Braided rivers

Aerial view of pale glacial sediments forming flowing patterns across the Icelandic landscape

Aerial view of pale blue glacial terrain with flowing natural patterns in Iceland

Aerial view of pale glacial sediments forming intricate patterns across dark terrain in Iceland

Aerial view of pale glacial water flowing through dark sediment in Iceland

Aerial view of white glacier ice flowing around dark rock and sediment in Norway

Aerial view of dark glacial sediment surrounded by pale mineral surfaces in Iceland

Aerial view of a glacial river and sediment patterns across dark volcanic terrain in Iceland

Aerial view of a turquoise glacial river flowing through a rugged landscape in Norway

Aerial view of pale glacial sediments and flowing patterns across the Icelandic landscape

GLACIAL RIVERS

SINCE OUR FIRST DRONE FLIGHT OVER A GLACIAL RIVER, THESE RIVERS HAVE BECOME A MAJOR PART OF EVERY JOURNEY TO THE NORTH. WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW SPOTS — IN ICELAND AND NORWAY — NEVER QUITE KNOWING WHAT WE WILL FIND FROM ABOVE.

WHAT FASCINATES US MOST ARE THE TEXTURES, LINES, AND ABSTRACT PATTERNS CREATED BY THE MOVING WATER. FROM THE GROUND, THESE RIVERS CAN LOOK COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. FROM ABOVE, THEY TURN INTO SOMETHING ALMOST ABSTRACT — COMPLEX STRUCTURES AND SHAPES THAT ARE ONLY VISIBLE FROM THIS PERSPECTIVE.

EVERY TIME WE LOOK AT THE IMAGES ON THE CONTROLLER MONITOR, WE ARE AMAZED BY WHAT WE SEE. THE WAY THE WATER WEAVES THROUGH THE SEDIMENT, THE CONSTANTLY CHANGING PATTERNS, AND THE DIFFERENT SHADES AND STRUCTURES MAKE EVERY FLIGHT FEEL LIKE A SMALL DISCOVERY.

THAT IS WHAT KEEPS DRAWING US BACK. EVERY GLACIAL RIVER IS DIFFERENT, AND EVEN A PLACE WE HAVE SEEN BEFORE CAN REVEAL SOMETHING COMPLETELY NEW. FOR US, IT IS THIS COMBINATION OF EXPLORATION, ABSTRACT FORMS, AND THE UNEXPECTED BEAUTY OF NATURE THAT MAKES PHOTOGRAPHING GLACIAL RIVERS SO SPECIAL.

ACROSS ICELAND