The endless light of the Midnight Sun, which blesses Iceland in the weeks surrounding the summer equinox, creates a magical ‘Golden Hour’ that occurs all night long. Around midnight, the sun will descend until it is balancing on the edge of the southern horizon, before ascending once more to continue its journey encircling the sky.

I was eager to capture it at its lowest point on Iceland’s South Coast, where there would be nothing obscuring it from view. The choice of foreground in this region is competitive, with many natural wonders, but Seljalandsfoss waterfall stood out as a prime candidate. Sixty meters tall, falling from a dramatic cliff before a vast cavern, and facing the southern seas, it was well positioned to form a composition with this unique phenomenon.

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I took my position on a nook full of wildflowers, which promised to add even more to the summery composition of the image by blossoming across the bottom of the frame, and waited for the sun to descend in the sky. As it approached its lowest point, it emerged from behind a wall of cloud, its golden rays flooding the scene with vivid colors. These sunset hues most notably dyed the waters of Seljalandsfoss a spectacular pink, providing the perfect shot.

A long exposure caught the movement of the falls on camera, adding a sense of mysticism to its gentle flow and misty base. I also captured a symmetrical lens flare as intended, allowing the photograph to represent the Midnight Sun as I saw it in the moment, as some sort of holy eye opening over this breathtaking scene.