There are moments in your life that simply take your breath away… this was one of those.
This past October I had the pleasure of traveling to Vík, the southernmost
village in Iceland, to photograph a lovely family of four. The village is intimate and quiet,
with friendly neighbors and a white wooden church with a red roof perched at the foot
of the mountain. The village itself is the embodiment of the theme song from Cheers,
as it is the largest village for 45 miles with a population of about 300.
Vík is also one of the wettest places in Iceland. In fact, it gets 90 inches of rain
per year, which is more than twice as much as Seattle! Luckily for us, we had blue skies
and the sun peeking over the mountains. We walked along the black sand beach, in which the basalt
sand gets its color from volcanic activity. Basalt rock stacks that have been smoothed by the ocean surround
the beach and make for a beautiful backdrop for the camera. We chased the sun and watched it set from within the curtain
of the waterfall. Alas, Iceland is one of the most magical and inspirational places my camera and I have been thus far.
I want to give special thanks to my friends Leianne, Jonas, Noi, & Chloe,
for trusting me to capture these precious memories in a location so
personal and important to them. Thanks to Eygló and her family for
feeding me my first famous Icelandic hot dog. I hope to come back for seconds!
Lastly, a very heartfelt thank you to Siggi, Hildur, & Jón for being such wonderful
tour guides and tripod protectors, and for stopping the car for photographic
opportunities before I even had to ask! You all and so many others treated
me like family and invited me into your homes with open arms,
and for that you will always hold a special place in my heart.
