Almannagjá — the walk between the plates

Almannagjá is the western edge of the rift valley: a gorge where the path runs beneath the sheer wall of the North American plate, with broken basalt towers on the other side and the plain of Þingvellir — Iceland's original parliament ground — spreading below. For portraits it is a gift: dark, textured walls that swallow distractions, a wide gravel path to work along, and constant changes of scale from tight canyon to open valley.

Start from the upper visitor-centre end at Hakið, where the viewing platform takes in the whole rift valley and lake Þingvallavatn, then walk down through the gorge. The walls keep the gorge in soft shadow much of the day — even light that flatters faces when the open valley is harsh — and the gaps frame the valley beyond. Early morning matters here: from about ten the Golden Circle coaches feed a steady procession through the gorge.

What goes wrong: the basalt is dark and meters want to overexpose faces against it — your photographer handles that, but expect frames moodier than typical travel shots. The path is gravel with some slope, fine in normal shoes. Stay on marked paths; the mossy edges and fissures are protected, and rangers do enforce it.