I am fascinated by Iceland's incredible landscapes, and by lighthouses as well. Beacons for seafarer, they are all the more necessary on rough oceans such as those surrounding the Icelandic coasts. Lighthouses express safety, guidance, steadfastness.

Composing a shot is an art requiring the outmost precision, for me. All the lines must be exactly where I need them, whether they are physical lines (such as the rails in this image) or lines created by the movement of the water and the clouds, lines one must be able to pre-visualise, since they are not actually there when looking at a scene.

On a really windy and cloudy day, I headed off to Gardur, one of my favourite of Icelandic Lighthouses, hoping for the conditions to be perfect for an image I long had in mind. The wind was brutal and the cold piercing, but that same wind that made it hard to stand - let alone work - was perfect to help me create those leading lines in the sky I needed to complement those in the foreground.

For this image, I wanted to create a contrast between the fast moving, fleeting clouds and the strong, steadfast lighthouse; a sense of motion and speed, contrasting with a sense of security and solidity.

The composition and the exposure of this work, with strong leading lines both in the foreground and in the sky, together with the long exposure, where instrumental to express these feelings in the clearest and most powerful way.

Iceland, 2021 | Phase One IQ4 Achromatic | 5000x4000 px