Photographer Petr Hricko traveled to Iceland to capture the country in all four seasons. (Petr Hricko)

Petr Hricko encountered photography in a special way. When he was hospitalized, diagnosed with cancer, a friend gave him a camera as a distraction from his illness. With this gift, Hricko started taking photos of everything that he found interesting.

“At the beginning I only took photos of myself, and I didn’t publish it anywhere,” the photographer told weather.com. But with the encouragement from those around him, he decided to quit his job as a geodesist in 2012 and went into photography full-time. “Since then, I’ve done a lot of amazing projects and I’ve met many interesting clients.”

A few years later, Hricko traveled to Iceland to take photos for his book. “Iceland was always my dream land,” he said. His itinerary, though, radically changed due to unforeseen circumstances. On his second day in Iceland, he lost his wallet that contained all his money, papers and credit cards. Fortunately, Iceland’s good Samaritans came to the rescue.

“I shared my story on my Facebook page and a lot of people from Iceland offered me help,” he said. A young skateboarder and surfer offered Hricko accommodation, a beautiful summer house under the mountains of Snaefellsnes in West Iceland.

(MORE: Iceland’s Hot Springs Look Like an Alien Landscape)

“Since then, I have returned to Iceland three more times,” he said. The photographer is currently working on a book that will showcase the four seasons in Iceland.

So far, his favorite photo is an image that reminds him of “The Little Prince.” “I took it by chance,” he said. “I was taking photos of the [plane] wreckage and suddenly [a] boy ran around the plane.”

Hricko’s photographs evoke senses of stillness and peace, encouraging the viewer to appreciate the calm landscape of Iceland. He believes a good photograph can be achieved through composition, but can be made greater with the atmosphere and emotion of the setting. “I don’t think you need a perfect technique to capture a perfect photograph,” he said.

Nature also helps to bring out the mood Hricko wants in his images to project. “I prefer taking photos early in the morning,” he said. “When it’s cloudy, the places have their own strange and mysterious atmosphere.” Recently, Hricko “fell in love” with night photography in Iceland. “I enjoy taking photos of stars and aurora[s].”

Though the results may be beautiful, it isn’t always easy shooting in Iceland. The weather changes suddenly, making it difficult to depend on the day’s forecast. “I photographed in the rain, in the snow storm, in the wind storm, but I also experienced many sunny days,” he said. “You cannot [take] a lot of photos in these extreme conditions, but the good ones are worth it.”

To see more of Hricko's work, visit his Instagram and Facebook page.