Jeroen Van Nieuwenhove is an award-winning photographer and author of the book “New Earth: A Photographic Journey of the Geldingadalur Eruption.” He is a Belgian nature photographer, who specializes in photographing wildlife and landscapes with great passion.
He has been living in Reykjavik, Iceland since 2016 and uses it as his base to explore and capture the raw beauty of the land of fire and ice and the Arctic region in its entirety.
Why did Jeroen Van Nieuwenhove Move to Iceland?
In Jeroen’s own words “Why not move to Iceland?” Of course, an interview of a foreign national is not complete without asking what led that person to move to Iceland. Jeroen talks about how he followed a feeling inside of him.
It’s amazing how some people move to this country solo and just figure it out. As you will hear in the interview, he just knew that this was the right decision for him.
Why Jeroen visited the Geldingadalir Volcanic Eruption 44 Times
It boggled my mind when I found out that Jeroen visited the volcanic eruption close to 50 times! What is even more remarkable is that he hiked for 46 out of the 47 times that he went.
During the podcast episode he talks about why he chose to hike the majority of the time, the intensely challenging conditions he faced, the epic shots he was able to capture and the impact the eruption had on him.
A Lifelong Dream Fulfilled That Turned into a Book
Since the time he could remember, Jeroen has wanted to see a volcanic eruption up close. He was unable to see the huge Holuhraun eruption back in 2014 due to unfavorable weather conditions. When the eruption happened on the Reykjanes Peninsula he just knew that this was his chance. It was fascinating to hear him talk about the excitement he felt when he saw the eruption for the first time, and how he worked to make capturing it interesting for himself every time he went.
Most people that decide to write a book take a year or more. You will be astonished to hear the short amount of time it took Jeroen to put together and publish his photographic journey of capturing this insanely beautiful natural phenomenon.
Where to Connect with & Buy Jeroen's Book
If you want to follow, connect with and/or buy Jeroen Van Nieuwenhove’s book, use the links below:
- Jeroen’s website: https://jvn.photo
- Jeroen’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jvn.photo/
- Jeroen’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jvnphotographer
- Jeroen’s book: https://jvn.photo/newearth
- Jeroen’s book on the RVK Grapevine: https://shop.grapevine.is/collections/photography-books/products/new-earth-a-photographic-journey-of-the-geldingadalir-eruption
See the “Fire and Iceland” Documentary for Free on March 20th, 2022
To cap off “Eruption Week”, I’m hosting a free watch party of the “Fire & Iceland: Art, Culture & Chasing Lava” documentary on Sunday, March 20th, 2022 on my YouTube channel. This is a one-time free showing on my channel because I will delete it afterwards. If you want to watch along with me, you must be at the premiere of it.
Normally, you must pay for the documentary, and you can watch it at any time by purchasing it on Vimeo or Prime Video
To be notified of the time and to get the link, sign up for my newsletter. I will send out the time and link on Friday evening.
Donate to the Icelandic Search & Rescue Team
Since viewing the documentary is being made available for free, if you feel inclined to, you can donate directly to the Icelandic Search and Rescue team. They are a 100% volunteer-led non-profit, non-commercial organization in the country that works tirelessly to help save lives and keep all of us safe. The reason so many of us were able to safely see the eruption is because of them.
If you can donate to their organization, it would be greatly appreciated. The link to donate is to their Paypal account, so they will get the money directly. The link is also here – https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=EKX6MUYPP7AGA&source=url
Questions I asked Jeroen During the Podcast Episode
- What inspired you to move to Iceland?
- How long have you been photographing nature?
- The images in your book are incredibly beautiful and the story you weave together was captivating. Can you explain how you felt the first time you saw the eruption?
- You have been to the eruption site 44 times! Do you have specific moments that stick out for you?
- At one point of you hiking to and photographing the eruption, did you know you wanted to share this experience in the form of a book?
- What advice for you have for people who want to visit a volcano site?
- How did your family feel about you going to the eruption so many times? Were they concerned for your safety?
- It must have been quite exhausting going to the volcano so many times. What was the most challenging thing you encountered throughout this experience?
- Do you have a favorite image or vantage point of the eruption?
- Were you keeping a journal of your experience?
- What impact did this eruption have on you as a photographer and person?
- What advice do you have for people who want to visit Iceland?
- Do you have a favorite place in the country?
- What is your favorite Icelandic word or phrase?
Share this episode
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review or rating on whichever platform you are on.
Also, please share this with someone that you think would enjoy it what is coming up for eruption week.
