It is the battle of two contrasting forces, ice and fire, that has shaped the primordial landscapes of Iceland over millennia. To be able to witness this eternal clash occurring in real-time is a rare privilege, and an outstanding opportunity to capture an incredible moment in the world’s violent yet breathtaking formation. I was blessed with such an opportunity in 2014 when the far-flung Highlands burst into an eruption at the site of Holuhraun. Not having shot a volcano since the last Icelandic event in 2010, I was thrilled to have another chance to capture the awe-inspiring fires of the earth on camera.

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Within days of its emergence in June, I had embarked on several life-changing helicopter shoots above it to capture its majesty, creating some wonderful additions to my portfolio.

Still, I hoped throughout that the lava would continue rising until winter, providing me with an unmatched chance to fully encapsulate the battle between fire and ice. Thankfully, nature didn’t disappoint; just a few months after it began, snow settled on the landscapes around Holuhraun, creating the scene I had envisioned. As soon as we took to the air, the compositions began to form themselves. The rivers of lava gleamed magnificently against the fresh whites of the untouched wilderness and the obsidian black of the newly created earth; the column of poisonous volcano fumes poured steadily out of frame and blended with the ring of surrounding clouds.

From an aerial perspective, I was able to let the scene’s contrasts unfold across the image, and the natural lines in the lava take the viewer on a journey across the site. While many compare such dramatic and ominous examples of the earth’s power to fantasy locations far from our world, they are most truly a picture of Iceland’s nature in its rawest form.