Iceland Photography: Waterfalls & Volcanic Landscapes
This Iceland photography portfolio follows the elemental landscape of South Iceland, from Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss to black-sand coasts, moss-covered lava fields, glacier lagoons and volcanic ground near Vatnajökull, Jökulsárlón and Grindavík. The images are shaped by water, ice, lava, wind and the stark contrast between green moss, dark rock and Atlantic light.
For a more reflective journey through South Iceland, read the Journal post From Waterfall Mist to Black Sand and Ice.
South Iceland from the air — Vatnajökull’s glacier tongues flowing towards Jökulsárlón and the Atlantic coastline, a map of ice, water and black sand.
At Thingvellir National Park, the rift valley opens wide: rocky fissures in the foreground, a winding river and small church below, and snow-dusted peaks on the horizon.
Geysir Strokkur erupts in a towering white plume, shooting straight into a cloud-streaked sky while visitors watch from the steaming geothermal plain.
Strokkur’s hot pool simmers and swirls in mineral-blue tones, steam drifting over rust-coloured earth as the next eruption builds beneath the surface
The milky-turquoise water of the Blue Lagoon stretches between jagged black lava rocks, with bathers drifting in the steam under a deep Icelandic blue sky
Gullfoss thunders through its rocky canyon in two great steps, sunlight catching the spray to paint a bright rainbow across the gorge.
Seljalandsfoss — the classic side view across the plains, with spray, sunlight and a faint rainbow hinting at Iceland’s sudden weather shifts.
Seljalandsfoss — a bright white ribbon of water dropping from a cliff of green, the spray turning sunlight into a fine, floating veil.
Behind Seljalandsfoss — standing in the shadowed cave as the waterfall falls like a curtain, the landscape beyond blurred by drifting spray.
A lone hiker pauses beside the mossy trail as Skógafoss crashes into the gorge, filling the air with cold mist and the steady roar of water.
From the brink above Skógafoss, the river gathers speed before plunging into open farmland, with the valley and distant mountains fading into low cloud.
From the cliffs at Dyrholaey, dark lava rock drops to the sea as waves comb the black shoreline, sea stacks standing offshore like sentries.
Dyrholaey’s sweeping headland leads the eye along a black-sand curve of surf, out towards isolated sea stacks under clear, wind-bright Atlantic light.
A lone figure on black sand, staring out at offshore sea stacks and the restless North Atlantic — Iceland’s south coast at its starkest.
A hulking sea arch cut into dark volcanic cliffs, with turquoise Atlantic water surging below in bright summer light.
Waves lace the black beach in white foam, leading the eye towards distant sea stacks and the long cliff line on the horizon.
A winding river ribboning through vivid green slopes, where Iceland’s volcanic terrain softens into open, rolling countryside.
Velvet-green volcanic hills under fast-moving cloud, with a narrow stream cutting a dark line through the valley floor.
Uxafótafoss — a small waterfall and stream threading through bright mossy slopes, Iceland’s greenery hiding the volcanic bones below.
Purple lupins in the foreground and broad green hills beyond — a burst of summer colour under a deep, clear Icelandic sky.
Nootka lupins in bloom, Iceland — violet spires rise from a summer meadow, with dramatic mountains and lingering snow beyond.
Soft yellow catkins of dwarf willow and low tundra plants, glowing in the foreground with snowy peaks blurred in the distance.
A massive, flat-topped mountain wall capped with low cloud, mirrored by a still pool and wide grasslands stretching into the distance.
A narrow Svartifoss waterfall framed by organ-pipe basalt columns, tucked into a lush gorge with the river tumbling over boulders below.
Up close, the Svartifoss waterfall drops like a white ribbon against black geometric basalt — nature’s own cathedral wall in Vatnajökull country.
A sweeping Skaftafellsjökull glacier tongue streaked with volcanic ash, spilling from the high ice cap into the mountains under crisp blue skies.
Skaftafellsjökull, Iceland — a lone photographer stands above the glacier tongue, where ash-dark crevasses spill into a milky proglacial lagoon beneath snow-dusted peaks.
Skaftafell region, Iceland — serrated icefalls and blue crevasses cascade from Vatnajökull, pinned against dark volcanic ridges.
Skaftafell, Iceland — braided glacial rivers stitch pale channels across the vast sandur plain at the edge of Vatnajökull.
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Iceland — a sculpted iceberg glows turquoise where meltwater has carved sharp edges and arches.
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Iceland — a drifting mosaic of blue and white icebergs spreads across still water under a brooding sky.
Jökulsárlón, Iceland — inflatable boats weave between icebergs, turning the lagoon into a slow, floating labyrinth.
Eldhraun lava field — an ocean of moss-covered lava, soft green on the surface and ancient black beneath, rolling quietly to the horizon.
Eldhraun lava field, Iceland — centuries-old lava is softened by thick moss, rolling like a green ocean under flat northern light.
Skógafoss — the waterfall thunders into mist at the end of a stony riverbed, framed by mossy cliffs and a pale, rain-washed sky.
The road closed after a volcanic eruption near Grindavik in 2024, with fresh lava fields and heavy machinery marking how quickly Iceland reshapes itself.
Volcanic landscape north of Grindavík, 2024 — raw, black lava spread across the ground, with a low ridge and open sky emphasising the aftermath.
Iceland, photographed by Svein Magne Tunli — every image in this gallery is my own.
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