Northern Lights Hunt With Photography Help - Small Group Tour

Breathtaking! Warning. . .it is very, very cold that late at night but the bus had cocoa and cinnamon buns, as well as blankets to keep warm. We had to wait for about 2 hours before the aurora was visible but so worth the wait.

We had a great trip out to find the Northern Lights with Bragi - and we have very happy with our decision to go with Arctic shots over a bigger tour. The main reasons for this were: 1. They will only take you out if there is a ‘decent’ probability of seeing them that evening. This could save you disappointment, time and effort whilst in cold temperatures. 2. They will check ‘when’ the lights are likely to appear, so you could be going out as early as sunset to later on in the evening - which takes some flexibility in terms of your plans that day as it may not be confirmed until the numbers start to align. We were picked up from our hotel at 7pm and saw the first showing by 7.40pm, and stronger showings from 9-10.30pm. 3. Unlike larger tours, where you go is very bespoke and flexible to increase your chances of seeing the lights. Because it’s a small group you can go to many different places with complete flexibility, and you have a warm car (with a hot chocolate to keep you warm!) to take breaks from the cold. The night we went out it felt like -13 so this was needed. 4. The amazing photos! Whilst you can sometimes see the lights well with the naked eye, they are so much brighter and dazzling with a DSLR camera. This trip was also an amazing photography shoot, ensuring that if the lights did appear, you have the photos to remember it forever. We did get a few good ones on our IPhones, but nothing like the professional cameras Arctic shots have. 5. Bragi sent the photos through early the next day, which were excellent. He’s an extremely talented photographer, and a really nice guy. We enjoyed learning more about Iceland from him This is a premium option compared to larger tours, but the experience, photos and increased chance of seeing the best lights that night mean it’s 100% worth it

I went out with Bragi on 9/12/24 and it was an awesome trip! He was fast with his replies and very punctual! He will pick you up at your Reykjavik hotel. Though the weather was so cloudy, he managed to move places to catch the gaps between the clouds to show me those beautiful northern lights! He is a great photographer by the way. Totally passionate and professional in his work! You will not regret engaging him to be your Northern Lights guide!

We had an amazing experience with Bragi! He was extremely knowledgeable, in all things Iceland and northern lights. We were ready to give up but he refused to let us and we ended up having an amazing show. Thank you for the amazing experience Bragi!

When he says 93% guarantee of seeing the lights, Bragi is not joking. With his expertise and a bit of luck, we saw lights that were a "once in 5 year event". Stunning colors, great eye. Highly helpful with guiding me for night sky photography and getting the right shots. 10/10 would recommend for best chance to see anything good.

East West was amazing . Got to see the lights dancing and the pics are amazing . The tour guide was nice and very accommodating. He loves what he does.

Our tour guide was great.He made the impossible to make sure that we saw the Northern Lights even though the forecast was against us.Very friendly and knowledgeable.Can’t wait to see the family pictures he took of us.Overall a great experience.

This northern lights tour is worth every penny! We booked early in our vacation just in case we would have to move the tour due to weather. We did end up moving the tour to the next day. Our tour guide was in communication the whole time regarding the weather and chances. Our tour guide told us all about the science behind northern lights and where to look for probabilities. He also helped me set the settings on my camera. It was truly an amazing and unforgettable experience!

We had a wonderful experience on our Northern Lights tour with Arctic Shots. We arrived in Reykavik on November 18 for a 9 night trip and were lucky enough to see the lights our first night! I arranged the trip through Braggi and he monitored the weather and aurora possibility in advance. Odinn took over as our guide and photographer. While I am a somewhat experienced photographer I do not do a lot of night photography. Odinn showed me how to focus my camera in the dark as well as the settings I should use to capture the lights. He also taught us how to recognize the start of the lights which was hugely helpful on the rest of our trip and we ended up seeing the lights at least 4 more times on this trip. Odinn also took photos of us which was very nice and included in the cost. We highly recommend this tour!

