Photojournalism

Field assignments and documentary coverage from Iceland, the Arctic region and volcanic areas worldwide.

Marco is a freelance visual journalist from Sicily, based in Iceland since 2018, where he documents geological and environmental change as well as major national events. His work combines careful field practice with a solid understanding of geoscience, built over years of photographing eruptions, seismic crises, natural events, and their impact on infrastructure and daily life. He works across stills and video, often moving between wide context views, close details, and straightforward explanatory frames that help audiences see what is actually happening on the ground rather than only the most dramatic moments.

Since 2021, Marco has contributed regularly to the Associated Press, covering major events in Iceland through still photography and video. His assignments have included volcanic crises, extreme weather, elections, referendums, and other nationally significant political events. His work has been published by The New York Times, BBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Time Magazine, Corriere della Sera, RAI, and other international media.

Alongside breaking news, he also works on longer-term stories that follow how volcanic activity, environmental change, and other natural processes affect landscapes, infrastructure, and the people living around them.

Silhouettes of onlookers photographing a flowing lava field at night.

Photojournalism from Iceland

Assignments in Iceland often begin with a specific event but extend to the wider story around it, following how conditions develop and how communities, infrastructure, and institutions respond over time.

  • Volcanic Eruptions & Seismic Events: Since 2021, Marco has documented Fagradalsfjall, Meradalir, Litli Hrútur, and the Sundhnúkagígar eruptions: active fissures and lava flows, evacuations, infrastructure impacts, protective works, and scientific field activity. He works within Icelandic civil protection and aviation rules, adapting coverage as conditions change on the ground.
  • Icelandic Weather & Environmental Phenomena: His work includes storms, severe snow events, glacial floods, and other environmental processes, documenting both their physical character and their effects on the landscape and daily life. The coverage also follows how these events develop and how people respond to them.
  • Human, Scientific & National Stories: Marco also covers researchers, residents, elections, referendums, scientific projects, and other stories of national interest. These assignments extend his work beyond natural events and connect wider developments in Iceland with the people directly involved in them.

How assignments are handled

Assignments are approached with attention to the story, the conditions on the ground, and the practical requirements of the newsroom. Routes, weather, safety restrictions, and likely developments are reviewed in advance, while decisions in the field are adjusted as the situation changes.

Lava crossing the road to the Blue Lagoon, with smoke rising over the snow-covered landscape.
  • Rapid Mobilization: Based near Reykjavík, Marco can respond quickly to breaking events across Iceland, including volcanic activity, severe weather, political stories, and other assignments requiring on-site coverage.
  • Safety & Coordination: Work around active volcanic areas, emergency zones, and controlled airspace is carried out within Icelandic civil protection and aviation rules, with plans adapted when restrictions or conditions change.
  • Captioning & Context: Stills and footage are delivered with accurate captions and the clearest available context at the time of reporting. When relevant, information is checked against official sources, scientists, civil protection authorities, or people directly involved in the story.
  • Flexible Delivery: Material can be prepared for different newsroom and production workflows, from rapid-turnaround stills and video for breaking news to more structured coverage for features and documentary projects.

Trusted by international media

Marco works regularly with the Associated Press, and his photography and video are distributed to newsrooms and audiences around the world. He is also available for direct editorial assignments and longer-form collaborations with international media.

Marco’s swiftness put the AP ahead of competitors with stunning photos and video coverage that amazed global audiences.

Editor, Associated Press

Selected publications, media features, and professional recognitions can be found on the Press, Media & Awards page.

Live field reporting and broadcast support

Marco is also available for live reporting, on air commentary, remote interviews, and broadcast updates from the field, alongside his stills and video coverage. He can contribute in English and Italian from breaking news locations, including volcanic areas and remote environments, providing clear context based on first-hand observation from the scene.

Live contributions can be coordinated around newsroom schedules and production requirements for interviews, stand-ups, live video inserts, and other broadcast needs.

Recent field coverage

Recent assignments include long-term coverage of the Reykjanes volcanic activity since 2021, from the Fagradalsfjall, Meradalir and Litli Hrútur eruptions to the more recent Sundhnúkagígar sequence, the evacuation of Grindavík, and the impact of repeated eruptions on nearby infrastructure and communities.

Beyond volcanic events, Marco has covered political and national developments, including elections and referendums, as well as severe weather, environmental and climate-related stories, scientific research, and assignments across Iceland, including the Highlands.

Aerial view of a lava flow and rising steam crossing dark terrain, with a town in the distance.

SUNDHNÚKAGÍGAR, Iceland, April 2025. Lava erupts from the Sundhnúkagígar fissure a few hundred meters from the town of Grindavík.

A large crack splitting the paved ground of a town, with people and buildings in the background.

GRINDAVÍK, Iceland, November 2023. Cracks open in streets and town centre after an earthquake swarm forced the evacuation of the town.

Aerial view of an excavator piling earth beside a road and a lava field on snow-covered ground.

SVARTSENGI, Iceland, February 2024. Workers reinforce protective barriers as lava flows close to Caterpillar heavy machinery at the geothermal powerplant site.

Five silhouetted people walking along a ridge against an orange sky lit by lava.

FAGRADALSFJALL, Iceland, April 2021. Search and Rescue team members work near the eruption site on the Reykjanes Peninsula.

Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir speaking at a referendum event in Reykjavík

REYKJAVÍK, Iceland, August 26, 2026. Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir speaks at a public event on the referendum over whether Iceland should resume accession negotiations with the European Union.

Voter casting a ballot during Iceland's 2026 EU talks referendum

REYKJAVÍK, Iceland, August 29, 2026. A voter casts a ballot at Reykjavík City Hall during Iceland’s referendum on whether to resume accession negotiations with the European Union.

Assignment & Contact

Marco is available for editorial and documentary assignments across Iceland, the wider Arctic region, and volcanic areas worldwide. His work can range from breaking news and rapid-response coverage to longer-term environmental, scientific, and documentary projects, across still photography, video, and field reporting.

For assignment availability, briefings, or project enquiries, please use the contact form or email info@marcodimarco.photo.

Contact for Assignment

Marco Di Marco is a freelance visual journalist based in Iceland since 2018, covering volcanic eruptions, extreme weather, environmental change, and major national events through photography, video, and field reporting. His work is produced for international news media and he is available for editorial assignments, documentary productions, and volcanic coverage in Iceland, across the Arctic region, and internationally.