Chaos Retreat
An immersive 3-day workshop in Iceland for photographers learning to work with the wild, not against it.
This is not a workshop for perfect conditions.
If you’re looking for golden-hour guarantees, Pinterest poses, and a tidy little portfolio refresh… this isn’t it.
This is for photographers who feel something slipping.
Who are tired of work that looks good but says nothing.
Who want to step back into the mess – and make something real again.
Iceland doesn’t behave.
And neither do we.
We’ll gather in our small seaside village, where the wind has a voice and the ocean never really rests. You’ll stay with us – under one roof, sharing meals, stories, silence, and whatever weather decides to roll in.
Over two days, we won’t teach you how to control the scene.
We’ll show you how to work inside it.
How to read light when it’s barely there.
How to guide people when they’re cold, unsure, exposed.
How to make images that feel like something – not just look like something.
What this becomes
Not lectures. Not performance.
Conversations.
Observation.
Trial.
Failure.
Adjustment.
Growth.
You’ll photograph real couples in real conditions – black sand, shifting skies, wind that pulls at everything. Nothing over-styled. Nothing overly controlled.
Just enough guidance to push you forward.
Enough space to find your own way.
The rhythm
Day One (October 27th)
Arrive at the villa around 16:00. Slow landing. Shared dinner. A long evening together inside while the Icelandic wind does its thing outside the windows.
An open conversation about how Styrmir & Heiðdís work: reading difficult light, guiding humans through uncomfortable moments, adapting when weather and plans stop behaving. Less lecture. More honest exchange. The group getting to know each other, sharing perspectives, stories, struggles, and ways of seeing.
Hot tub. Sauna. Fire. The workshop begins by building the space around it.
Day Two (October 28th)
Out into the landscape. A full day in the rougher, less-polished edges of Iceland.
Difficult weather. Shifting light. Real conditions. Real problem solving.
This is where we explore how to adapt, direct, observe, and keep creating when things stop feeling easy.
You end the day back at the villa. Slower. Fuller. Wind-burned, inspired, and carrying images you couldn’t have made anywhere else.
Hot tub talks included.
Day Three (October 29th)
A softer start. Coffee. Ocean outside the windows.
One final slower shoot together near the villa. Black sand, soft morning light, and the quieter energy that settles in after a few days of shared experience.
No rushing. No grand finale. Just one last chance to create together before everyone drifts back out into the world a little fuller than before.
The house we gather in
We’ll be staying together at Iceland Haven – a villa on the edge of the North Atlantic.
Ocean-facing balconies.
Hot tub. Sauna.
Wind at your doorstep, warmth when you come back in.
Not a hotel. A home base.
A place for shared meals, slow mornings, and conversations that stretch long after the cameras are put down.
Because what happens in between the shoots?
That’s part of the work too.
Who this is for
This is for photographers who:
• Value storytelling, connection, and experience as much as beautiful photographs
• Struggle when conditions aren’t perfect
• Want to create images with depth, tension, and truth
• Enjoy learning alongside other thoughtful photographers
• Are done chasing trends and ready to build something real
You don’t need to be advanced.
You do need to be open.
What you’ll leave with
Better work, yes.
But more importantly:
• A deeper trust in your instincts
• A clearer way of seeing
• A different relationship to unpredictability
• And a reminder of why this work matters
A note on who we are
We’re Styrmir & Heiðdís – Icelandic photographers, partners in life and work, shaped by this place and the stories it holds.
We weren’t flown in. We were raised here – in the wind, the long winters, and the kind of weather that changes its mind mid-sentence.
Over the past decade, we’ve photographed 300+ weddings and elopements across Iceland – from quiet vows in remote valleys to full gatherings along the coast. We’ve worked in sideways rain, blinding snow, harsh sun, and everything in between. We’ve built timelines that fall apart, calmed nerves when conditions shift, and learned how to keep creating when nothing goes to plan.
That’s where our work is forged – not in perfect conditions, but in the in-between.
In the moments that feel uncertain, a little uncomfortable, a little alive.
We don’t chase trends or rely on formulas.
We guide. We observe. We adapt.
And over time, we’ve built a way of working that makes space for something real to happen – even when the conditions aren’t ideal.
That’s what we’re bringing into this workshop.
Not perfection. Not performance.
Just experience, perspective, and a way of seeing shaped by this land – and the people we’ve met in it.
Come if it pulls you
We’ll keep this small. Personal. Intentional.
No big promises. No over-polished pitch.
Just a few days, a shared space, and the kind of learning that doesn’t come from watching – but from being in it.
October 27th – 29th 2026
You’ll be staying with us at the villa, in private rooms with double beds, shared with your partner or alone if you prefer.
Transportation to Eyrarbakki is not included, but we’ll help coordinate – a WhatsApp group will be created ahead of time so everyone can connect, share rides, and arrive together if possible.
Tickets available here through the Way Up North Workshop page.
