Nature is a place mixed with mystery, beauty, and secrets. Under the depths, it hides a lot of unsolved puzzles still not known to the world. Iceland is one such place that is home to countless myths and secrets that are yet to uncover.
In this mystical land, photographer Drew Doggett captured a series of photographs representing the land and some of its remarkable inhabitants. These creatures are non-other than the majestic Icelandic horses that roam around the island.
Drew is a talented photographer. He travels worldwide to capture pictures of animals, people, cultures, and eye-catching landscapes. He produced an enchanting series named “In the Realm of Legends” during one such travel to Iceland, using Icelandic horses as the main subject for photos.
In Iceland, there are many myths and folklore tales around its equestrian population. One of the most popular beliefs is that the island’s horses are real-world descendants of the Sleipnir. The island people believe Sleipnir is the eight-legged Icelandic horse, the spirit animal of the mythical god Odin. The photo series highlights these semi-wild Icelandic horses with their unique features and the extreme environments of their familiar habitat.
During his project, Drew stayed on a farm with hundreds of horses. With many subjects and stunning background at hand, he spent hours capturing the movements of the horses in their homeland. The pictures that came out, as a result, are truly stunning. Amidst the snowy land, icy lagoons, black sandy beaches, and waterfalls, horses show off their regal inheritance by standing proud against these harsh elements. They graze, gallop and thoroughly gaze at the world like mythical creatures stepping down to earth from another planet. Every picture in the series visualizes these horses’ powerful yet calm nature while existing in a naturally wild and chaotic place.
Usually, Drew shoots black and white photos. But this particular collection consists of colored photographs. According to Drew, he saw brilliant shades of light that added a sublime texture to the pictures. The contrast between horses and landscape is such that he could not stop adding color to his series. In his photos below, you can see the stunning image it creates when snow-white horses stand among the grey waters with dark shades of sand and rocks around them.
Drew also explains how these horses behaved during the photoshoots. Drew says that with violent and loud waterfalls in the background, the horses acted very calm, not minding the rushing water at all. In thigh-deep snow, amidst the rushing waves and even in windy conditions, the horses stood utterly still, showing how well they blend with nature as if they are an extension of this harsh landscape.
“In the Realm of Legends” is an enchanting collection that captures both our eyes and souls. It shows the existence of life together with nature in its natural habitat. The Icelandic horses create stunning visuals with unique landscapes of the island taken as the canvas. Throughout the series, we can see how Drew has excellently captured the images to create a mythical yet natural collection for viewers to enjoy. We included some of the photos from his series below. You can also see more pictures on his website and Instagram.
