The Reynisdrangar sea stacks, just outside of Vík í Mýrdal at the south coast of Iceland are a mesmerizing sight. And as many places in Iceland, they carry their own legend. According to Icelandic folklore, these pillars actually used to be evil trolls. While dragging a three-mast ship towards land, the trolls were taking too long to reach the shore, and at the break of dawn they were instantly turned to stone. Up to this day, you can hear their wails and moans in the wind, as they long to return to their home in the mountains. But most likely they will just stand in the sea, battered by winds and waves. Till waves do them part… I have always been fascinated by the local legends that people tell each other while living in places that are surrounded by nothing but pure and wild nature. Reading about these ancient tales inspires me to dig deaper, to not only capture the beauty of nature- but to search for the visual essence of these places. To portray the wild beauty of these seastacks in a way that allows me to show the mystery that surrounds them, i opted to wait until a bit after sunset. I then chose a very long exposure of 3 minutes to further abstract the scene, remove the details of the waves and render this image to a slightly surreal abstraction of colors and tones. While shooting, i couldn´t help but hear their wails and moans in the distance! Can you? Nikon Z7II with NIKKOR Z 70–200 mm 1:2,8 VR S ISO64, f11, 180“