Carmelalandia was born from the wonderful minds of the people closest to me. In this little space, I want to share the most fun and exciting part (at least for me) of my process of going out on adventures, always with my camera and my drone (“Wiwi 2”) under my arm.

Basically, it all usually starts with multiple trips back home because I’ve forgotten something. And on one of those trips, I will most likely trip over about 10 times and bump into unbelievable things along the way. Some people will say I’m clumsy, I prefer to think I’m giving them unforgettable funny moments and maybe a few small heart attacks.

On these adventures, Fordo is always involved—my wonderful 2005 Ford Escape, which I have lovingly converted into a camper and which has allowed me to travel almost all around Iceland and store memories in the form of images. It also gives me a warm place to wait for the animal to appear or for the light to be just right.

In Carmelalandia, I can assure you it is extremely difficult to take photos. Usually, the moment I spot an animal I cannot help but shout its name followed by a “Mira!!”, “Qué lindo!!”, “Qué moono!!” — “Look!! It’s so cute!!”. And, of course, by the time I actually try to take the photo, the little animal has already run away

On other occasions, when I manage to control my excitement, taking a photo with a 200mm lens and getting a good result is not easy at all. So sometimes it involves lying on the ground and/or finding something stable to support myself, and slowly—trying not to disturb anything—crawling along the ground until I get a good angle and take the shot. I assure you I look like anything but a professional.

And of course, in Carmelalandia photos are shared with a lot of excitement, along with many more “Mira Mira Mira!!” You like it!?”. And in front of you there is a 33-year-old girl with a huge smile who wants to share all that happiness with you, followed by some fun or curious fact about the animal. I can assure you I have turned sound technicians into B2-level ornithologists and biologists.

That said, I hope you appreciate my photographs even more and see them through the eyes of my inner child, who still gets excited every time she can observe an animal in its natural state and who takes pride in noticing the smallest details as if they were treasures.

If you’ve made it all the way to the end of this text, THANK YOU and congratulations! Don’t hesitate to let me know; not everyone has the patience or curiosity to read something like this these days. You definitely have a special place in Carmelalandia!