Volcanic forces are frightening; they are wildly unpredictable, unstoppably destructive, and create a hellscape of spitting fire, volcanic fumes, and jagged black rock. Looking upon an eruption site from above makes one feel more like they are in Mordor than anywhere earthly, and this is what I was eager to encapsulate when Fagradalsfjall volcano opened from the earth in 2021. After all, it could not have chosen a better place to go off. The Reykjanes Peninsula is already haunting and otherworldly, having been attacked and shaped by a constant stream of eruptions for millennia. This has left it with strange and ominous valleys, barren hills, and little life other than a grey moss that coats the landscapes. I began to form a composition in my mind that combined these features with the elements of the underworld. It was in the early days of this eruption that I was able to capture this incredible overview of Fagradalsfjall in all its glory. One crater had begun to rise from its great ravine, and its expanding lava field and molten rivers were still finding their course through the valley. As such, it was contained enough to capture within one aerial shot and frame with gloomy, lifeless landscapes of Reykjanes. Volcano photography presents ever-changing compositions and conditions, providing opportunities for photographers who dare try it to tell a range of stories. Oftentimes, this can be based on the dancerly movements of the flames and fumes, or else on the contrast of ice and fire. Sometimes, however, it can be most impactful to simply capture such a mighty event in its natural setting, and let it speak for itself