Photographer Captures Fairytale-Like Horses That Roam Iceland’s Beautiful Landscape

Drew Doggett is a photographer who does a lot of traveling. He has been around the globe, taking pictures of various cultures and landscapes as he moves from one area to another. Although he has a lot to offer, one of the most popular of his series captures the beauty of Icelandic horses. It is entitled, In the Realm of Legends, and it takes a look at some of the often forgotten wildlife that lives in the frozen landscape.

While in Iceland, he lived on a farm that had hundreds of those horses. He was instantly attracted to the beauty that the landscape provided. One of the tales that was told was of an eight-legged Icelandic horse named Sleipnir. It is thought that the horse was the spirit animal of Odin, a mythological god. The pictures that he took show the relationship between the semi-wild horses that roam the area and the real world descendants of Sleipnir in a very harsh yet beautiful environment.

The landscape features some of the most beautiful areas in any part of the world. Black sand beaches, cascading waterfalls, and icy lagoons form the perfect backdrop for the horses as they go about their day-to-day business. Interestingly, Doggett decided to use color for this series, even though he typically shoots in black and white.

“The light created brilliant hues that added a sublime texture to the entire series,” he explains. “Coupled with the contrast between the landscape and the horses, I knew this body of work demanded color.” The photo series shows the brown and snow-white horses in sharp contrast to the glacial blues and dark shades found in the area.

Every image has its own story and you can feel the power of nature behind each unique shot. “The light created brilliant hues that added a sublime texture to the entire series,” he explains. “Coupled with the contrast between the landscape and the horses, I knew this body of work demanded color.”

You can see more images from the series, plus more from Dogget’s portfolio on his website and Instagram.