Everyone who goes to Iceland, especially in the winter, hopes to see the Aurora Borealis. Who wouldn't. We did, too. And we did. We did not see as much as we had hoped, but what we did was glorious. This was our second visit to Vestrahorn. We arrived at night, the weather clear and bitingly cold. The only other car in the parking lot looked like a refugee form a 60s hippie flick. And when we got down to the beach, those nice folks (they really were) had a drone up in air. Ugh. I am not a drone fan, but I get the appeal. Eventually, they left. And we were alone with the incoming tide, tripods, and a full moon bathing the mountain. We were not optimistic. We were mistaken.

Eventually, a stunning arc of green emerged above the mountain, reflecting in the water on the sand, and fully illuminated by the moon. It was elemental.

Provenance: Hasselblad X1D II | Hasselblad 21mm | 3-image stitch