Iceland Photo Essay for The Washington Post

An iceberg is pictured in Jökulsárlón, Iceland.

This summer, I spent three weeks traveling throughout Iceland. It was my second visit to the island and as I navigated the relatively familiar territory, I found myself attracted to making pictures that not only showcased the powerful and raw landscape, but the interaction of the travelers who were experiencing the place. The images ran as an interactive essay on The Washington Post’s website and also as a large single-page spread in print this past Sunday, which is always exciting to see. 

When I initially pitched the story, I planned to focus on the 76% drop in international visitors due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I spoke with Jón Bjarki Bentsson, chief economist at Íslandsbanki, about the drop and the rebound taking place over the summer of 2022. “When the pandemic struck, we were worried, for example, that we had over capacities in the southern region in terms of hotel rooms that will not be filled for many years to come. But we are already closing this gap."

Sigurður Snorrason, co-founder and president of RVK Brewing, poses for a portrait at the brewery.

In addition, I was able to speak with two business owners: Ágúst Einþórsson, baker and co-owner of Baka Baka, and Sigurður Snorrason, co-founder and president of RVK Brewing. It was great to hear from two business owners who were adding to the food/drink scene in Reykjavík. When I asked Snorrason about the past couple of years and how the pandemic impacted business, he responded, “sometimes it’s (the taproom) full of tourists. Sometimes they don’t show up at all,” Sigurður Snorrason, co-founder and president of RVK Brewing, said. “During the pandemic, they didn’t show up.” 

One thing that surprised me as I researched more about tourism over the past couple of years was the importance of domestic travel and how smaller businesses and guest houses adapted to offer accommodation to those who were traveling the island since it was far less busy. Anecdotally this appears to have been key to sustaining many small to medium-sized businesses throughout the periods of the pandemic when international travel was at a low.