Reaching For The Moon

This photo was taken in Iceland during the winter of 2013 at the black sand beach of Vik, on the south coast of the country. I was photographing the promontory of Dyrhólaey at sunrise when my attention was captured by the ocean waves, the moon and the beautiful sky I had on my left.

The whole scene was so impressive: the big waves were crashing against the shoreline and splashing, while the colors in the sky were turning into pastel warm tones. I realized immediately that the landscape shot I was taking, even though it was definitely beautiful, wasn't exactly the most interesting thing happening at the beach that day.

I then switched the lens and took off my wide angle in favor of the telephoto lens and I sat up my tripod as low as possible in order to emphasize the height of the waves from a lower shooting angle. Still hypnotized by the power of the ocean and the grace of the morning sky, I started to shoot trying to capture a wave lifting towards the sky in the direction of the moon. This picture is the one that I like the most out of the many that I shot that day.

I have been photographing Iceland, as a landscape photographer, for more than 12 years. I definitely consider this image to be one of the most personal and special out of my portfolio of Iceland. In 2014 this shoot was included in the winning selection of the prestigious European Wildlife Photographer of the Year international photo contest (landscape category).

This piece is an original photograph taken with a single exposure (and not a composite). Unlockable content: a signed fine art print (40x60 cm - 16” x 24”) airdopped to the collector or a private one day photo tour in Iceland.