Iceland

The northern lights dance over the mountains and glacier and reflect in the water of the lagoon.

Some Icelandic horses at sunset among the ruins of a farm with mountains in the background.

A river flows past the mountain Hreggnasi on the Snæfellsnes peninsula with the midnight sun lighting the clouds in the background.

Hellnar is on the Snaefellsness peninsula in Iceland and plays host to a dramatic series of basalt cliffs. This image was made around midnight - these lenticular clouds just kept getting better and better. I finally had to pull myself away around 12.30 and go to bed in anticipation of a 3am wakeup for sunrise.

A river rages over a small waterfall in the highlands of Iceland. Stormy clouds brood over mountains in the distance.

The beach at Búðir at first was uninspiring, but walking further along reveals a wonderland of boulders and rock formations. This image was made after scrambling over seaweed covered boulders to a relatively flat raised platform. The light lent itself to a black and white interpretation and the lenticular clouds over the distant mountains complements the form of the water between the foreground rocks.
A one minute exposure was used to blur the water.

The legendary waterfall with Kirkjufell in the background with the midnight sun illuminating the clouds.

One of the most beautiful scenes in Iceland, this is the Bláhylur crater in the highlands.

Iceland is a country with extremely changeable weather. Having grown up in Ireland, you'd think I'd be used to such things, but Iceland takes it to another level.
This image was made on such a day. The fast-moving clouds created constantly changing light, which is both a boon and a curse for the photographer. It was made in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve, which is a surreal landscape of black sand.
The view is of a distant range of hills, and the sun has just broken through and illuminated a small patch of ground. This is an image that works best as a large print, as then the detail in the illuminated spot can be appreciated.
This image may appear rather dark at first, but the tonalities in the clouds, the subtlety of the sunbeam and the shape of the hills all work together to create something truly special.

Blue sky peeks through the clouds above an inland glacier in the Fjallabak nature reserve.

Rainbows are one thing that Iceland has no shortage of. This particular one was captured while driving along the south coast, and is a fine example of storm lighting. The sun is peeking through the clouds to the left of the frame and has illuminated the cliffs beautifully, contrasting with the dark stormclouds in the frame. The rainbow is a stub formed by the highly filtered light - the cliff and clouds prevented it from growing any further.
Lómagnúpur is the most impressive of the cliffed mountains on the south coast, but it sometimes feels like the entire coastline is covered with cliffs of this stature. They once marked the coastline, and were sea cliffs. Over the millenia, glacial melt and outwash floods have deposited silt which has extended the coast by a few miles of flat and fertile land.

This image of Seljalandsfoss was made using a long exposure. The rainbow caused by the setting sun arches up and around the falls, which spill out over an overhang into a pool below.

Lómagnúpur is an iconic sight along the southern coastal route. The last of the cliffed mountains on the drive to Vatnajökull, it is easily the most impressive. Rainy weather was moving in and the mix of dramatic clouds and the evening sun creates truly fantastic light.
Made with an ultra-wide angle lens, the unique perspective adds another element of drama to the scene. The mist wreathing the cliffs, and cascading from the top adds the finishing touch to a very unique image.

Long exposure showing erupting lava, ash plume (black) and steam (white).