Puffins and Razor Bills of Grimsey Island Iceland I
- May 27th, 2025 - June 2nd, 2025
- Spaces Left: SOLD OUT!
WORKSHOP AT A GLANCE
This bespoke, custom-tailored workshop to Grimsey Island, north of Iceland, is for keen and passionate wildlife photographers who want to capture dramatic and powerful photographs of Puffins, Razor Bills, and other Arctic birds. Grimsey Island is the best place in the world to photograph the Atlantic Puffin and Razor Bill under the midnight sun. We have a small group size and personal, one-on-one tuition for the duration of the workshop. There will also be landscape opportunities during this workshop, although our primary focus is Puffins and other birds.
- Dates: 27th May 2025 until 02nd June 2025 (Duration 6 Nights / 7 Days)
- Investment: $9,750 USD ($950 USD Single Supplement). Wild Nature Photo Travel Team members pay no single supplement.
- Deposit: Deposit to secure place $3,000 USD, with the balance due 120 days before the workshop commences.
- Participants: Maximum 5 Photographers plus leader
- Start and Finish: Reykjavik, Iceland
- Trip Leaders: Joshua Holko Master Photog II
- Fitness Level: Easy
- Temperature: Moderate
- Experience Level: Beginner to Professional
ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP
In May and June of 2025, I will lead a dedicated workshop to photograph the Atlantic Puffin and Razor Bills of Grimsey Island. Grimsey Island is one of the best places in the world to photograph Puffins and other Arctic birds in their natural environment. During this workshop we will visit several locations where we will have special access to the Puffins living in burrows on the edge of sea cliffs. We will also have plenty of opportunities with Razor Bills and many other Arctic bird species. We have timed our 2025 workshop to ensure we are in the best locations at the best times to photograph all of these beautiful birds.
With luck, we will have hours of golden light under the spectacular midnight sun. This is a unique opportunity to travel and photograph a full-time professional wildlife photographer with more than 30 years of photographic experience that can take you to the best wildlife locations that are off the beaten track and at the right time – when the light is best. You’ll be spending seven days (six nights) with others who are just as passionate about wildlife photography as you are, and to ensure everyone gets plenty of individual attention, the maximum number of participants is capped at just five. We will travel in a large modified 4-wheel drive / mini-bus vehicle to provide ample space for camera equipment and gear.
We will be staying both in a hotel and in a guest house that is functional and clean. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all included and will generally be held at the accommodation where we are staying. However, this workshop tour is all about photography, and we will be putting in long hours in the field to ensure we get the best possible light for photography. We may take food and drink into the field to ensure we are in the right locations to get the best possible light.
This workshop is about photography and lots of it. During the workshop, we will go through camera settings in detail and the correct techniques for wildlife and bird-flight photography. We intend to ensure you get the best possible results from each shooting session. We will be providing instruction in the field and will be on hand for any advice you may need. As time permits, we will also cover some aspects of post-production in the evenings.
If the idea of photographing Atlantic Puffins, Razor Bills, and the spectacular landscape of Grimsey Island appeals to you, then now is the time to register for your place. Places in this workshop are strictly limited to just five photographers, and once they are gone, the workshop will be sold out.
Accommodation: Our accommodation for this workshop will be a small but comfortable guest house located near the bird cliffs.
Wildlife: The Atlantic Puffin will be our primary focus for this workshop. However, we will also photograph Razor Bills, Snow Buntings, Gulls and other bird species.
Dietary Requirements: If you have special dietary requirements, we will do our best to accommodate you. Please just be sure to let us know when you make your booking.
Travel: We will travel by private transport from our starting location in Keflavik, Iceland, to Dalvik. From Dalvik, we will travel by car via ferry to Grimsey Island. We will travel by private vehicle once we are located on Grimsey Island. Typically, there is no significant walking during the workshop.
Equipment: Iceland is one of the few locations in the world where it is possible to get close to Atlantic Puffins. We will photograph Puffins with wide-angle and telephoto lenses during this workshop under the Midnight Sun. Therefore, we recommend you bring wide-angle and telephoto lenses to this workshop. Recommended Lenses: Wide Angle: 16-35mm, 14-35mm or equivalent. Mid Range: 24-70mm, 24-105mm or equivalent. Telephoto: 100-500mm, 200-600mm, 400mm, 500 or 600mm
Who is it for? This workshop is ideally suited to wildlife photographers looking to capture images of Atlantic Puffins and other Arctic birds. There will also be landscape opportunities during this workshop. However, our primary focus is Puffins and other bird species.
If you are excited about travelling to Grimsey Island in Iceland with a small group of dedicated photographers to photograph the iconic Atlantic Puffin, then now is the time to secure your place. Places are very limited; once they are spoken for, that’s it.
WORKSHOP ITINERARY
27th - May: Depart Reykavik in the early morning (after breakfast) for the small northern town of Dalvik, where we will be based for one night. The drive from Reykjavik to Dalvik takes approximately five hours. Depending on the conditions, we may stop to photograph Glymur Waterfall - Iceland’s second-tallest waterfall that cascades over a giant canyon. We may also stop at Kolurgljufur Canyon, Iceland’s own Grand Canyon. We will overnight in Dalvik for our transfer to Grimsey Island the following morning. We have our official welcome dinner.
