Hans Strand's Image

Wild landscapes are what Hans is drawn to, and Iceland seen from the air has provided him with an endless variety of colour and form.

‘The rivers and deltas change from day to day – so you never know what you will accomplish,’ he says. He shot almost continuously while circling the delta of the Fúlakvisl river, battling against motion sickness in strong winds. The river was murky with silt from the Langjökull glacier. The water appeared as tangled, silvery threads criss-crossing over the black volcanic soil, with pools of gold – iron oxide sediment – on the banks. This picture, taken from the open window of the aircraft, was cropped to a vertical format to enhance the pattern of the river branches. It was one of the last Hans shot before the winds finally forced the flight to be aborted.