Photo above by Kyoko: Tor shooting the lava flowing into the ocean.
Photo above: Tor and Kyoko relaxing in a lava-heated steam vent.
We got a request for images of lava flows, so Kyoko and I flew over to
cover it right away. The lava was entering the ocean on the Big
Island, and since it could stop at any time, we seized the chance. Some of the images here were taken from a boat, which we chartered to approach
the flows in the evening. It was amazing to see the lava explode into
steam and flying red-hot rock, and watch as the sea and sky change to
dark blue, bringing out the brilliant glowing red lava. The ocean
around us was actually steaming hot, and the air in places was so full
of sulfur fumes it would choke you. The sea on this coast is also
quite rough. We also hiked in to the flows in the dark during rain
squalls, over unstable black lava rocks. When I write about it, it
sounds like a tough shoot, but the fact is that the collision of all
the elements, in the process of actually building an island, were so
engrossing that I didn't even notice the harsh conditions.
Exhausted from shooting one day, Kyoko and I took a steam bath in
nearby caves, where steam is created by ground water actually heated
by lava deep within the earth. The Hawaiians called this the "breath
of Pele (the volcano goddess)". My good friend and superlative volcano
photographer Brad Lewis told me that the earth is alive, that it
lives, breathes and moves. A visit to the Big Island can really make
you feel the truth of that.
- Tor
Photo above by Kyoko: Tor shooting the lava flowing into the ocean.
Photo above: Tor and Kyoko relaxing in a lava-heated steam vent.