As the Fagradalsfjall volcano in Iceland began to erupt in March 2021, it allowed us to see up close the dramatic primordial forces that shape our planet. The location and accessibility of the eruption made it possible for the public to visit the site and witness and document the sheer power and wonder of our planet. Watching the footage in Germany, Stefan Liebermann knew he had to go and see it in person and through the lens of his Sony Alpha 7C.

Travelling abroad amidst the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic provided a few obstacles. “When we arrived we had to quarantine for five days,” Stefan reveals, “but when we got to photograph the eruption, wow, it was crazy!”

Stefan arrived when the first fissure of the eruption was active, but with the opening of a second fissure, access to the area became difficult due to the increasing danger.

“Entering the area was completely forbidden,” he says. “Nobody was there, and the police were telling people to stay away. Luckily my friend and I had German press passes. We approached the police, and they said that we were ok to go and take photos, but we must do so at our own risk.”

Usually, Stefan is more used to shooting landscapes and astrophotography images using his Sony Alpha 7R III and Alpha 7 III, but for this adventure to Iceland, the Sony Alpha 7C was his chosen camera. It’s Sony’s smallest full-frame mirrorless camera, featuring the same 24.2 megapixel sensor found in the Sony Alpha 7 III.

“When I have to hike long distances and pack food and other equipment, I want to make sure that my camera is as small and lightweight as possible, which is why I chose the Alpha 7C for this trip,” he tells us. “I can pair it with a few select lenses and achieve the same results I am used to getting with my Sony Alpha 7 III. I particularly like the small pancake lenses, such as the FE 24mm f/1.4 GM and the FE 14mm f/1.8 GM or FE 135 f/1.8 GM lenses; they are so small and light – perfect for travelling and hiking long distances.”

Stefan took his FE 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master and 135mm f/1.8 G Master lenses for this trip to Iceland. The super-wide-angle lens allowed Stefan to capture the breadth of each landscape, especially when shooting astrophotography images of the Northern Lights. The wide focal length also reveals the foreground, which adds depth and scale whilst allowing the viewer to feel like they are there.

“Nobody was there at the second fissure except for two Italian scientists, who were there taking measurements,” he remembers. “They had all this safety equipment, and we had nothing.”

It was a trip of extremes, as Stefan would later find himself out at night shooting the Northern Lights in temperatures as cold as -20°C. But once again, the Sony Alpha 7C handled the extreme temperature admirably.

It can be challenging to get a sense of scale when shooting abstract images, such as a lava field or a landscape with no natural reference points, such as trees. Stefan uses discrete subjects to act as a reference point in some of his Icelandic images to conquer this. “By having my friend in the scene, or waiting until a plane passed overhead, I was able to show the size of the lava field and the crater, and in some images, just how close we are to it,” he explains.

Similarly, in another of his Icelandic images, Stefan uses a simple bird flying across the scene to show the size of the Skógafoss waterfall.

Shooting in Iceland, especially when being able to get to shoot an active volcano, filled Stefan with wonder. “It was exciting – like being a child,” he laughs “As professional photographers, we perhaps become too used to photographing the same things again and again, but this was something totally new. I kept shooting hundreds and hundreds of different images, from all different angles, trying to take the perfect image to capture this spectacular landscape, and my Sony Alpha 7C helped me to achieve that.