Professional photographer Carolin Giese, who is well-known for her stunning equine photos and the owner of Lina Images, will guide participants on this weeklong, all-inclusive, skill-building journey. She will cover the entire creative process, guiding you through the basics of creating successful horse photography and sharing tips, tricks, and instruction on location. Whether you’re shooting with a mirrorless, DSLR, or iPhone, you will develop as a photographer, exchange knowledge, and create powerful images of the Icelandic horse in its stunning native environment.

The week will feature your perfect blend of riding and scenic photography sessions curated and coached by Lina. We will typically spend mornings around the farm, either riding, shooting, or editing, while our afternoons will be filled with photography adventures. This workshop is ideal for both photography enthusiasts and advanced photographers aiming to develop their portfolio and skills.

This workshop will take place at Hestaland Horse Farm in West Iceland, where we have stunning scenery in every direction.

The farm we are located on is called Stadarhus; it’s about 1 hour from Reykjavik. We will be traveling from the farm to shoot on location, trailering horses with us to serve as our muses amid beautiful landscapes (check out the sample itinerary below!).

Limited to 14 guests. Email info@hestaland.net to place a 50% deposit and reserve your spot!

All-Inclusive stay at Hestaland

Day 1

• 10:30 Pickup at BSI bus terminal in Reykjavík
• 1:00 Lunch at Hestaland
• 2:00 After lunch we’ll take some time to get to know each other, learn everyone’s goals, and get everyone up to speed on the week’s exciting itinerary.
• 3:00 Intro to Photographing the Icelandic horse, stable visit to meet our muses
• 6:00 Dinner

Day 2

• 7:00-9:00 Breakfast buffet
• 9:00-12:00 Trail riding/Shooting on and around the farm (barn, lessons, fields, etc.)
• 12:00 Lunch
• 2:00-4:00 Photoshoot (“herd in its natural environment”)
• 4:00-6:00 Intro to Photo Editing
• 6:00 Dinner

Day 3

• 7:00-9:00 Breakfast buffet
• 9:00-12:00 Trail riding/photoshoot on the farm/photo editing
• 12:00 Lunch
• 1:30-3:30 Photoshoot (“herd in motion” featuring large herd of horses running — share tips and tricks for photographing horses in action)
• 4:00-6:30 Trip to Krauma Geothermal Baths
• 6:30 Dinner

Day 4

• 7:00-9:00 Breakfast Buffet
• 9:00-5:00 Full-day excursion to Snæfellsness peninsula to capture images of very unique and colorful herds
• 6:00 Dinner

Day 5

• 7:00-9:00 Breakfast buffet
• 9:00-12:00 Trail riding/photoshoot on the farm/photo editing
• 12:00-2:00 Lunch
• 2:00-6:00 Photoshoot at off-farm location (we will trailer horses to a beautiful location featuring waterfalls, mountains, etc. (Hraunsfossar, Glymur, Husafell, etc.)
• 6:00 Dinner

Day 6

• 7:00-9:00 Breakfast buffet
• 9:00-12:00 Trail riding/photoshoot on the farm/photo editing
• 12:00-2:00 Lunch
• 2:00-4:00 Photoshoot (“horses being ridden” — explain how to identify the ideal moment/position of the horse/rider in still shots)
• 4:00-6:00 Wrap up (photo editing)
• 6:00 p.m. Dinner

Day 7

• 7:00-9:00 Breakfast buffet
• 10:30 Depart Hestaland for BSI bus station in Reykjavik

Price – $4,900 USD (airfare and travel insurance not included).

Retreat takes place from June 22-28 2026

Limited to 6 guests. Email info@hestaland.net to place a 50% deposit and reserve your spot!