The east-side viewing platform

The east bank is the short way in: park at the Stuðlagil car park off Road 923, walk a few hundred metres, and the canyon opens below a wooden platform. From up here the columns read as pattern — vertical ranks on both walls, broken blocks stacked at the water's edge, and the river winding through them in a band of blue-green.

It is the frame that sells the place, and it works in ordinary shoes within an hour, which makes it the practical choice for a shorter session or a dressed-up couple. Put the couple on the platform with the canyon behind and shoot slightly wide to keep both walls; then work close, using the railing line and the columns as a graphic backdrop rather than a landscape.

The canyon holds shade for much of the day, so morning and evening light along the rim beats midday, and a bright overcast keeps the texture in the grey basalt. Do not step out onto the column tops near the edge for a better angle: they are loose, wet from spray and rain, and considerably higher above the water than they look from the platform.