28th - May: Depart Dalvik early (approximately 09:00 am) on the car ferry to Grimsey Island. It is the northernmost point in Iceland and the only place where Iceland crosses the Arctic Circle. The Ferry ride is approximately three hours. On arrival at Grimsey Island, we will transfer to our accommodation, check-in and get settled before we head out to the nearby sea cliffs (a 5-minute drive) for our first session with the Atlantic Puffins and Razor Bills.
This small island of Grimsey is the finest location in Iceland for photographing the Atlantic Puffin, especially in flight as they soar near the cliffs they inhabit. There are also enormous numbers of Puffins on Grimsey, and at times, the grass slopes are filled with Puffins. It’s also a great place to photograph the largest of the auks, the Razorbill. There is also a large colony of Arctic Terns right outside our guest house and more of the common breeding birds, such as Ringed Plover and Snow Bunting. We’ll also have opportunities to photograph the other seabirds that nest on the cliffs, such as Kittiwake and Fulmar. Our accommodation on Grimsey will be a small but cozy guest house. Our guest house at Grimsey is clean but simple, and there will have to be some room sharing. But we have the whole house for ourselves, and this provides a wonderful base camp to explore the bird-rich cliffs. Grimsey is the only land in Iceland where the Arctic Circle passes through, and the current boundary of the circle is just a few minutes walk north of our guest house.
The island also offers often much-overlooked landscape photography possibilities with its interesting rock formations (basalt columns) and vertical sea cliffs.
29th May - 01st June: We will spend the 29th of May to the 1st of June out in the field as much as possible when the light is at its best, photographing the Puffins, Razor Bills and other Arctic bird species. Typically, we will work late in the evening and very early morning when the light is at its best. All of the bird life is within a ten-minute drive or a short walk of our accommodation.
These additional days at Grimsey ensure we’ll get good light and conditions to photograph the Puffins, other birds and landscapes. We’ll have our car with us out to the island so we can transfer between the main photography locations on the southern and northern tip of the island.
02nd - June: On our final day on Grimsey, we will have one last opportunity to photograph the wildlife and landscape of this remote island before returning to Dalvik via car ferry. Departure from Grimsey Island in the late afternoon and arrive in Dalvik in the early evening. Return drive to Reykjavik for late arrival—approximately five hours drive. We conclude our workshop on arrival in Keflavik.
*** Although the trip will focus on the birds at Grimsey Island, we won’t overlook landscape opportunities if time and conditions permit.
Weather in Iceland: This region of Iceland will be temperate to cool this time of the year, with temperatures hovering around 10º Celsius. The weather in Iceland can be fickle and is subject to frequent change. We reserve the right to make last-minute changes to the itinerary to avoid bad weather and take advantage of good weather and light as the conditions permit.
Flights to Iceland: Flights to Iceland can be booked directly with Iceland Air, SAS or other airline carriers. There are daily direct flights from the USA and Europe.
INCLUSIONS AND EXCLUSIONS
Inclusions
- Transportation: Start of service, including transfers from Keflavik to Grimsey Island, Iceland. Return Ferry Service from Dalvik to Grimsey Island.
- Accommodation: 6 Nights accommodation in the local guest house.
- Food and Beverages: Includes breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner (excluding alcohol) for the duration of the workshop
- Tuition: Expert one-on-one Photographic tuition and guiding services
Exclusions
- Transportation: Any travel required to arrive at the workshop starting location in Keflavik, Iceland.
- Duties and Taxes: Any taxes, levies, insurances, Immigration, duty, and visa fees where applicable.
- Personal Items: Any personal items, including alcoholic beverages, souvenirs and travel insurance. No tipping is required.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
A deposit of $3,000 USD must be paid at the time of booking to secure your place, with the balance due 120 DAYS before the workshop commencement date. Deposit Methods Accepted: Credit card Visa/Master (+3%) or Direct Deposit / Wire Transfer.
Refunds and Cancellations: Our standard workshop policy requires an initial non-refundable deposit for the reservation of your space and your payment balance in full 120 days before the commencement of the workshop date unless otherwise noted. If we do not receive the balance on or before the due date, and we are unable to get in contact with you via the contact details you have provided, we will try to fill your spot off the waiting list. At our discretion, we may apply your deposit to be used for another workshop within one year. Please note that price increases may apply in this instance.
If the workshop is cancelled for any reason, your deposit will be refunded in full. Wild Nature Photo Travel Pty Ltd., trading as Joshua Holko Photography and Joshua Holko, is not responsible for any financial commitments that registered attendees have with third parties such as airlines or other travel services.
READ FULL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Travel Insurance: You must purchase travel and evacuation insurance in the event of illness or any other emergency that delays or otherwise prevents you from travelling on the trip. Wild Nature Photo Travel partners with and recommends Global Rescue for Evacuation and Medical insurance.
REGISTER FOR THIS WORKSHOP
If you are excited about photographing the iconic and comedic Atlantic Puffin with a small group of like-minded, passionate photographers, now is the time to register your interest. Places are extremely limited, and once spoken for, that's it.