An iceberg at Iceland’s diamond beach in winter

The winter sun slowly rises behind this spectacularly shaped iceberg beached on the black volcanic basalt sand of Jökulsárlón Strandur in Iceland during low tide.
Two short periods of about three weeks in summer and winter provide perfect photographic conditions on Iceland. These are the midnight sun around 21 June and the winter sun around 21 December; the longest and shortest days of the year. Both periods are characterized by hours of spectacular light at low sun elevations with seemingly endless sunrises and sunsets. The sun encircles the northern horizon in summer and the southern horizon in winter. This 180° change of light direction uniquely illuminates Iceland’s outstanding landscapes in very different and distinctive ways.
This iceberg beach encloses the glacier lagoon of Jökulsárlón, which in turn borders the Vatnajökull ice cap. At the exit of the frozen glacier lagoon, the strong tidal currents of the North Atlantic break up the ice of the lagoon twice a day. Compared to summer, this allows a reduced but still sufficient number of icebergs to reach the open ocean and to beach at low tide. If the winter weather conditions are favorable, this leads to a unique natural spectacle when the sun rises just behind the beached icebergs. The backlit illumination flickers each crystal plane of the ice and reflects the sunlight in a variety of different directions. The icebergs resemble sparkling diamonds on velvet or gold nuggets on the black basaltic lava sand on the beach.
This enchanting glow of the iceberg reaches the bottom of the heart and immediately eliminates the feeling of the icy cold of this landscape. Inevitably, a deep and persistent elucidated sensation is spreading through the soul.