Bragi and Odinn really went above and beyond to give us the best chance possible of catching the Northern Lights! Having been travelling in Iceland for two weeks already under less than ideal conditions, we were not hopeful of seeing the lights before heading home. The last two nights we had available for the tour was tricky, as the forecast was not great (one day had low activity, but the other day had high activity but risk of cloud cover). Bragi really monitored the situation throughout the day, and kept in close contact with us while we were out travelling. At the last minute he made the call that we should go the same day, as he was not confident about the next day. This was contrary to what other websites were telling us, but what a good call it was! The lights put on a spectacular show for us… it was completely unreal. We travelled in a small group with just another couple, which made it very personalised and intimate. Our guide, Odinn, an extremely talented photographer in his own right, really helped us find the best spot. I was such a “noob” and he was patient to teach me the correct settings on my camera and how to set up the shots. He even took really fantastic photos of us WITH the lights. These guys really are professionals in what they do, and I cannot recommend them enough! P/S: What I have learnt is that the lights are unpredictable and elusive, so do give them a few dates to work with so they can plan for the best opportunity. Also be spontaneous and be willing to change your plans.

Great communication, planning, ensured we saw the northern lights and got some spectacular shots!…..

Bragi is just terrific! This was my second trip to Iceland and I immediately reached out to Bragi to book a Northern lights hunt/photo shoot— because my experience five years ago was absolutely amazing. And he did not disappoint! Even though it was cloudy and there were some questions about when/where we’d be able to see the lights… Or even if we would be able to see them… Bragi persevered and found us a great location to view and photograph. He also helped me learn my new camera, canon R5 and we spend a lovely part day on the peninsula Exploring the amazing sites so close to Reykjavík. Can’t wait to go back to Iceland and we’ll book Bragi again!!!

I can’t express enough how thankful I am to Bragi putting in the time and experience to ensuring we saw the Northern lights. Despite the cloud cover Bragi was still able to find a gap where the Northern lights danced around the sky around us. As a novice to photography I was nervous to show my inexperience but Bragi put me at my ease and helped me set my camera up with the necessary settings and positioning so I was able to take artistic shots of the Northern lights.

Extraordinary experience. Artic Shots kept us informed all day about the likelihood of seeing the lights. Odinn was amazing. He knows where to go to find the lights and has such depth of knowledge about both the lights and photography. Highlight of our trip!

A northern lights tour with Artic Shots is a must-do experience, while in Iceland. Odinn did a fabulous job selecting a location and helping me set up my camera for beautiful shots of the light display. I was originally supposed to go on Friday night and it was cancelled due to cloud cover. We went on Saturday instead, despite only a 30-40% chance of seeing them. Odinn left it up to me, whether I wanted to go or cancel. Since it was my last opportunity, I decided take a chance and am delighted I did. Odinn is a pro and if there were lights to be seen ... he'd find them and he did !! Thank you for helping me achieve one of my bucket list items. Of note ... Artic Shots communicated throughout the day on both Friday and Saturday about the weather, conditions and likelihood and waited as late as possible (~8pm) to make a call, as conditions are every changing. I appreciated the extent of communication. I would recommend Arctic Shots without hesitation !!

Surreal night. We contemplated using the typical bigger tour companies for our aurora hunting and we were so glad we decided to go with Arctic Shots. Bragi knows the best secret places for that magical moment to see the aurora. Plus its a private tour so you are not watching the aurora with a bus full of people. You can take your time. It was a special moment with just us and Bragi bought some hot chocolate and Icelandic alcohol to cheers to a beautiful night. Bragi with his awesome professional photography skills also ensured that we captured memory for life. It was a memorable night and our photos turned out phenomenal.

Unfortunately, our trip was cancelled due to bad weather and low activity of the Northern lights. But communication with Bragi from Arctic Shots was great, which we appreciate. We got our money back very quickly. If we go to Iceland again, we will book a trip with Arctic Shots.

