Photographing Epic Sunrises in the Highlands of Iceland

There are a few places on earth where it is difficult to not be inspired. Iceland is undoubtedly one of them, and it's difficult to resist shooting every minute you are there. In this video, go behind the scenes on a shoot in Iceland's highlands during a colorful sunrise.

I first visited Iceland on my 30th birthday, and like many people who had been there before me, I fell in love. It's a place with such staggering geography that it's hard to believe it wasn't designed. There are giant glaciers, fjords, volcanoes, waterfalls, and every other feat of nature you might hope to see. The news about Iceland has been dominated recently with the erupting volcano and the terrifying beauty that brings. But, it's worth remembering that the country is full of staggering vistas.

In this video, Nigel Danson sets out to shoot a sunrise in Iceland's highlands. During the summer months in Iceland, there is no real "night" and you are instead left with 19 or more hours of daylight. This has its benefits and drawbacks for photographers. On the one hand, you'll need to get up at about 3 am to shoot the sunrise, and much earlier if you need to travel to a distant location that requires hiking. On the other hand, the sunrises and sunsets last much longer and you get to enjoy some beautiful, atmospheric color as the sun slopes lazily up and down a portion of the sky.