What's It Like Photographing Icelandic Horses in a Snowstorm

What can you possibly shoot in a snowstorm in northern Iceland in the middle of winter? There's not a lot of wildlife around and landscapes are a no-go, but hardy horses might just save the day.

In mid-February, the middle of winter for Iceland, Gudmann and Gyda are faced with staying in and keeping warm in the office, or heading out in the middle of a snowstorm to see what they can capture. With many of the traditional wildlife they shoot disappearing during the colder months they're left with very little to shoot. The blizzards cover vistas so landscape photography is out. Strong winds and snowfall also stop their ability to fly drones shooting footage from the air. So they're forced to trek carefully by car and foot to discover a subject that's worthy of a place in their portfolio.

With the goal of capturing the extremely harsh conditions they are faced to live in outside during the winter, they set out to photograph Icelandic horses during the snowstorm. Gudmann and Gyda offer some insightful tips for planning a short photography mission such as this and give advice on photographing outside in the snow, including how to keep their kit clean and clear to continue shooting, and how to compose strong images when the environment around them is a blanket white and the animals get a little too friendly.

Jason Parnell-Brookes's picture

Jason is an internationally award-winning photographer with more than 10 years of experience. A qualified teacher and Master’s graduate, he has been widely published in both print and online. He won Gold in the Nikon Photo Contest 2018/19 and was named Digital Photographer of the Year in 2014.

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