2025 ICELAND MIDNIGHT SUN

A summer photography workshop in the land of Fire and Ice

JUNE 19 - 28, 2025

To say that Iceland is a landscape photographer’s dream would be an understatement. During the midnight sun of the summer months, sunsets bleed into sunrises and that golden light lasts for hours. Couple this with the Iceland’s northern latitude and the soft light can last all day long giving ample opportunities to explore and create wonderful imagery. The island is famous for its abundant waterfalls, rugged green cliffs, black sand beaches, and glacier lagoons. We will cover as much of Iceland as possible on this workshop while photographing through the night time hours and sleeping and traveling to locations during the day. A benefit of “reversing” our days is that we will be chasing the best light and avoiding the crowds at the same time. This truly is a photographic trip of a lifetime and an experience not to be missed!         

On this 10 day and 10 night Photography Workshop all lodging and transportation within Iceland will be included. We will travel the ring road and into the highlands which showcases the diverse and dramatic landscapes of this beautiful island. You will be guided to some of the most iconic locations as well as some off the beaten path, and provided with expert instruction on how best to capture the light and interesting compositions. The goal of the workshop is to give you the ability to explore, learn, and fine tune your photography skills both in the field as well in post processing development to bring your images to life. Helping students create a portfolio of images they are excited and proud of is priority number one on all of our workshops. And there is no better place to photograph landscapes than a trip to Epic Iceland!                

INSTRUCTOR: DANI LEFRANCOIS & SHANE KALYN                      

GROUP SIZE: 8 - 10 PARTICIPANTS

COST: $7950

INCLUDED: All Transportation and Lodging for 10 Nights (Single Occupancy Rooms)

DEPOSIT: A 33% deposit is required to secure a spot. A second 33% payment is due 180 days in advance with the final balance due 90 days prior to workshop.

ITINERARY

Participants should arrive at the Keflavik International Airport (KEF) anytime on Thursday June 19, 2025 and make their way to our hotel in Reykjavik. Many flights from the United States are overnight flights arriving very early each day, so the first day will allow to get over the jet lag. We will gather that first evening for orientation and dinner and head out the following day on our Icelandic adventure. Lodging will be included for the nights of June 19 - 28, with people flying home on Sunday June 29. Our journey will take us through the interior, into the highlands, and along the southern coast then into the east fjords to visit the most active puffin colony in the country. Along the way potential stops include, Geysir, Gulfoss, Bruarfoss, Haifoss, the Highlands, Landmannalaugar, Vik, Skogafoss, Kvernufoss, Reynisfjara, Jokulsarlon, Diamond Beach, Vestrahorn and of course many more! A few days will be built in as flex days to give us the opportunity for plane rides over the beautiful braided river deltas to create amazing abstract images, which is completely weather dependent and therefore an optional additional cost. Our last night together will be spent in Reykjavik on Saturday June 28 with lodging including that evening.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

A photography adventure you won’t soon forget! There’s a good reason that Iceland has become a hot spot of landscape photography. The land of the midnight sun simply gives photographers an opportunity like no other to get creative and capture beautiful images. Iceland can feel like another planet in one location and something straight out of a fairy tale in another. No matter the weather (which is constantly changing) there are photographs to be had. The field sessions are structured to not wear anyone out and get the most enjoyment of the surroundings and scenery. In the field techniques and tips will be provided to help capture images correctly "in camera" with the goal being that part becomes second nature and students can then focus on the creative aspects of landscape and nature photography. Post processing instruction will run the gamut of importing and organizing files into Lightroom to processing images in Lightroom and Photoshop and finally prepping images for the internet or for print. We are an open book and willing to share any tips or tricks we’ve learned to help you turn your photographs into art!

MEET THE INSTRUCTORS

DANI LEFRANCOIS

Meet Dani Lefrancois: part wilderness child, part road trip aficionado, and full-time photo guide. Hailing from the overly tamed, highly populated area of the Niagara Region in Southern Ontario, Dani's childhood was a blend of summer camps and road trips with mosquito bites and car sickness (but only if she’s reading). She practically grew up with a map in one hand and a camera in the other, ready to explore the world around her and capture nature at every turn. Her love affair with photography was truly sparked on a fateful journey to Cape Breton Island, NS, where the rugged landscapes and salty air whispered secrets only a lens could capture. But it was a wild romp through Banff & Jasper National Parks and through Yukon and Alaska that lit the fire under her tripod, making her realize that snapping shots wasn't just a hobby—it was her calling.

