Basalt, sea and sky at Kalfshamarsvik in North Iceland

by Gerry van Roosmalen

On the coast of North Iceland, on the Kálfshamarsnes peninsula, the landscape takes on an almost graphic quality. Here, the dark basalt forms a natural pattern along the coast. The horizontally running basalt columns seem to point directly towards the sea, lending the scene a strong sense of direction.

Above the rocks, the landscape transforms into a vast expanse of sea and sky. The horizon is little more than a thin dividing line between two worlds. The water catches the light breaking through the clouds, creating subtle glimmers on the sea. The cloudy sky keeps the scene in constant motion, whilst the dark basalt formations provide calm and contrast.

There is no lighthouse in sight, nor is there a mountain on the other side of the fjord. Just the rugged Icelandic coast, basalt, sea and sky. It is precisely this that keeps all attention focused on the elemental forms and the light.

This photograph was taken at Kálfshamarsvík, a special spot on Iceland’s north coast where the basalt formations border the sea directly. A understated portrayal of Icelandic nature, in which the vastness, the light and the rugged coastline of northern Iceland take centre stage.