Open Photographer of the Year

Mieke Boynton

Dragonfire, Braided Rivers Of Southern Iceland

‘I travelled to Iceland last year and chartered a Cessna 207 to photograph the spectacular “braided rivers”. As the mighty glaciers

travel down the mountains, they grind up the rock underneath, and as the melted water fans out across the river deltas, these

suspended rock particles cause a slight milkiness to the water. The colours alter according to the presence of different elements and

minerals such as sulphur and iron, and the endless variations are absolutely breathtaking. It wasn’t until later that I saw the firebreathing

dragon in the photo, but now that I’ve seen it, I can’t see anything else! Nature is truly an artist.’

‘I absolutely love the raw thrill of flying, and to see the delicate intricacy of Nature’s Art from 1000-2000 feet above fills me with joy and

delight. I travel to remote and inaccessible areas – many of which can’t be photographed by drone – and many of these places

resemble giant abstract paintings. I am mesmerised and fascinated by Nature’s Abstract Art. I am inspired by the photography of

Andre Ermolaev and the artistic styles of MC Escher, Wassily Kandinsky, Piet Mondrian and the Papunya Tula artists.’