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Glacial rivers are a major attraction for my aerial photography as Iceland is a true paradise in this regard. These incredible patterns created by the interaction of the river bed, various sediments brought from the mountains, combinations of many incoming streams and the profile of the surface can provide endless possibilities for abstract discoveries. However, the best views happen when you manage to encounter the true local inhabitants of these magical places… like these geese.

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Many of my places were not pre-planned and I found them by sheer chance. One of them is this magical place, which is not at all one of the tourist attractions of Iceland. I was driving around the coast and from the road I could see the river and wondered how it would get to the sea. Only from the air, flying over the shore, did I see the incredible almost optical illusion that the river looks almost 3D due to the play of sediments. But... it is completely flat (except for a small sand barrier between the river and the ocean), there is no ice and the water flows freely. After checking the maps afterwards, I found out that this pattern is only temporary, aerial maps from other periods showed a completely different picture. So now it's probably gone too... How lucky we were to witness this!

(The photo is created using a technique of composing several perspectives.)

On this river, which flows through a mountain valley, are some of the Czech waterfalls - modest in size, but great in attractiveness. This shot was taken during a trip just before New Year's Eve and everything was just right that week - hopefully that feeling somehow carried over into how I saw the winter forest that day and captured it for us here. The Mumlavské waterfalls are very close from here on the stream.

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This photo captures the moment when I came into complete contact with the energy of the earth, unexpectedly, against all odds, and with a wonder that completely overcame the fear of an otherwise risky flight.

It was my first day in Iceland, and I had originally planned to go to the volcano at the end of the trip, because what if something happened to my drone, but curiosity made me go right away. I flew some thirty meters above the lava field and felt myself looking directly into another world below me and the creatures that inhabit it. The lava there was a raw, unstoppable force that rolled through the valley no matter what. The heat, the risk, and at the same time the sheer amazement of what was happening almost before my eyes, simply a journey beyond known universes.

And it was also for me about how insignificant we are compared to such a force... that doesn't adapt, it just is, rolling, destroying, changing the world. A sense of complete respect... and connection to something unstoppable and powerful.

That this ancient energy then took the form of a fiery dragon creature... that's just obvious.

Many volcanoes have side openings near to them, from which lava flows (not erupts, or just very lightly) down in long lava creeks. This one was about 3 meters wide at a maximum, but the hot lava lasted for at least a kilometer or two down the valley. I was lucky enough to visit the Fagradalsfjall volcano on an active day, moreover, there were several of these side craters. The opening of this one reminds me of a fire dragon that's been released from the Earth.

(Note: The photo postprocess incorporates a subtle perspective shift).

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This mesmerizing puzzle of shapes, patterns and shades is painted by a river flowing from nearby glaciers straight to the ocean - provided that there isn’t a lava sand barrier between the river and the waves. It took the river a few hundred meters around the shore to finally find the opening and enter the Atlantic ocean. This day was very dark, windy and rainy and flying around taking photos was quite an adventure.

(Note: In addition to the limited edition prints, there are also max. 3 Artist Proof Prints (AP) of earlier edits.)

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