My Perfect Storm

This was a memorable project in the heart of Iceland’s winter. There were moments on this normally black beach, on the south coast of Iceland, when the wind was so hostile, that standing up was challenging. Fortunately I took the photograph lying down and this helped my stability somewhat.

We had a small window of opportunity with the weather and we took it. The best indication of the severity of the conditions was that within minutes of returning to our modest hotel a couple of miles away, the Icelandic traffic police closed the road in either direction. I can’t remember another time when the weather has deteriorated so quickly that we have gone from filming outdoors to a weather enforced lock in within an hour. That is Iceland for you. It is not only geologically angry beneath the surface, it can be brutal above ground as well.

The credit for this picture must really go to the nearby farmers and their horses. I knew that I had an exceptional canvas to play with: the sea stacks coated in fresh snow and the sea itself a chaotic cocktail of white. It was one hell of an opportunity but I needed a horse to cooperate before conditions became too extreme.

The fact that we got there in the end is testimony to the local horse handlers. These moments don’t come along often and when we asked for help, we got it.