Bragi from Arctic Shots is fabulous. He communicates really well about the chances of seeing the Northern Lights each day (yes, it can be a bit of a waiting game with cloud coverage). They do not take you out, unless they know there is a very good chance to see them. During my days in Reykjavik, I wasn't actually lucky enough to get the weather to cooperate and see the Northern Lights. For the subsequent days I traveled around Iceland, Bragi was super kind and offered camera settings for different conditions. I will need to return to Reyjkavik some time in the future, to actually go out with Arctic Shots to hunt the Northern Lights, but given how professional in the planning and communication they were, I wanted to leave a good review regardless.

Absolutely fantastic tour with Bragi. Love the personal feel and ability to quickly adapt with Arctic Shots. Appreciated the photography tips and enjoyable conversation. Our night was magical! We look forward to experiencing some of Arctic Shots' other tour options when we next visit Iceland!

Where do I begin? I hatched the idea to propose my now fiancée in Iceland under the northern lights last year and immediately looked for a photographer capable of doing so. From the start Bragi, was attentive, understanding and provided me with all of the information possible to make this day as perfect as possible months in advance. As we drew closer to the week of our trip we were approaching the possibility of not being capable of seeing the lights (unfortunately the aurora operates on her own clock so seeing it is entirely up to it and no one else). Bragi articulated this to me but assured we’ll give it the best shot possible to capture our pictures. It had to be a day of decision but Bragi again being extremely transparent said that the night would be the best opportunity and we should head out to see the elusive lights. You cannot control Mother Nature, the aurora included, so you have to keep your expectations tempered. Now from first glance looking into the night sky I thought we may have been out of luck, but Bragi is a professional and what he was able to capture blew my mind and made the moment unforgettable. My fiancée and I cannot begin to express our gratitude to Bragi. You will definitely see us again on our next trip to Iceland!

We went out on two nights first with Bragi and then meeting Odinn on the second night. They are both dedicated professionals that made every effort to ensure a wonderful experience. They answered all questions, helped us set up our cameras, and did everything in their power to share this remarkable phenomenon.

My daughter and I were in Iceland Nov 2021. We booked this tour before we left, Bragi was very prompt with all communications. We had a few nights in Reykjavik, but wasn't looking promising because of all the could coverage. Bragi contacted us one evening and said there might be some cloud openings if we wanted to try. He picked us up promptly from our hotel and off we went chasing the Northern Lights. He took us to a really fun spot, the clouds opened for a little while. We were able to see the Northern Lights and stars, it was so beautiful. Neither my daughter or I are photographers, so we really appreciated Bragi's vast knowledge and the photos he provided to us after. We had a wonderful time and it was definitely a highlight of our trip. Bragi is very passionate about photography and takes amazing photos, I would highly recommend this trip. Everything about Bragi and his company is very professional.

My 3 friends and I booked a private northern lights photo night with Bragi. Booking with him was easy and his communication was timely. The night wasn’t looking promising and he was very clear about that, but we decided to give it a chance anyways. We are so glad we did! After searching different areas for a bit he ended up taking us to the perfect spot. None of use were professional photographers and we all needed to learn how to photograph the northern lights. Bragi gave us a fantastic photo lesson and taught us what we needed to know in order to take photos for the remainder of our trip. You can tell he is incredibly passionate about photography and getting you the best photos. We were very grateful that we had the opportunity to learn from him. I would highly recommend anyone (professional, amateur or beginner) wanting to get professional help with photographing the northern lights or wanting someone to take you to the best places for photos to book with Bragi.

I went out twice with Óðinn to see the Northern Lights and on the second night the sky suddenly exploded and we could see the aurora dancing. I had an amazing time and it was a much more personal experience as there were only three other guests. Óðinn took us to a quiet location with no other tour buses. He helped me with the camera settings and showed me how to take beautiful photos of the aurora and the milky way. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who not only wants to see the Northern Lights, but also learn how to take some amazing pictures. I'm really looking forward to my next trip. Takk fyrir :)

Bragi was extremely easy to communicate with, he responded to all my correspondence in a professional and timely manner. He was flexible and re-schedule my tour due to low chance of seeing them. Due to borders closing, my trip to Iceland was cut short and Bragi was more than happy to re-schedule my tour again without hesitation. Bragi was informative and had an obvious passion for the lights. What was great about this tour was it was a small group, Bragi helped me do my settings on my camera and he took amazing professional photographs of me under the Norther Lights. I highly recommend Arctic Shots.

