“One with Ice”
For three years, Anna Isabella photographed herself among Iceland’s ice caves and glaciers. The ambitious self-portrait project features her in places many of us dream of visiting—chiseled ice peaks against an equally frigid backdrop. Devoid of other people and the trappings of human existence, she stands alone, looking on toward a landscape with an otherworldly appeal.
Anna Isabella is the focal point of each image; but, at times, it’s hard to spot her. She blends in with the whites, blues, and dark grays present in the environment. Yet she’s always there; she’s our guide to this place. This is by design, as the project aims to show the connection between humans and glaciers by evoking the beauty of the setting, compositional framing, and the color of her dress.
Beyond the aesthetic considerations, Anna Isabella’s series explores the landscape from a symbolic perspective. She promotes an environmental message that serves as a reminder of what’s at stake as our planet contends with human-driven climate change. “The photos show a fragile human being immersed into the world of ice at the mercy of that environment, which is how I perceive the state of glaciers in our world today,” Anna Isabella tells My Modern Met. “They are at our mercy.”
My Modern Met spoke with Anna Isabella about her self-portrait series, including the story behind her most memorable image. Read our exclusive interview below.
“Surrendered to the Silence of Ice”
What inspired this project?
Iceland is known as the “land of ice and fire” and it was a dream for me to create a project for each of these elements. I got very lucky to be able to create my eruption project back in 2021, so after it was over, I started looking for ways to implement my glacier ideas.
I was so mesmerized by glaciers in Iceland when I saw them for the first time, and I immediately started dreaming about taking self-portraits on these glaciers and how otherworldly these photos would look. Luckily, I got the opportunity to work on this project with Vincenzo Mazza, who is an incredible landscape photographer and glacier guide based in Iceland. This project would not have been possible without Vincenzo as he was my guide while I took all of these photos.
Walking on glaciers was even more incredible than I had imagined. This was three years ago and I just kept working on this project whenever I had the opportunity. When I learned how much the very glaciers that I walked on have receded in the recent years and that ice caves constantly change and are only there for a season, I felt even more motivated to keep documenting them—both their beauty and fragility.
“The Heart of the Glacier”
What’s the most memorable photo of this project for you?
I remember the stories behind each of the photos like it was yesterday, and they have all been amazing adventures. One of my favorites is The Heart of the Glacier. It was one of the most beautiful ice caves I’ve ever seen, with a lot of light and crystal blue ice.
What’s the story behind it?
I took the photo on a very cold and windy day in the end of November with lots of ash being blown onto the glacier. This cave was located higher up on the glacier away from the very crowded ice caves at the edge of the glacier, and was only visited by small groups of people who had signed up for more challenging tours.
I was guided there by Vincenzo and I fell in love with this composition right away, so I set up my camera, changed into my dress, and everything was ready for me to start shooting when suddenly a glacier hiking group arrived to explore the cave. So I had to remove my camera and put my jacket back on.
The freezing wind was going through the cave and at that point I was already really cold. So while the group was in the cave I was walking in circles outside of the cave trying to warm up. And when they left I had to set up my camera in the cave again and then I was finally able to get my dream shots in there.
Even though it was very challenging to work with the strong freezing wind, the ash that was flying around had settled near the entrance of the cave in a way that really highlighted the texture of the ice, so in the end, it really worked out for the best. And of course, after the photoshoot I had ash everywhere—in my hair, eyes, all the equipment, and clothes etc.
“Fragile Giant”
You worked on this project for three years. How did it change since you started it?
Working on this project has been equally amazing and challenging. It requires a lot of equipment to venture on a glacier and of course I never do it alone. So whenever I had the opportunity to go there, I took the chance.
How did you sustain momentum and interest over that time?
I’m still as excited about glaciers and this project as when I started. The project hasn’t changed over the years, but since I understood and saw with my own eyes how much the glaciers have receded during these three years, it has become even more meaningful and interesting to me.
“Echoes of the Frozen World”
Your portraits showcase the vast beauty of the landscape. From a technical perspective, how did you make this work?
In order to make these photos happen, first of all, I needed to go there with a glacier guide (Vincenzo). He was bringing all the necessary safety and glacier equipment and assisting me with getting to the spots where I wanted to stand for my photos. Besides that, the process has been the same as for my other self-portrait shoots: I bring my camera, a few lenses, a tripod, and a dress, and then I just hike until I find a composition that I like. Then, I visualize what it would look like with me in the frame and take the photos with interval shooting or remote triggers.
Another part of preparation is, of course, checking the weather and the condition of the ice caves to make sure that it’s safe to be on the glacier and in the ice caves.
The ice caves, especially, need a lot of planning since they are crowded most of the time.
“Symphony of Blue”
Your series has an environmental message. Living in Iceland, how do you see the effects of climate change firsthand?
I have definitely seen the effects of climate change firsthand, especially when it comes to ice caves. Some ice caves that I visited at the edge of a glacier outlet last year are completely gone, so there’s not any ice there today, just rocks. Different glacier outlets recede by several or many meters each year.
My environmental message is about connection between a human being and massive glaciers. My aim is to show my admiration for their beauty and magnificence and a human being that is immersed into that world of ice.
At the same time, I want to show my vulnerability and fragility when I’m in that environment and in a way also to talk about how in reality the roles are reversed and it’s actually glaciers that are immersed in our world and they are the ones that are fragile, disappearing, and at our mercy. I hope this project will make people feel something—an emotional connection to these glaciers. Because when we feel connected to something, we are more likely to protect it.
“Ocean of Ice”
What are you working on next? Anything exciting you can share?
I will be continuing my glacier project for as long as possible. Something else I started working on more seriously in 2024 is a series of self-portraits with Northern Lights, so this is something I will continue working on after the summer as well, which is also incredible and truly challenging.
Besides my self-portrait projects, I shoot a lot of elopements and weddings in Iceland—documenting and celebrating the love of the couples I work with is something I really love as well.
“Realm”