For many, the names Faroe or Greenland conjure images of icy, snow-covered islands isolated from the world. But for Bui Xuan Viet, a photographer who has traveled to nearly 40 countries to capture nature, these lands hold a special place in his long-cherished dreams. They represent a land of endless light, of ancient, millennia-old icebergs, where rare moments in the Arctic are captured in a split second.

Viet harbored a clear dream: to create a photo series of the world's most beautiful places. When he set foot in the Faroe Islands and Greenland, he felt as if he were stepping into breathtaking glimpses of the Earth – places where nature displayed its majestic and surreal beauty.

 

Before heading to Greenland, Viet spent a few days exploring the Faroe Islands, an archipelago belonging to the Kingdom of Denmark, located in the North Atlantic Ocean, known as "the place with the fastest changing weather in the world." This archipelago is the main setting for the recently released live-action film *How to Train Your Dragon*. Towering mountain ranges embrace valleys covered in lush green grass, with low-hanging clouds overhead. Quiet roads lead to fishing villages perched on cliffs, and Atlantic puffins, their beaks full of fish, gaze with sad yet endearing eyes.

In the Faroe Islands, it doesn't get completely dark at night between mid-May and mid-July. During this time, the sunset is prolonged, followed by a white twilight (civil twilight). The sky retains a dreamy, grayish-blue light throughout the night, enough to see the scenery without lights. The scenery and light blend together, appearing before Viet's eyes like a fantasy film.

The Faroe Islands trek was not just a geographical stepping stone, but also a test of endurance and patience. Viet experienced many beautiful treks across the archipelago, averaging 10km per day.

Upon landing in the Faroe Islands, Viet only rested for a few hours before beginning his trek to capture one of the two most anticipated photos of the trip: Lake Sørvágsvatn, also known as Leitisvatn – the largest lake in the Faroe Islands, famous for its optical illusion that makes it appear to be suspended above the sea below; and the 142-meter-high Trælanípa cliff, where Vikings once pushed their slaves into the sea.

The journey began at 6 am, with fierce gusts of wind and sudden downpours forcing the group to return to buy raincoats and start over. After an hour struggling in the drizzle with wind speeds of 50-60 km/h, although they reached the viewpoint, he couldn't get close to the edge of the mountain or fly the drone.

Just when they thought they had to give up, "in the Faroe Islands, things can change overnight," Viet recounted. At 3 a.m. the next morning, the group set off again, and this time nature was kind. During this season, neither the Faroe Islands nor Greenland experience nighttime; the sky is always bright as day. The sunlight poured down at just the right moment, a thin layer of mist hung in the air, and the lake's surface reflected the sky like a mirror. The photo he took that day left him speechless with delight.

 

A few days later, he arrived in Greenland – a pristine white land where nature seemed untouched by human hands. Although accustomed to cold weather and deserted roads, the feeling of standing in the middle of an ice fjord in Greenland still overwhelmed him. Not because of the ferocity, but because of the silence. An absolute silence, so still that he could hear the sound of each tiny ice shard breaking.

Greenland is located in the Arctic region, where the phenomenon of the midnight sun occurs in summer, especially noticeable from June to early July. During this time, the sun only sets very low below the horizon or doesn't set at all, creating the feeling of "endless light." It's also the ideal season for photographers like Viet, when every detail of the ice and snow, of the sea and sky, is painted by the light in the most dreamy colors.

There are moments that come when you least expect them. For Viet, it was a night in the middle of the Greenland ice sheet, when he had only intended to board the ship to watch the midnight sun and relax. But it was there, in the soft light and bone-chilling cold, that an unexpected flick of the tail made everything unforgettable, etched into his mind.

It was a whale. No fanfare, no warning. Just a tail rising above the icy sea and the light, enough to make the ship change course, and he held his breath.

"At that moment, I couldn't think much, I just grabbed the camera and started shooting, shooting instinctively. It all happened in a few minutes, but it was a dreamlike moment," he recalled.

Although whales are commonly seen in Greenland's waters, the timing, location, and conditions of light, ice, and weather must all be ideal to capture that moment. Whales may only surface for a few seconds, often unexpectedly and from a distance. Capturing the "tail-flapping" in the polar twilight at night, amidst thousand-year-old icebergs, is a rare moment, almost a "jackpot," and only comes to those fortunate enough.

 

Viet's trip to Greenland wasn't just filled with beautiful photos and golden light; it was also a series of seemingly ordinary challenges that, if not overcome, could have ruined the entire journey. Among them, lost luggage was a "familiar scenario" for Viet. This year alone, out of three trips to Europe, he lost his luggage four times.

This time, while flying from Italy to the Faroe Islands, his luggage got stuck. Thanks to the GPS tracker, he learned that his suitcase was "traveling around Europe," passing through France, Denmark, and Norway before arriving in the Faroe Islands after three days. Without the GPS tracker, and if he hadn't stayed in the Faroe Islands long enough, he would have lost his camera equipment, warm clothes, and his entire photography plan.

But eventually everything fell into place, and he learned not to get angry about things beyond his control. Just like how the people of Greenland or the Faroe Islands live with the weather: they don't argue with nature, they adapt. The Faroese joke, "If you don't like the weather right now, just wait five more minutes," became Viet's travel philosophy.

To those who dream of visiting Greenland, he only has one piece of advice: plan carefully, pack warmly, and prepare for both good times and bad. And above all, go with an open heart, because it will never be exactly as you imagine, but it will certainly leave a lasting impression.