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There is a small cafe and office at the smaller lagoon but the big lagoon is basically temporary buildings with a small cafe (I probably would not eat in) and a restroom. Ice stacks up in the lagoon, eventually breaking into icebergs that get pulled out the short river and then wash back up onto the beach. I found that out when I arrived at the Diamond Beach and found nothing bigger than a football. My plan had been to stay and hope the sky cleared for a chance at the Milky Way or aurora but with no ice, I moved to camp at Skaftafell NP.

After spending three nights in the west I drove to the south coast of Iceland. This is the most popular area in Iceland

It is under three hours from Reyjkavik and I hoped after an overnight flight, I could get my car, get food and make the drive before sunset. It is crowded with tour buses and many people walking along the coast. Wanting to avoid the crowds at Kirkjufellfoss, I explore an area with small streams, the light gets golden and I catch some great light. The shot night is almost over and sunrise is around 6:00am.

It is my Day 1 ritual to be out waiting for that first sunrise of the year. I even got a chance to get in a couple of Milky Way images one morning just before dawn. I spent the next week photographing the Milky Way in the predawn hours, the days hiking, and sunsets chasing light. I would have thought the snow from the first morning could not be topped, but on my last morning we had snow, rain, sleet, wind and some of the most amazing light I have ever seen.