40
• BEST BUGET BALLHEAD: LEOFOTO LH-40
OTHER CAMERA GEAR
• CAMERA BACKPACK: I use an f-stop Tilopa camera bag. I like it because it has a removable insert that all of the camera gear goes in. Mindshift also makes a variety of nice camera back packs.
• SPARE MEMORY CARDS: Don't forget to bring spare memory card. Horses and puffins can eat up a lot of memory card space. I prefer a minimum of 256GB per card but prefer 512GB cards.
Canon & Nikon CF Express Type B
• BATERY CHARGER & SPARE BATTERIES: Bring a minimum of two batteries but three or more is ideal. AVOID USING THIRD PARTY BATTERIES IF POSSIBLE.
• POLARIZER FILER: Helps reduce glare and darkens the sky.
• UV FILTER: Useful for protecting the front of the lens when not using a PL or Nd filter.
• ND FILTER:ND Filters are useful for slowing down your exposure speed when you want to create motion blue in a waterfall, ocean or sky. If you'r only going to bring one I recommend a 6-Stop filter. If you're going to bring two a 3-stop and a 6-stop would be a good mix to have.
• Camera Rain Cover: Iceland has a reputation for inclement weather. It's a good idea to be prepared for rain. I highly recommend a rain cover for your time in Iceland.
• CAMERA STRAP: Since it can get very windy in Iceland, a detachable camera strap will be very useful during the trip. You want the strap for shooting horses and puffins but it will be very helpful to remove it when shooting landscape on a tripod. I really like the Peak Design Straps.
LENS WIPES: We'll be around misty waterfalls and sea spray. It's a good idea to have a couple of large lends cloths to wipe the front of your lens while shooting.
L BRACKET (Optional): An L bracket can be very useful if you use a universal arca style ballhead like the ones mentioned above. This device will allow you to easily switch horizontal and vertical camera orientation while improving the stability of your tripod when the camera is vertical. NOTE: L-brackets are made for specific camera models. Simply search for the model of your camera followed by the words L bracket. Really Right Stuff and Kirk and Small Rig are reliable brands to look for. You can also find cheap off brands too. If you buy an off brand plate make sure that it is one solid piece.
CLOTHING
• WINTER JACKET: You'll want to bring a warm winter jacket to Iceland. Rab makes some great option for Men & Women
• RAIN JACKET: It is important to be fully waterproof in Iceland.The North Face makes affordable options for men and women. (You may consider getting a slightly larger rain jacket that will fit over your winter jacket.)
• RAIN PANTS: The North Face also makes affordable rain pants for men and women.
• HAT & GLOVES: Don't forget to bring as knit hat and thin gloves that you can operate your camera with.
• HIKING BOOTS: Please bring a good pair of hiking boots.
MISCALANIOUS ITEMS
• HIP WADERS: There are a few locations where hip waders will be highly beneficial. It is very difficult to get good long exposure shots at the Diamond Beach without wearing waders. They are also very useful at Vestrahorn.
• LAPTOP: It's important to look at your images during the trip to see how they are coming out. I highly recommend bringing a laptop with Lightroom Classic & Photoshop installed. We will do at least one post processing session during the trip. During the session I'll broadcast my screen via Zoom.
• SLEEP MASK: It will not get dark while we are in Iceland and we will be sleeping in as much as possible. I highly recommend bringing a sleep mask.
• LIP BALM
• FLAT SHEET: Icelanders do not use top sheets. I recommend bringing your own sheet if you like sleeping with a top sheet.
• TREKKING POLES: (Optional) We will be doing a few short hikes. Trekking poles are not required but can be helpful for folks with balance issues.
• UMBRELLA: An Umbrella can be useful to protect your gear in the event that we have to shoot in the rain
• NOISE CANCELLING HEADPHONES: You do not need noise cancelling headphones for the workshop but they are a wonderful thing to have on the flight to and from Iceland. Once you fly with therm, it's hard to fly without them. Bose and Sony both make great pairs.