The white clouds are just turning pink as the sun drops while I'm typing, so here's hoping for decent light next time you are able to get out shooting in the coming months. Oh, and I hope Santa is good to you as well. 
Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you Nige @FishyFish and to everyone.
New years (or sooner) resolution is to finish that roll of Polypan if it ever stops raining
that sounds a really great way to spend the day and a focus for buying as well-big thumbs up from me.Like last year, we're jumping on a 'plane and leaving the festivities far behind. Really looking forward to spending time with friends and enjoying a traditional Icelandic Christmas Eve: giving each other a book and spending the evening reading, chatting, drinking and watching the snow gently fall...
...all night, frozen solid, camera batteries in my underpants, hoping for a glimpse of the Northern Lights!
Merry Christmas everyone!
every year they come in out of the cold (usually in the kitchen) and is usually just one..h'mm I've caught two so far . as about 2 months ago found a young squirrel in the bedroom.
Happy xmas every one.
My xmas starts off catching mice in the living room
God knows how they get into the house
In the green house (well away from the house) something was nibbling my seedlings, so set traps and caught 18 mice
You'd think we lived on a farm with all this...oh well just my usual rant.
Maybe Santa should bring you a cat?
Get a Jack Russell - if you can put up with the barking.Maybe Santa should bring you a cat?
Do you think the squirrel let the mice in? The same way we used to let our mates into the cinema through the fire exits.Happy xmas every one.
My xmas starts off catching mice in the living room
God knows how they get into the house
In the green house (well away from the house) something was nibbling my seedlings, so set traps and caught 18 mice
You'd think we lived on a farm with all this...oh well just my usual rant.
If you can borrow one it may show you where they are getting inGet a Jack Russell - if you can put up with the barking.
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What? Jack Russells??If you can borrow one it may show you where they are getting in
I’ve had them come up from under the floor through an unnoticed hole where a radiator was moved.
Yeah, squirrels are little sods around here, always opening our fire exits and letting their mates in. I have told them I'll call the police next time... but they know the police take so long to come they'll be out and up a tree long before plod arrive...
Like last year, we're jumping on a 'plane and leaving the festivities far behind. Really looking forward to spending time with friends and enjoying a traditional Icelandic Christmas Eve: giving each other a book and spending the evening reading, chatting, drinking and watching the snow gently fall...
...all night, frozen solid, camera batteries in my underpants, hoping for a glimpse of the Northern Lights!
Merry Christmas everyone!
Having said that, there are so many lovely places in-between the 'sights' that we enjoy just driving around, stopping for a picnic in random places and hiking for an hour from the side of the road. ...And those studded things that strap onto your boots (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Snow-Ant...s-Spikes-Crampon-Hiking-Climbing/352863259829). They make clambering about on ice a hell of a lot easier and safer.
RATS ARE NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS! by Robin Procter, on Flickr
I've heard their prawn rings are meant to be quite nice.
Joking aside, hope you have a great time and the northern lights shine on you. Don't forget to remove any daylight/UV filters from your lenses though, otherwise you'll get a strange Newton's rings type effect spoiling your photos. 
Don't forget to remove any daylight/UV filters from your lenses though, otherwise you'll get a strange Newton's rings type effect spoiling your photos.
Prawn ring = Iceland the frozen food shop instead of Iceland the country joke.
Thanks Mr Badger, that’s really useful knowledgePrawn ring = Iceland the frozen food shop instead of Iceland the country joke.
UV/Daylight filters + Northern Lights = Newton's Rings appearing across the sky and spoiling 'once in a lifetime' type shots. Not many people seem to know about this, so thought I'd better mention it as I think film photographers are more likely to have a UV filter on their lenses. A Google search should find info and example photos. Hopefully @RaglanSurf won't fall foul of this now (if he wasn't aware beforehand).
The Harpa concert hall and old harbour next to it are my favourite places to take photos in the city. I also like poking around the back streets looking for interesting details. However, I'd recommend getting away from the city if you can. Iceland is at it's best well away from Reykjavik, in my opinion.
The sights of the Golden Circle (https://guidetoiceland.is/best-of-iceland/top-9-detours-on-the-golden-circle) are not far from Reykjavik. I never get bored of visiting Þingvellir and the steaming volcanic hills surrounding Geysir. January should be relatively quiet too. The summer seems to be rammed with coaches these days
The best 'tips' I could give you are to prepare for all weathers, but not stress about what you end up with. Partly because it's such a beautiful country that there's always something to shoot in even the worst light and weather, plus the light tends to change very quickly as systems come through. I'd recommend ISO 400 film as it will cover you for bright winter sun through dull rainy days. Cameras with removable backs are handy for Iceland, so you can swap out colour and B&W. I managed with the Xpan last time, but was just really lucky with getting colour in for the blue sky days and B&W when the weather turned. It was much easier when I took my (long gone, but not forgotten) 503CX. I also spent ages looking for a camera rain cover last time we went, but ended up just getting the missus to hold a brolly—which worked just fine.
Gloves! Take good gloves
Extra camera and light meter batteries, so you can keep a set next to your skin and swap them out if the temperature drops. That said, Iceland doesn't get as cold as most people think, unless you're right in the interior. The ocean air keeps it relatively mild.
No idea about Aurora shooting to be honest...apart from 'use a tripod'! Looks pretty cloudy for this week, so doubt we'll see much anyway.
Prawn ring = Iceland the frozen food shop instead of Iceland the country joke.
UV/Daylight filters + Northern Lights = Newton's Rings appearing across the sky and spoiling 'once in a lifetime' type shots. Not many people seem to know about this, so thought I'd better mention it as I think film photographers are more likely to have a UV filter on their lenses. A Google search should find info and example photos. Hopefully @RaglanSurf won't fall foul of this now (if he wasn't aware beforehand).