If you’re contemplating booking a northern lights tour with some of the generic tour companies then feel free but I would 10000% recommend spending the extra money on a private tour like these guys!! Bragi was an absolute legend from start to finish, provided us with updates before the tour with weather patterns and useful information, if it wasn’t for him picking us up earlier than originally scheduled we would have missed the northern lights without a shadow of a doubt. He provided great company for the duration and also gave us some of the famous Icelandic vodka with some well needed hot chocolate to keep us warm. If you have 0 clue about photography or don’t even own a proper camera like us then fear not, the pictures he’s able to capture are incredible and sends them to you the very next day so we really cannot fault his knowledge or skills when it comes to the northern lights!! In summary spend the extra money to avoid going to the standard “tourist” spots where the chances are you won’t actually see any northern lights, I cannot recommend this tour enough as his knowledge is truly worth it.

Unlike most northern lights tours with involve large groups and lots of continuous driving around, this is a much more personal experience. I was taken to a quiet location with no other tour buses so your view of the lights wasn't obscured by other flashing cameras and tourists. I love photography but I am certainly an amateur and I had no idea how to set my camera up to best capture the aurora. Within a few minutes Arctic shots had me set up and I managed to get some beautiful photos. Arctic shots make the experience incredibly enjoyable from the added extra of a warming alcoholic shot and a hot chocolate while on location but also the photography guidance, the hunt for a secluded location and the added bonus of being able to take home photos of you with the northern lights as a souvenir of the tour. I had a really good time on this tour and would certainly recommend it to anyone hoping to hunt the aurora. They certainly offer more than your standard Northern lights tours.

A little underwhelming (the lights) the tour operator was ok so the lights are not a reflection on them. The lights were not as visible to the naked eye as they were captured on camera.

I recently had a great northern lights tour with ArcticShots. Even though the skies were mostly cloudy around Reykjavik, the aurora forecast was good and our guide Odinn showed great skill in finding a cool location with clear skies so we could get really interesting foreground for our northern lights photos. I couldn't ask for any more!

Odinn did a great job getting us to the right spot to see the Aurora and was willing to stay out late to make sure everyone got a great picture of the lights. It was very clear he enjoyed what he did. Odinn was also very prompt to send us the amazing group shots he took of us the night before. I can't recommend arctic shots enough. Thanks Odinn!

We did a few different tours while in Reykjavik, including Arctic Adventures in a premium super jeep. With that experience, the Arctic Shots team (we had Odinn) were amazing. Super communicative, always monitoring the weather, clouds and forecasts - I got some rapid fire emails back and forth to get reassurance on the likelihood of seeing the lights. They will even cancel if the probability is low and not waste your time and money. The big tour companies still go out to take your money. We saw the lights twice with Odinn. Odinn was super friendly, knowledgable and great overall for a drive. Photography skills were great, he taught us how to set up our gear and settings to use. We were in a standard 4x4 car, 4 guests. Super intimate and very entertaining, especially since Odinn is a born and bred local. Very happy visitors and will definitely be back again.

I had a fantastic experience with Arctic Shots during my brief stay in Iceland this February. Bragi contacted me the day that I arrived and took me out for my first photographic tour of the Northern Lights that night! They weren’t very visible due to cloud coverage, but Bragi was super thoughtful and went above and beyond, inviting me out for a tour of the lights on a clear night just before my departure. He took some amazing photos and took time to help me to adjust my own camera settings (and teach me more about Astro-photography!). I highly recommend this unforgettable experience! Be sure to dress warm (layers, layers, layers!) and have some flexibility with your schedule, as the conditions for viewing Aurora can change rapidly, and sometimes cannot be determined until a few hours before. That being said, if you have the time and desire to see the lights, don’t miss out on this experience!

