A green vehicle almost disappears beneath its winter covering. A red van leaves only a bright stripe above the snow. In Julien Ratel’s Akureyri photographs, a storm turns everyday objects into small discoveries, while the town’s colourful houses keep the streets full of character.
The series is presented in Ratel’s Snow Storm in Akureyri project, with the images also identifying Ratel in their photographer metadata. The series follows his observations of the storm, bringing the experience together through the moments he chose to record.
Find the colour that survives the weather
Snow simplifies a busy street. Road markings, garden edges and small objects fade from view, leaving larger shapes and patches of colour to organise the image. A red panel or yellow wall suddenly carries much more of the composition.
The houses remain individual, though. Rooflines, porches and decorative timberwork give each one a different outline. Looking for those differences is a lovely way to enjoy the gallery slowly instead of treating every frame as another picture of deep snow.
Warmth in a small detail
The orange window behind snowy branches is a particularly inviting moment. It offers a human presence without needing a person in the frame. The contrast is emotional as well as visual: a cold street, a warm interior and the suggestion of an ordinary evening continuing inside.
These archive images show one set of conditions in northern Iceland. For an actual winter journey, check Iceland’s official road information and SafeTravel for your route and dates.
For another city transformed by snowfall, explore Vivienne Gucwa’s New York photographs. For snow giving transport a very different role, watch the Salisbury train film.
Colour becomes a landmark in the snow
The Akureyri account begins with an arrival during a snowstorm, rather than with a planned sequence of clear-weather viewpoints. That circumstance gives the gallery its organising idea. Coloured houses remain recognisable while snow softens the surrounding streets, and the town becomes the subject rather than merely a base for excursions elsewhere in Iceland.
A buried vehicle, an individual roofline and an orange window make the town recognisable through the storm. These small discoveries give Ratel’s visit a personal character. Akureyri’s nickname, capital of the north, introduces its regional importance; the photographs bring that broad description down to the scale of a street and the buildings along it.
Sources, photography and further reading
Original feature and image attributions:
- Behance
- Bored Panda
- 37 Reasons Why You Need To Visit Iceland Right Now (Historical link unavailable when checked on 15 September 2026.) Related reading: Ten Iceland Experiences: Waterfalls, Glaciers, Hot Springs and City Life.
- Discover Vatnajökull – the Largest Glacier in Iceland
- The Magical Northern Lights In Iceland Will Take Your Breath Away.
- Top 10 Things to See and Do in Iceland
- Blue Iceland: Stunning Photos Of Icelandic Landscapes Taken With Infrared Technique
- Man Freezes His Marriage Proposal In Time After Traveling Through Iceland With His Girlfriend.
- A Man Travels Over 3,000 Miles Taking Pictures Of Iceland's Unique Landscapes.
- The Place Where Earth Meets the Sky: Strokkur Geyser, Iceland
- Incredible Time-Lapse of The Icelandic Volcano Nobody Can Pronounce
- The Relaxing Pleasures in Hot Blue Lagoon, Iceland
- Iceland’s official road information
- SafeTravel
- Vivienne Gucwa’s New York photographs
- Salisbury train film
No comments