In Iceland, a man embarked on a journey strewn with pitfalls to photograph a volcanic eruption. Luckily, an aurora borealis completed this magnificent picture.
Christopher Mathews is a photographer based in Iceland. In March, he set himself the task of capturing the eruption of the Geldingadalur volcano, located in the Reykjanes valley.
The young man waited impatiently for this geological phenomenon to occur. Finally, the volcano erupted on the evening of Friday March 19, forty kilometers from the Icelandic capital.
That same evening, the photographer began looking for the ideal location to capture this magnificent spectacle.
A snowstorm hit the valley
Unsurprisingly, authorities blocked roads leading to the volcano and advised people to stay away from the area. These obstacles did not prevent the photographer from taking a few shots.
From the beginning, Christopher had only one idea in mind: to photograph the eruption at the same time as the appearance of an aurora borealis: ” The weekend following the eruption, there were aurora borealis , but there were a lot of clouds then ,” he said.
As you will have understood, the weather conditions almost compromised his plans. In addition, an unexpected snowstorm hit the valley.
Discouraged, the photographer waited for the clouds and snow squalls to dissipate. And the least we can say is that his patience has been rewarded.
On the night of March 24, Christopher managed to take a picture of the eruption and an aurora borealis. The luminous phenomenon appeared just above the volcano.
“It looked magical. A show that touched me all the more since it was my birthday , ”said the author of the photograph.
His photo, shared on social networks, quickly went viral. It must be said that the color contrast is breathtaking.
