Jalen Oban

Artist Statement

Photographed during Iceland’s most recent eruption, this image shows a new fissure cutting a bright seam across older lava. I worked from roughly two miles away in strong gusts; visibility shifted with ash and steam. I kept a wide frame to show the curtain of fire breaking into vents, each pulsing and feeding fresh channels along the edges. I exposed to hold texture in the melt without clipping the glow. The focus is the event itself—how quickly the ground reopened and how fast new land was poured onto the old.

Artist Bio

Jalen Oban is a landscape and wildlife photographer from Oregon. Guided by cinematic storytelling and the inspiration of photographers like Michael Shainblum, his work marries sweeping vistas with intimate telephoto moments, revealing the quiet drama of wild places. Through educational vlogs, brand collaborations, and fine-art prints, Jalen invites viewers into nature’s fleeting moods—rich color, shifting light, and the sense of being present on the edge of the world.

New Earth, 2025