Photo spot in Stuðlagil Canyon
Stuðlafoss
A waterfall pouring over a curved wall of basalt columns, a kilometre before the canyon on the west-bank path — usually empty.
About Stuðlafoss
Get directionsStuðlafoss is the warm-up act on the west-bank walk, and on a busy day it is the better photograph: a modest waterfall dropping over a curved bay of hexagonal columns, with a shallow pool in front and grass right up to the edge. Where the canyon is grand and grey, this is intimate and green.
The columns curve around the fall like an apse, which does the composition for you — put the couple on the near bank and the geometry frames them. A slower shutter silks the water while the basalt stays sharp; there is enough room to work from several distances without wading.
It sits beside the track about a kilometre short of the canyon, so it costs nothing extra if you are already walking the west side. In spring and after heavy rain the ground here is boggy and the pool spreads; in high summer it is dry enough for a dress with sensible shoes for the approach.
Best time to shoot
Any daylight hour — the bay is shaded and even
Tips
Put the couple on the near bank and let the curved columns frame them. A slower shutter silks the fall without softening the basalt.
Other spots in Stuðlagil Canyon
The east-side viewing platform
A five-minute walk from the car park to a platform looking straight down on ranks of hexagonal columns and the blue river between them.
Down in the riverbed, west bank
Five kilometres of track each way from Klaustursel, ending among the columns themselves — the view from inside the canyon rather than above it.
Ready to book?
Our concierge team will hand-pick 2-3 photographers who know Stuðlafoss — free of charge.