Behind the Shot

Behind The Shot

“Behind the Shot” is a blog series by Jeroen Van Nieuwenhove that reveals the stories behind his most powerful photographs. Each article dives deeper into the moments, challenges, and creative decisions that led to the final image – from the planning and fieldwork to the emotions and luck involved in capturing it. Jeroen believes that every photograph gains strength from the story that surrounds it, and through this series, he shares the effort, inspiration, and meaning behind his work. Each article features a new image with a unique story that offers insight into his approach to landscape and wildlife photography.

Aerial view of a perfect circular rainbow encircling a moss-covered crater in the Icelandic Highlands.

Behind The Shot Drone Icelandic Highlands Landscape

Behind The Shot – The Importance Of The Journey

As I have often found out over the last few years, sometimes the most memorable images come from moments you never planned for. In this Behind The Shot, I share the story behind one of my favourite shots from 2025, which was totally unplanned.

Jeroen Van NieuwenhoveJanuary 25, 2026

Aerial drone view of a volcanic eruption in Iceland with lava flowing through low cloud.

Behind The Shot Video Volcano

Behind The Shot – Iceland Eruption Covered in Steam

Discover the story behind Jeroen Van Nieuwenhove’s stunning drone photos of Iceland’s Sundhnúkagígar eruption as rain met lava to create a steaming landscape.

Jeroen Van NieuwenhoveOctober 24, 2025

Selfie of Jeroen Van Nieuwenhove with a Canon and telephoto lens at the Geldingadalir eruption.

Behind The Shot Book Volcano

Behind The Shot – New Earth

For this final story of 2023, I am doing a bit of a different take on the concept. I won't specifically talk about one photograph but rather an entire project. I will share the story behind my book, New Earth - A Photographic Journey Of The Geldingadalir Eruption, which I self-published two years ago this week.

Jeroen Van NieuwenhoveDecember 13, 2023

Misty light catching the slopes of a distant green Highland peak through low cloud.

Behind The Shot Drone Icelandic Highlands Landscape

Behind The Shot – Highlands Magic

Ever since I visited the Highlands of Iceland for the first time in 2012, they left an enormous impression on me. In this month's 'Behind the Shot', I talk about one of my favourite photos taken in the Icelandic Highlands in 2022.

Jeroen Van NieuwenhoveNovember 28, 2023

Top-down aerial of the 2021 Fagradalsfjall eruption in Geldingadalir, Iceland.

Behind The Shot Landscape Volcano

Behind The Shot – Earth’s Beating Heart

In this month's "Behind the Shot" story, I take you back to the Geldingadalir eruption in 2021 when I captured one of my favourite shots of that eruption and maybe all-time. I named the photograph Hraunhjarta, which means "lava heart" in Icelandic.

Jeroen Van NieuwenhoveOctober 1, 2023

Close-up portrait of an Atlantic puffin with a beakful of silver sand eels.

Behind The Shot Landscape Wildlife

Behind The Shot – The Hungry Puffin

In this month's "Behind the Shot" blog, I want to share a story behind one of my, if not my all-time, favourite puffin photograph which I took back in the summer of 2021.

Jeroen Van NieuwenhoveSeptember 17, 2023

The Meradalir volcanic eruption at the Fagradalsfjall volcano in Iceland.

Behind The Shot Landscape Volcano

Behind The Shot – Day One Of The Meradalir Eruption

In this month's 'Behind the Shot' story I decided to share a story about the first day of the Meradalir eruption in Iceland, which took place one year ago.

Jeroen Van NieuwenhoveAugust 29, 2023

Behind The Shot Drone Greenland Wildlife

Behind The Shot – Whales In Greenland

In this month's 'Behind the Shot', I take you on then journey behind some photographs I recently took during a photography workshop in Greenland.

Jeroen Van NieuwenhoveJuly 16, 2023

Active Fagradalsfjall cone smoking with an older dormant cone in the foreground.

Behind The Shot Drone Landscape Volcano

Behind The Shot – Past & Present

The subject of this month's 'Behind the Shot' is a photograph which I named 'Saga' (translated: 'History'). I took this photograph during the Geldingadalir eruption in 2021 shortly after all but one crater shut down, which ended up growing into a massive mountain which is still there today. In this photograph you can see the northernmost crater in the foreground…

Jeroen Van NieuwenhoveJune 7, 2023

Aerial of a Fagradalsfjall cone smoking above a sea of clouds with lava channels below.

Behind The Shot Drone Landscape Volcano

Behind The Shot – How Spontaneity Got Me An Award-Winning Photo

In this month's 'Behind the Shot' blog I want to tell the story behind one of my favourite images, called 'Skýjasnúningur'. I want to share that story because I feel it goes to show that even though you might be lucky with certain conditions and situations, you still need to act on it to make it happen.

Jeroen Van NieuwenhoveMay 5, 2023

Aerial of Mælifell green pyramid mountain ringed by braided black sand streams below a glacier.

Behind The Shot Drone Icelandic Highlands Landscape

Behind The Shot – The Quest For Mælifell

Mælifell. The name might not ring a bell to those who aren't nature photographers but I'm almost certain everyone has seen this green, almost perfectly cone-shaped, mountain.

Jeroen Van NieuwenhoveApril 13, 2023

Snow-capped peak rising above dark moss-covered hills at dawn in the Icelandic Highlands.

Behind The Shot Icelandic Highlands Landscape

Behind The Shot – Hveradalir

The story behind one of my favourite photographs, taken all the way back in 2015, when I discovered an otherworldly landscape deep in the highlands of Iceland.

Jeroen Van NieuwenhoveMarch 8, 2023

Pastel iridescent polar stratospheric clouds spread across the sky with two distant birds.

Behind The Shot Iceland Landscape

Behind The Shot – Polar Stratospheric Clouds

Last week almost the entire of North of Iceland was extremely fortunate to witness polar stratospheric clouds, or nacreous clouds, for about 6 or 7 days in a row. Even though we didn't see any such clouds in Reykjavík, it did remind me of one of the most amazing photography moments I've witnessed since moving to Iceland.

Jeroen Van NieuwenhoveFebruary 2, 2023

Green aurora swirling above the Sólheimasandur DC-3 plane wreck with a small figure beside it.

Behind The Shot Iceland Landscape Northern Lights

Behind The Shot – Aurora Above The Plane Wreck

This first "Behind the Shot" photograph is a special one to me: the northern lights dancing above the (now famous) DC-3 plane wreck in Iceland. It's the photograph that started it all and lead me down the path that turned me into the professional photographer I am today.

Jeroen Van NieuwenhoveJanuary 4, 2023