Moments That Last

Ása Steinars is an adventure photographer, entrepreneur, and creative consultant from Iceland. She grew up surrounded by nature, which led her to spend much of her time outdoors and ultimately inspired her to pick up a camera.

What started as a passion for photography and exploring quickly turned into a full-time career. Over the years, she has built a life around travel, storytelling, and creating content from the places she visits. Alongside her visual work, she is also the co-founder of Vanlife Iceland and Fjara of Iceland. Much of her work is created on the road, often while living out of a van and spending long periods exploring different parts of Iceland.

Through social media, Ása has built a community of over 2 million people and become one of the more recognized and trusted voices in the adventure space, sharing her perspective on travel, photography, and life on the road. She can be found on Instagram at @asasteinars.

Leica: Your work is deeply shaped by Iceland’s raw and ever-changing landscapes. How has growing up in that environment influenced not just your photography, but your mindset and way of approaching challenges in life?
Growing up in Iceland, you quickly learn that you can’t control everything. The weather changes fast, the conditions can be harsh, and nature always has the final say. So instead of fighting it, you learn to adapt, make the best of things, and not stress too much when plans change.

There’s an Icelandic saying, “þetta reddast,” which basically means “it will all work out in the end.” I think that mindset is a big part of how many of us live here. Especially in the past, when people had to get through long, dark winters and unpredictable conditions, you really had to believe that somehow, things would work out.

That has shaped how I approach both photography and life. I try to stay flexible, trust the process, and work with what’s in front of me instead of trying to force things too much.

Leica: As a full-time content creator and creative consultant, what motivates you to keep pushing your creative boundaries, and how do you stay true to your personal vision?
I think what keeps me motivated is allowing myself to evolve. I’ve never wanted to place myself in one fixed box, and my creative work naturally changes with the different seasons of my life. I’m always open to learning, exploring new ideas, and seeing familiar places from new perspectives. That curiosity is what keeps the passion alive.

But at the core of my work, I always return to the same things: raw nature, open landscapes, cold weather, and the kind of wild, stormy environments that make you feel small. Those are the places where I feel most connected and most alive. There is something very fulfilling about creating work in places that take effort to reach, like on a hike, where you have to face the weather, wait for the right moment, sleep in a tent, and really be part of the landscape before you can capture it.

Adventure has always been a big part of my creativity. If I start to feel uninspired, I usually know I need something on the horizon that challenges me or takes me somewhere unknown. This summer, I’ll be traveling to some of the most remote areas of Greenland, and I know that kind of journey will bring me new energy and inspiration.

At the same time, staying true to my vision also means knowing when not to create. I try to remind myself to pause, put the camera down, and experience things without thinking about how they will look in a photo or video. In a world where everything moves so fast, I think it’s important to remember that not every moment needs to be captured. Some moments are just meant to be felt.

Leica: Adventure and nature seem central to both your professional and personal lives. What role do they play in maintaining your balance and sense of purpose beyond your work?
I’ve always felt most like myself in nature. When I spend too much time in the city, I start to feel a little trapped or disconnected. But as soon as I get in the car and drive out into the Icelandic landscapes, I feel this instant sense of relief. It clears my head in a way nothing else really does.

I grew up spending a lot of time outdoors with my family, and I’m grateful for that. Nature has always been my place to reset, both with and without a camera. 

I’ve also always been fascinated by the natural world. The weather, the ocean, wildlife, whales, birds, remote places, all of it. I think part of me has always had this dream of getting closer to those worlds and being able to capture them.

Photography became a natural extension of that. I’m quite a nostalgic person, and I’ve always had this need to document moments, adventures, and the feeling of a particular moment. Capturing feelings is very important to me. Not just what a place looked like, but how it felt to be there.

So, adventures and nature are much more than work for me. They are what keep me balanced. The fact that I’ve been able to build a life around those things still feels very special. 

Leica: Beyond the visual impact of your work, what values or messages are most important for you to convey through your work, and how, if at all, do they reflect who you are as a person?

I really hope my work inspires people to spend more time in nature and pay attention to the world around them. Not necessarily in an extreme way, I don’t think adventure always has to mean going somewhere remote. Sometimes it can simply be stepping outside.

I want my work to give people a sense of calm, and maybe to bring a little peace into their day. 

In many ways, my work reflects who I am as a person. I’m curious, quite nostalgic, and always searching for that feeling of freedom. I care about following my own path, even when it doesn’t look like the traditional one. I hope that through my work, people feel encouraged to explore more, trust themselves more, and reconnect with nature in whatever way feels right for them.