This year well over one million people will visit Iceland in search of wonder, tranquility and the promise of experiencing pristine untouched wilderness. As much as this helps Iceland’s economy, Icelanders are worried about the implications tourism is having on their country.

I returned this year to Iceland and experienced the wonder, strangeness, and growth of interest in this beautiful country. These photographs convey an austere gorgeousness and an almost amusement park energy felt by the people who come to see it. It is hard to believe this place really exists – and in the back of our minds we wonder how long it will last.

In two trips to Iceland I have seen the wonder, strangeness and growth of interest of this beautiful country. In these photographs one can sense this austere gorgeousness and the almost amusement park energy it brings to the people who come to see it.

This work originally was originally published in The Photographic Journal.