So many fantasy worlds, whether in novels, films, television shows, or video games, are heavily inspired by Iceland. This is simply because so many of the landscapes here appear too unusual and magnificent to occur naturally; surely, they could exist only with the influence of magic. While every corner of the local nature has a degree of this wonder, in few places is it as apparent as in Fjardrargjlufur Canyon.

This untouched valley is spectacular, particularly during the summer when its unique flora of vivid moss is in full bloom. With countless waterfalls escaping through the porous lava rock and a gentle stream flowing through the bottom of the stony gorge, I’ve been able to spend hours upon hours photographing here when the conditions are right without noticing the time slide away.

Such an ethereal experience occurred on this shoot, conducted in late summer; the endless weeks of the Midnight Sun and the abundance of water in the area had meant that the moss had thrived, spreading over the layers of lava in the cliff until barely an inch of grey rock was visible. I was able to get some beautiful images, contrasting the deep green with the blues and pinks of the skies above and using the river as a means to bring the eye on a journey throughout the frame, but this was perhaps my proudest composition.

There is something about the way the sun has lit the scene here, catching the clouds, spilling onto the protruding rocks, and shimmering off the ribbon of a river and waterfall in the background, that brings out the air of the mythical. One can almost see one of the Starks, a member of the Fellowship of the Ring, or a traveler from Skyrim rounding the corner of this beautiful valley.