Skógafoss

January in Iceland is usually synonymous with snow and winter landscapes, but when I visited Skógafoss, the scene was very different. It was the first time in 24 years that the area had experienced a January without snow, leaving the surrounding landscape exposed and unusually green for the time of year.

I arrived before sunrise, with the waterfall and surrounding cliffs still largely in shadow. As the sun began to rise, its warm light slowly reached across the landscape, illuminating the hillsides and creating a striking contrast against the cool, shadowed gorge.

The combination of the powerful waterfall, soft winter light and unusual lack of snow made for a scene that felt distinctly different from the Icelandic winter landscape I had expected. It was a reminder that even familiar locations can look completely different when the conditions don't follow the usual pattern.