# ‘Highly Commended’ by Natural Landscape Photography Awards

URL: https://jvn.photo/highly-commended-by-natural-landscape-photography-awards/
Last updated: 2026-09-22

> Today, my volcano photography received a "Highly Commended" from the Natural Landscape Photography Awards jury. However, this is not the time to celebrate given the situation in Grindavík.

Today, my volcano photography received a “**Highly Commended**” from the [Natural Landscape Photography Awards](https://naturallandscapeawards.com/competition-results-2023/) jury. I want to congratulate all the other winners & nominees for their outstanding work and encourage you to visit their pages.

However, while my volcano photography is about the beauty provided by these mighty natural phenomena, the current times remind us that they can also undeniably & unavoidably be destructive events. As you may know, **Grindavík has been struck very hard**: a whole community is displaced and their home is threatened to disappear. Celebrating this achievement feels conflicting in regard to the difficult period endured by hundreds of families.

Instead, I want to use this opportunity to encourage people to donate money to the [Icelandic Red Cross](https://www.raudikrossinn.is/english/donate/donate-now/) and the [Icelandic Search & Rescue](https://www.icesar.com/en/support-us). Both organisations are in charge of taking care of the people of Grindavík. You can find the links to their donation pages below.

Thank you.

## My ‘Highly Commended’ Project: “The Fagradalsfjall Fires”

Visit [the Natural Landscape Photography Awards winners page](https://naturallandscapeawards.com/competition-results-2023/) for other winners and nominees.

Project description:

*In 2021 a childhood dream came true. I had always wanted to witness a volcanic eruption and when Fagradalsfjall awoke after a 7000 year slumber, I jumped at the opportunity with both hands. From day one I gazed in wonder how a brand new landscape, a new earth, was growing in front of me. My ambition and inspiration grew together with the lava field. I spent a total of 7 months documenting the 2021 and 2022 eruptions of Fagradalsfjall. ‘The Fagradalsfjall Fires’ is a visual love letter to a series of eruptions that captivated my photography for the past 2,5 years. Time and time again I attempted to challenge myself to find new perspectives and new angles which had not been seen before. With ‘The Fagradalsfjall Fires’ I want to show the structure in the chaos, the creation in the destruction, the beauty in the violence.*[image_with_animation image_url=”824448″ image_size=”full” animation_type=”entrance” animation=”None” animation_movement_type=”transform_y” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default”]