Frozen Memory

Choosing the shot for this edition has reminded of my incredible trip to Iceland and it has been so uplifting. I’m reminded not only of the stunning landscapes and sights, but of the tranquillity and peace I felt there.

It was the most incredible trip, and one that I was both excited and terrified of making. I suffer from Raynaud's syndrome and the thought of the trip on february at -16 degree in iceland was absolutely terrifying. Thoughts of the unknown bounced round my head. But I did get there. It was one of the very best and memorable experiences of my life and those memories will be treasured forever.

I remember the flight over Keflavik that was like nothing I’d seen in my life before. Where I live (in a desert) I barely see the snow. At that moment, I cried, I cried a lot. What my eyes were seeing was something I had never witnessed in my life. I couldn't contain the emotions that built up in my chest and were eager to get out. I remember these majestic mountains. That deep, calm and cold ocean. That pure fresh air. The chilled breeze against my skin. The glaciers, the impression of being at the end of the world. I vividly remember feeling almost constantly in awe.

Of all the photos I have of that trip I have chosen this one and I have called it "Frozen Memories". One of the strongest experiences that any individual in this world can feel is the rush of nostalgia. The moment that you see a photograph and your memories come to life. That split second of spontaneity in your own thoughts and the recollection of a moment in life that you’ve never forgotten. Memories have the power to change our realities at this moment. And right now, I see myself there, at Tjörnin. It was cold, my hands were frozen (I could barely hold the camera in my hands because I couldn't feel them), but I was happy. Happy to witness a frozen lake for the first time. Happy to have so many swans around me. Happy to feel that there is a different kind of life in the coldest places on the planet. And all of this, that exact moment, immortalized in a single photograph.

The past will never repeat itself, but the past can surely change your present.