Volcanic eruption in Iceland – photographer’s biggest Kodak moment

As a prelude to the massive volcanic eruption in Eyjafjallajökull causing extensive flight ban in Europe, a moderate eruption took place just days before on the east side of the volcano. The location provided an opportunity for up-close encounters with picturesque craters and lava flows, in contrast to the inaccessibility of the following eruption site at the top of the glacier. With a team of Jeep enthusiasts and other photographers, I was able to travel to the remote site of the eruption. We crossed the glacier Mýrdalsjökull using vehicles specially modified for glacial driving, in the Icelandic fashion, lucky enough to catch the perfect day in between days of blizzards and poor visibility. As we crossed the glacier, we were overwhelmed by the magnificent views of the Icelandic nature in geological action, evidently living up to its reputation as ‘The Land of Ice and Fire'. At the site of the eruption, we could only humbly watch the power of nature presenting us with a scene of roaring fire and earth's landscaping in action as the lava flowed from the crater to lower grounds, accompanied by the buzz of helicopters providing sight-seeing tours for enthusiastic volcano tourists. The visual impression got even more intense in the twilight hour, bringing out the vivid colors of the fire, set against the dark blue sky. As we got ready to leave that night and finished getting our obligatory volcano portraits taken, I notice the Northern lights appearing in the starry skies above the volcano for a fleeting moment – the biggest Kodak moment of my life.