Most of my images of the Highlands are focused on its ominous lifelessness, revealing how inhospitable this region, shaped by ice and fire, really is. However, Iceland’s nature is full of surprises, and its interior is no different; many parts are bursting with unique flora, the abundance of which I wanted to display in a photograph. This luscious part of the Highlands was perfect for such a shoot. Rich in the basic earthly colors of blue and green, what I saw before me was a primordial paradise far from human interference. As the helicopter I was photographing from, at my request, began to slowly circle the site, I kept my eye pressed to my viewfinder and my finger bouncing on my shutter as I sought the perfect composition. It was only when I was filtering through the hundreds of images I took that I stumbled upon this particular gem; I certainly remember the pointed mountain in the foreground being a great primary subject, but no capturing this particular photo of it. However, everything that I sought to include, particularly the spirit of unexpected yet ancient bountifulness, was here. Against black-ash slopes, the vivid green moss is brought out beautifully, showing how it thrives in such an environment. The azure rivers, reflecting the clear summer sky, lead the eye on a journey from the striking peak in the front to the verdant landscapes further back until you reach the glacier in the distance. Veiled by an ethereal mist, its presence is both a reminder of the stark, unforgiving nature of this region - and a reminder of how such places of such inhospitality are essential in the creation of places of such bounty.