As neither my guides nor myself had visited Aldeyjarfoss in this season, none of us knew what to expect; would it have frozen like many of the country’s smaller waterfalls, or still be flowing like many of those with similar power? As we were not sure, we set out in a super-jeep then took a trudging hike to reach it at midday, with the plan to stay and hope for the aurora borealis over it should it have lost some of its summer appeal. As one can see, however, it had not; instead, it had become a breathtaking monument to Iceland’s winter beauty.

While icicles dangled from the rocks surrounding the waterfall itself, the river was still flowing through it with great speed; its fast movement also prevented the pool it cascaded into from freezing over, preserving its deep blue coloration. The clear skies above brought this out even more and illuminated the virgin snow that coated the surrounding landscapes.

The dark rock that remained exposed provided depth, detail, and contrast to the image, and thankfully, the unique basalt columns that make Aldeyjarfoss so unique remained visible, adding even more interest to the composition. With the help of a long exposure, I was able to capture a perfect moment that brought all of the above facets together while providing a magnificent hombre effect in the pool around the waterfall, as it faded from white to cobalt.