Some years ago I led a photographic workshop to Iceland where we had a simply spectacular trip. Iceland has been one of my favorite places to visit ever since my first visit there in 2007 and I have been back many times since.

The Hnausapollur Crater with its azure lake is in the central highlands and while this specific crater is reasonably easy to visit, you have to know it is there because it is totally unremarkable when driving by it. There is a single track leading up to the volcanic rim and that is when the visual delights are revealed.

We were there in late June just after the central highland roads opened for the short summer season and we were dodging showers all day which made for very nice photographic conditions. Cloudy days are not exactly rare in Iceland but I always prefer them to empty blue skies. This snowfield on the caldera rim was melting quite fast and I realized that I was fortunate to be here just at this time because when I visited here two weeks later with a second workshop group, the snowfield was gone and conditions were totally different. Other things were better but not this spot.

The central highlands are simply spectacular but exploring them in depth is difficult because a specialized 4 wheel drive vehicle is needed along with the skills needed to drive these very rough remote roads and deal with the many river crossings that present themselves along the way.