READING TIME: 3 min 26 sec
PUBLICATION DATE: 05/21/2025
UPDATED: 05/21/2025
There’s something undeniably magnetic about Iceland — its volcanoes, waterfalls, rugged cliffs, and mysterious light. And there’s someone who captures that magic with every click of her shutter: Birta Sveinbjörnsdottir, a photographer whose work is as authentic and untamed as the landscapes she calls home.
“I started taking pictures at a young age and it started mostly to capture moments to hold as memories,” Birta shares. “When I look back, I don't really remember some moments, but when I look at a picture, I can live through that moment.”
That desire to preserve emotion and memory — not just scenes — shaped the course of her creative journey. It led her across Europe, through photography school in Norway, and right back to her roots in Iceland. By 2018, diploma in hand, she was ready to begin — though she didn’t know that a single wedding in October would change her life forever.
“That first wedding was really important to me and gave me a ton of courage,” she says. And just like that, a wedding photographer was born.
Birta’s photography isn’t about posed perfection. It’s about truth. Movement. Vulnerability. It’s about the stories people tell when they think no one is watching.
“My photography style is all about capturing the authenticity of each moment while embracing adventure and spontaneity,” she explains. “I focus on telling the story of the day in a way that feels natural and meaningful.”
From misty mountain tops to geothermal springs, Birta thrives when she’s out in nature, letting the environment shape the narrative. And for maternity shoots? “I wished that the ocean was a little warmer here in Iceland so I could be in the ocean taking pictures all the time,” she laughs. “Especially maternity pictures by the ocean and in it.”
To bring these visual love letters to life, Birta leans into the flexibility of her favorite tools. “I shoot with the Canon R6 and usually use the 24-70mm 2.8 lens,” she says. “But I recently bought the 70-200mm and I really love it — it brings out details in the Icelandic landscape that I want to include in my client galleries.”
When it comes to post-processing, she keeps things clean and intentional. “I usually use Bridge to cull my pictures, but I’ve been finding myself using Aftershoot more recently. It takes time to work with the software and I’m still getting the hang of it. I then bring the pictures I selected into Lightroom and edit and export them there.”
What sets Birta apart isn’t just her camera work — it’s the way she listens, connects, and brings people’s visions to life.
“I start by showing them my trust and how much this means to me,” she says of her clients. “I give them the platform to tell me their vision, and I try my best to bring everything to life.”
She loves when couples want something a little different. “I actually even offer tours and photography packages — and those are probably my favorite. If they want to go into every hot spring there is and have their ceremony on top of the highlands in the middle of the night, exploring the midnight sun — I’ll do everything to make that happen.”
While Iceland is home, Birta has already stepped into the world of destination weddings — and she’s hungry for more.
“I’ve been lucky enough to capture two destination weddings in my lifetime, one in the US and the other one in Reading, UK. Two incredible weddings between two people that I had met when I captured their surprise engagement!” she recalls fondly.
But her bucket list is still growing: “In the future, I would love to capture a wedding in Scotland. I went there about two years ago and I fell so in love with everything. People were so nice and I dream of capturing a destination wedding there. Italy and Australia too. I will probably be living in Australia at one point in my life.”
When asked what she would tell her younger self starting out, Birta’s advice is simple but powerful:
“Believe in yourself and don't be afraid, trust yourself and stand tall.”
She also offers a gem for any couple prepping for their big day:
“Make sure you give your vendors every bit of information you have and every dream and vision you have so YOU don't have to worry about it. Make the artist catch it and you just relax.”
Whether she’s capturing the windswept hair of a bride in Iceland or the soft stillness of an expectant mother by the sea, Birta Sveinbjörnsdottir isn’t just a photographer — she’s a storyteller, a memory-keeper, and a guide into the wild beauty of life’s biggest moments.
And if you’re lucky enough to stand in front of her lens, you won’t just get a gallery — you’ll get a window into a moment that lives on, long after the sun has set.