We didn’t actually made it to the tour, the weather wasn’t on our side for that. But they reached out to us with options of dates or cancellation... very thoughtful. Having had other experiences with “Northern Lights Hunts” I recomend it because of the honesty.

We went as a group of five last January and had an amazing trip. This was the third time we had tried to catch the northern lights with other tour operators in both Iceland and Norway with no luck. These guys made sure we got to see them, even though it wasn’t the brightest display. The trip was very well organised with some beautiful stops and very knowledgable guides. It’s a shame to see a random one star review from someone in December who it appears has reviewed the wrong company in error. Hopefully TA can rectify this and I can confirm it clearly isn’t for the same company we went out with. I have recommended you to lots of friends. Really nice touch that you emailed us all the photos from the trip as your camera was much better than ours would have turned out.

On January 28, we went out with Bragi and had the most magical evening with the Northern Lights putting on a show we will never forget! Bragi picked us up in Reykjavik and drove us out on our aurora hunt. He took us to the perfect spot. As we set up our cameras, he was monitoring the aurora forecast and was able to predict her appearance within 10 minutes! She made an impressive grand entrance, spread across the sky and danced the night away- all right above us. Bragi was superb about helping with camera settings, composition suggestions, and Photoshop/Lightroom lessons. He also took pictures of us under the Lights and the most stunning photos that evening! I would HIGHLY recommend this tour to anyone who hopes to see the Lady! If she does come out to play, you will go home with amazing photos both with her and of her. It was definitely the highlight of our trip to Iceland! And when I do make it back, I definitely plan to do this again!

It’s impossible for me to overstate how happy my husband and I were with our northern lights tour from Brogi and Arctic Shots. If you’ve come to Iceland to see the northern lights, but you aren’t a photographer (and you get lucky enough to spot them) you will, of course, have fond memories, but with Arctic Shots you will also have gorgeous professional photos to prove to yourself that it wasn’t just a dream! In addition to the experience of seeing the lights (of course there is no guarantee they will show up, but Brogi was monitoring the aurora forecast the whole time we were out) and receiving professional photographs (which includes a picture of you under the lights!), you get an intimate, small group experience, pick-up from your location in Reykjavik, a knowledgeable guide who will drive (safely!) to the best locations based on the weather forecast, a hot drink to warm you up in the cold weather, and pleasant conversation while you wait for the magic to happen. I would highly recommend Arctic Shots to anyone who comes to Iceland hoping to see the northern lights.

All of the northern lights tours from Reykjavik were cancelled this week, but Odinn from Arctic Shots was able to bring us out last night despite the unfavorable weather conditions including strong winds and heavy snow at times. We were able to see the Northern Lights from a few different vantage points and enjoyed hot chocolate in celebration. The pick up and return to our hotel were easy, and the pictures sent to us within 24 hours are spectacular! We've already recommended Arctic Shots to friends and would 100% go out with them again!

Visiting Iceland has been a dream come true for me. Especially when I got the right tour. I'm very glad and satisfied with the service from this tour. Bragi was very profesional in doing his job, even when the other tourist canceled and the only person who left was me, he still took me some photos and gave the best photos ever. The photos were awesome and supercool! I'm truly grateful for the chance that I got to see the northern light at that night. Thanks Bragi, you are the best

I did the Northern Lights tour with Odinn on Christmas night. They emailed the day of the tour with the forecast update and were very upfront that there was a less than 50% chance we’d see them and let us decide if we wanted to wait. Since it was the best chances of my nights left in Iceland, I chanced it- and I’m so glad I did! Odinn found the lights and we got great photos! My 2 friends decided to do a bigger bus tour the same night instead as it was cheaper and they didn’t see them. I HIGHLY recommend this company (and Odinn was awesome!)- you go where the other bus companies can’t, to locations that are great for photographing with the lights, and you get help with your camera and photographing them so you have amazing pictures and memories to look back at. I would absolutely book with them again!

