This print is signed by Gavin Hardcastle and has a […]

The famous sea stacks in the town of Vik offer one of Icelands most iconic scenes but the risks are high. I had to wait for low tide in the middle of a stormy looking day for a very short window of relative safety in order to make this image. This is definitely one of those 'don't do this at home kids' moments.

This image was one of those ideas that presents itself entirely by accident. I'm not usually one for environmental portraits but as soon as I saw my wife Amanda holding out her hands to touch that lovely cascade I knew I'd found my shot.

Printed area for mounting is 7.75"″ x 9.75″ (19.69 cm x 24.77 cm)

It's not often that my plans work out perfectly but on this day they did. The sun dropped to the perfect low angle to creep into this canyon and ignite the spray from the waterfall behind my back. The camera and I were totally drenched but there was simply no other way to capture the moment. You know you're alive when you're standing directly under a cascade of cold mountain creak.

I'll admit that sometimes I get lucky. On my second visit to this viewpoint in the Faroe Islands I knew as soon as I arrived that something magical would happen. At almost 11PM the sky erupted in a vivid display of magnificence and I couldn't believe my luck.

What a privilege it was to witness this moment in time. I count my blessings every time I look at this image. I was one of hundreds of photographers that day who all captured some wonderful images.

This print is signed by Gavin Hardcastle and has a […]

This print is signed by Gavin Hardcastle and has a […]

This print is signed by Gavin Hardcastle and has a […]

I almost ended up wandering the misty highlands of Iceland for the rest of time on this misadventure. Not long after creating this image the fog crept in and I was caught in a total white-out with no clue where I'd parked the car. By pure luck I was led back to safety by a small group of sympathetic sheep that took pity on this clueless Yorkshireman.

Where else but Scotland can you go out on a day of sideways rain and hope to capture a book-worthy image? These misty mountains don't look half as good on a blue sky day. As the saying goes "there's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing".