There is the Mordor-esque black desert, some truly massive river deltas, volcanoes, glaciers, lakes, waterfalls and so much more. The fact that it is also almost inaccessible, at least at certain times of the year, makes it even more desirable, at least in my view.

The vastness of the scenery and the bold rawness of nature tend to humble us and remind us of our own insignificance as individuals, and I believe that's a good thing. It helps us understand not just how vulnerable we are as human beings but also how much our future and happiness depends on our ability, as a species, to preserve the world around us as best we can… No worries, this is still a photography website, and I don’t intend to go all environmentalist on you. But, on the other hand, isn’t it part of our job as nature photographers to try and showcase the beauty of our world as something worth preserving at all cost?

On a different note, a while ago, I stumbled upon a refreshing non-fiction book by Jamie Bowlby-Whiting called Across the Moon: Two Unprepared Brothers Traverse Iceland on Foot. While some people may not consider this book Pulitzer Prize material, I found it to be a highly entertaining read about two UK brothers' bizarre and slightly folly adventure of traversing Iceland on foot, “straight through the middle” from south to north. They were both inexperienced and shockingly unprepared and should be grateful for even making it home alive. They were, however, driven by an admirable and endearing brotherly bond and an unfaltering determination to follow through even after they realized just how crazy the idea had been in the first place.

How does this relate to my photography? Well, it doesn’t, really. But then again, it does. In an ideal world, everything we do of our own free will (like photography) should be with passion, determination and perseverance. If we fail to muster a bit of passion for the things we want to do, we may as well not do them at all. The two brothers had decided traversing Iceland on foot was what they wanted to do. Neither of them had ever been to Iceland, and their call was light years away from what we could call an “informed” decision. Still, they had made a decision, and nothing was going to stop them from fighting to the bitter end. And I have to say, however crazy and unsafe their endeavor was, I have great respect for their determination and perseverance. And I do believe that these are also very important traits to have as a photographer. You go and stay out there, waiting for a bit of light or the fog to move in or out, getting battered by the elements until you’re soaked to the bone or so cold that your numb fingers can hardly operate the camera anymore. If you do hold out against all odds, it is guaranteed to be a good day, (almost) regardless of whether or not you get home with an image…