 In 2011, Dani packed her bags, bid farewell to the Ontario flatlands, and set up camp in Banff, where the mountains echoed her ambition, and the glacier fed lakes sang her name. With her trusty adventure dog, Tuzo, by her side, they conquered trails, played in rivers, and Dani took more photos of Tuzo pooping in pretty places than she could count.

When Dani's not squeezing as much life out of a photo day as possible from sunset to the night sky to her favourite, sunrise, you'll find her cruising the open road, windows down, music up, and the tallest can of iced tea that she can find within arm's reach. Hiking, driving, knitting and Netflixing, she's a woman of extremes from always on the go or not moving at all. For the past two decades, Dani's calendar has been a graveyard of missed photo contest submission deadlines, a testament to her eternal optimism and perpetual forgetfulness. She's watched deadlines sail past like ships in the night, waving goodbye to her dreams of fame and fortune, one missed entry form at a time. But hey, who needs prizes when you've got a camera full of memories and a dog who thinks you're the greatest photographer in the world? For Dani, the real prize lies in the moments she captures, not the awards she misses out on. As Dani's wild journey continues, she finds the most joy in guiding others around the majestic landscapes of Banff National Park and to exciting new locations around the world. And though her track record with contest deadlines may leave something to be desired, Dani's determination remains unshakable.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of life, Dani knows the true treasures lie in the simple joys—camping under a blanket of stars, hiking to hidden waterfalls, and sharing her passion for the landscape with anyone who will listen. So, as Dani Lefrancois blazes her trail through life, camera in hand and Tuzo by her side, one thing's for certain—wherever Dani goes, laughter, love, and endless possibilities are sure to follow. www.danilefrancois.com

SHANE KALYN

It all started with an old Nikon camera. A young Shane Kalyn picked up his father’s manual camera, and an interest bloomed. He shot on film, on slides. Then, he went to university, where he studied fish and wildlife management, and started traveling — and his world exploded. “From leopards and lions in Africa to Arctic foxes and puffins in Iceland to giant tortoises in Seychelles, I have been so fortunate to see and photograph some truly amazing things,” says Kalyn, an award-winning nature, wildlife and landscape photographer. He has been recognized by Canadian Geographic, National Geographic, the U.K. Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year, and the Audubon Photography Awards.

Shane is a proud member of The Canid Project, a non-profit that spreads awareness of the world’s canids to promote human-wildlife co-existence. “Photographing any species of wildlife, from sparrows to elephants, truly brings me joy. But I have a real soft spot for wild canids such as foxes and coyotes.  I would love to travel the world and photograph all of the amazing canid species out there”. 

Currently residing in Vancouver, BC but never content to sit still, Shane has also travelled to just shy of 50 countries, and his job as a fisheries technician takes him to some of the most remote and beautiful corners of his home province of British Columbia — but some of Shane’s favourite moments in photography often happen when he stumbles across urban wildlife close to home. “I am fascinated by urban wildlife and their ability to adapt and live alongside the human world, this coexistence is both essential and beautiful.  For me, it is the connection to the wildlife I photograph that I cherish the most. Feeling that connection to the natural world grounds me, and it is by far where I am most comfortable.”  Shane is also a proud member of the Canadian Conservation Photographers Collective, a group that promotes conservation and science education through the production of strong, thought-provoking visual content and he is also the founder of Canadian Conservation – a collective of Canadian nature photographers who use their art to raise funds to protect Canadian wildlife and conserve Canada’s wild spaces. www.4elementphotos.com

CANCELLATION POLICY

We reserve the right to cancel the workshop if minimum participants are not met or in the event of an emergency. In the event of emergency where Chris cannot personally attend, then a replacement guide will be the first option. If a cancellation does occur, participants may either use the fee towards a future workshop or receive a full refund. We are not responsible for travel expenses incurred and therefore strongly recommend travel insurance to cover such costs.

A $200 change fee will be charged for changes or cancellations. Participants who cancel prior to 90 days before the workshop will receive either a full refund or credit to a future workshop minus the change fee. Any cancellations within 90 days of the workshop cannot be refunded under any circumstances. Only if we are able to fill the vacancy, will the participant will receive a credit to a future workshop minus the change fee. Workshop credits are good for one calendar year from the date of the missed workshop.

Any cancellations within 30 days of the workshop (for any reason) will forfeit their entire registration fee as it is extremely difficult to fill the space on that short of notice. If a true emergency arises last minute we will do our best to work with you granting a partial credit towards a future workshop, but this is not guaranteed. Again travel insurance is strongly recommended.