Horse Illustrated Magazine

Imagine being behind the lens, capturing photos of the majestic Icelandic Horses in the mystical and breathtaking scenery of Iceland.

Take a visual journey through the land of fire and ice, where I spent 10 days photographing the stunning beauty of the Icelandic Horse in its natural habitat.

As soon as I arrived in Iceland, I knew this was going to be a trip unlike any other. The landscape was covered in colorful lupine flowers, and I saw ocean, waterfalls, mountains, and glaciers everywhere. For the next 10 days, I would photograph one of the country’s most iconic animals: Icelandic Horses.

This experience was organized and lead by photographer Phyllis Burchett. Almost exactly a year before I boarded the plane to Iceland, and on the heels of turning 50 during the pandemic lockdown, I found out about this opportunity and couldn’t pass it up.

Phyllis organized six different equine photo shoot setups that ranged from waterfalls and river crossings to horses in meadows of lupine flowers.

A team of four talented horsewomen moved the herds or individual horses to the locations and into the specific spots where we wanted to photograph them. They endured rain, rivers, and early mornings, as well as being dive-bombed by nesting sterns, just so we could get our shots!

The joy of capturing this experience through my lens is one I will remember for the rest of my life. Through capturing the beauty, grace, and sheer majesty of these magnificent creatures against some of the most breathtaking backdrops that nature has to offer, Iceland left an indelible mark on my heart.