You might not associate adventure with wedding photos, but take one look at Gabe McClintock’s incredible images and you’ll see that they go hand-in-hand. He combines breathtaking settings and couples in love to produce portraits that go well beyond what we might typically expect from these images. The Calgary-based creative snaps pictures next to stunning mountainscapes, endless waters, and perhaps most notably, an active volcano in Iceland.
The volcano photos look like they’re out of this world. The couple, Nina and Rand, are dressed in formal attire and silhouetted by the bright blaze that’s right behind them. “Photographing up there as the lava flowed was nothing short of spectacular,” McClintock tells My Modern Met. “As we first walked up the hill, you could see the sky glowing red and feel the warm air on your skin before you could see the lava itself. As we came over the crest, to see the red lava flowing was something I will never forget.”
Photographing this session was a highlight for McClintock, who has been shooting weddings for the past 18 years. But even as a seasoned pro, the elopement photos needed special consideration because of the environment. “From intense winds and rain to the hot and cold air (depending on the direction of the wind) or the sulfur dioxide gas that would take your breath away and make your eyes water as the wind would shift. It was such a wild adventure and Nina and Rand were so incredible throughout the entire shoot.”
The active volcano is just one part of the setting featured in Nina and Rand’s session. McClintock also shot photos at Reynisfjara beach and at the base of Skógafoss waterfall. Each image has a beautiful sense of drama to it while also capturing the couple’s creative spirit and willingness to get a little messy.
While certainly an amazing shoot, McClintock isn’t done dreaming. “There are so many places I am dreaming to shoot with a couple at,” he says. “But Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Brazil and Hang Son Doong cave in Vietnam are two places that are definitely ‘bucket list’ locations for me at the moment. If anyone out there reading this, is looking for something there, I would love to talk with them.”
Photographer Gabe McClintock captured a couple’s amazing elopement portrait in front of an active volcano in Iceland.
The shoot also included other destinations in the country, including a waterfall and beach.
