Budir church

The little black church at Budir on Iceland's Snaefellsnes peninsula stands between the sea and the only other building for miles around, the fantastic Hotel Budir - which I reckon to be one of the most beautiful places in the world.

I organised a trip to some of Iceland’s fantastic photogenic landscapes to the south and east for The Guild of Photographers, and afterwards hired a 4 x 4 and drove over here to check out logistics for a future tour, taking a couple of photographer friends with me.

Both guys loved Hotel Budir so much they decided that when they got married it would be here. (Well, that would be next time round for Chris, already married, but with the writing already on the wall.)

In just a few days on the peninsula we had some adventures: going up onto onto the glacier in a Snowcat with a stag group; watching the blood and turmoil of a fishing catch coming in; losing a camera at the Witches Hat mountain and waterfall, negotiating a single track road in a white-out over the high route back …more memories!

fast trot

This trip to Iceland for The Guild of Photographers was unforgettable. A great group, sharing experience in an incredible place. The landscape could leave us gasping, the weather shifted faster than we could believe, and every corner we turned brought us another delight.

This photogenic little horse was a totally unexpected pleasure. It appeared fast over a low hill - we heard it before we saw it - and shot past us with its strange fast short gait, peculiar and particular to Icelandic horses. Coming back ten minutes later, the rider looked a bit bemused as he negotiated a beaming group of Guild photographers who couldn't believe their luck!