Photographer Rannsy Bjork is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this photo essay. From the series ‘Oasis Amidst Chaos’. To see Rannsy’s body of work, click on any photograph.

Glaciers cover around 10% of Iceland. After 1890, most glaciers began to retreat and since the year 2000 the outlet glaciers have retreated exceptionally fast, and their mass loss is among the highest recorded in the world. Due to climate change the glaciers will continue to melt and retreat and they could lose half of their volume by 2100. After 200 years, only small ice caps will remain on the highest mountains.” https://www.vatnajokulsthjodgardur.is

It is very popular amongst tourists in Iceland to get closer to the glaciers and probably the most popular is the “Breiðamerkurjokull” glacier near the “Diamond Beach” in the peninsula “Vatnajökulsthjodgardur.” It is always very important to follow set rules and get some certificated guidance with companies that know the area very well. The time of the year that is safest to go into ice caves there is from October-March each year when it is wintertime in Iceland. You should not go at any other time of the year.

I had for a long time longed to visit the blue ice cave and finally did so in March 2024. It was a very special experience and on one hand a beautiful and natural phenomenon but at the same time so sad and strange to realize that someday in the future, not that far away in time, it will all be gone.

The ice is so thick, dense, and old that it absorbs all colors of the spectrum except the color blue, so that’s the color we see. Ice that’s entirely free of white air bubbles appears to be the bluest.

I played with my camera inside the ice cave, with long-exposure just handheld and this project of the series came alive.

Artist Statement

Rannveig Bjork Gylfadottir (Rannsy) has always been interested in photography, learning more about the art in recent years, by reading, watching, doing, experimenting and by participating in different courses and workshops. She is studying Creative Photography at "Ljosmyndaskólinn" a photography school in Reykjavik, Iceland. Rannsy has a MS degree in Nursing, her profession is a Cancer Nurse specialist’s and then she is a certificated mindfulness teacher.

Rannsy has always lived near the seaside in Iceland, so the sea is her big muse along with the lakes, waterfalls, and mountains. She discovered soon she wanted to express herself with conceptional, abstract and impressionist photography, often made with Intention Camera Movements (ICM), both panorama scenes and more intimate ones. She loves different light, colors, forms, and patterns of all seasons. She uses mindful approaches when she is in nature and goes into a flow state when photographing, calm but energetic and filled with joy and happiness. She’s hoping that her works reflect that and evoke some feelings, thoughts, and emotions within the viewer. All the images are created within the camera, with basic adjustments in Lightroom and Photoshop.

"Mindfulness and meditation training have been my anchor in life, helped me be more present and learn to slow down more and be more proactive instead of reactive. Learning more about self-acceptance and self-compassion has helped me grow as a person, being both kinder and showing more compassion to self and others. The common humanity is the main key there, we are all part of this world, so we ought to look more into what unites us instead of what tears us apart. “

All images and text © Rannsy Bjork