Bragi and Odin are both very efficient and well coordinated guides and photographers! They try their utmost to provide the best aurora experience for their tourists. Both are knowledgeable on iceland roads so we felt very safe driving through the pitch black environment. Most importantly, the photos taken for us are beautiful and really captures the moment and experience! Will highly recommend to others who will visit iceland! :)

I’m a total newbie when it comes to night photography, but Odinn had me feeling like a pro by the end of the tour! Fantastic guide- I had a great time, and now I have photos that I’m incredibly excited about. Definitely worth the price. Also, I didn’t book this tour until about 4pm day-of, and they were super accommodating (I had an unsuccessful hunt the night before, and wasn’t originally planning to try a second night). So if you’re sitting in Reykjavík reading these reviews because you need a last minute lights tour... email them and you might luck out!

Guy knows his stuff! Above and beyond what I expected. Picked me up at my hotel, just a nice guy. Went to multiple spots.

Being a novice photographer, I selected this tour due to the great reviews and that they would teach you how to photograph the Norther Lights. I was not disappointed. Bragi was very helpful and supportive in explaining how to set up the camera to capture the lights. He also had us practising photographing the Milky Way while we waited for the Northern Lights to appear. We ended up getting a lot of practice as it wasn’t until 1 in the morning until they arrived. Bragi was very clear that we might or might not see them and I believe we were fortunate to see them with a crystal-clear sky. Overall, very pleased with the tour. My pictures exceeded my expectation but are nowhere near as good as the ones Bragi took. I would recommend that anyone taking this trip to overdress for the weather. The temperature in Reykjavik was -1c but -10c where we were taking pictures. Overall, had a great time learning a lot about my camera and Iceland. Highly recommend.

We had the pleasure of Bragi taking us on a Northeen Light tour. First place we stopped it was cloudy so we did not have our hopes up. At this point we would probably have driven home again if on our own. However Bragi took us to another place where he believed we would be more lucky and 20 min drive later we saw the most amazing Northern Light. Thank you Bragi a super tour and thanks for learning a new way of drinking snaps. Elisabeth and Henrik

A picture is definitely worth a thousand words and then some. I took the Northern Lights photo tour and Bragi and Odinn did not disappoint and neither did Mother Nature. Bragi was excellent at keeping in touch with us during our trip and advising us of the best day to go out. Not only did I get Northern Lights photos, but I also got Milky Way photos! Bragi and Odinn were EXCELLENT at explaining the camera settings necessary to get the shots I wanted. Additionally they took photos of my family and I under the Northern Lights and with the Milky Way that I will treasure. Tips: Dress VERY warmly, Use a WIDE ANGLE LENS! Additionally if you are thinking you can go out and do this on your own, think twice. It's extremely cold, very dark and the roads are going to be unfamiliar to you. Bragi and Odinn will take you to safe locations with beautiful foregrounds for your photos. I highly recommend this tour (or any tour with Arctic Shots) no matter your photography skill level or even if you're not a photographer. Bragi and Odinn are wonderful photographers and guides. I enjoyed the tour so much that I want to go back as soon as possible and take more tours with them.

Seeing the Northern Lights has been on our bucket list for years. These guys are experts, they watch all the weather maps and they drive you to hunt for the Northern lights. Success!! They were very helpful in helping us use our cameras but they also took photos with their cameras of us and shared them with us in a dropbox. We had a fabulous night! Van was very comfortable. We really appreciated all the efforts they took to hunt for us. Would definitely recommend and go again.

We were picked up on time in a jeep (7:30 p.m.) and there were 2 couples in total. The conditions weren't really good. It had only snowed the days before and it was always cloudy. In addition, December (according to our guide) is not the best month to see the lights. But on this day the sky was clear. We waited in vain at the first viewpoint and then changed location. At the second viewpoint, slight lights could be seen when you looked through the camera...which was of course unsatisfactory. So we changed location again and then it worked. They were visible to the naked eye and we took some nice pictures (with his camera and with our iPhone). In our 14-day vacation, it was the only time we saw the lights. We were satisfied and say thank you again 👍