Journey to the center of the earth Photo

Photographer’s Note

My thoughts and prayers are with all the victims of Padang earthquake that so hardly have beaten again this beautiful and unlucky country.

The hard ascent from Ijen lake of a miner who carry about 90kg of sulfur in the middle of clouds of foul smelling fumes.
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West of Gunung Merapi is the Ijen volcano, which has a one-kilometer-wide turquoise-colored acid crater lake. The lake is the site of a labor-intensive sulfur mining operation, in which sulfur-laden baskets are carried by hand from the crater floor.

Sulfur Mining at Ijen
An active vent at the edge of the lake is a source of elemental sulfur, and supports a mining operation. Escaping volcanic gasses are channeled through a network of ceramic pipes, resulting in condensation of molten sulfur. The sulfur, which is deep red in color when molten, pours slowly from the ends of these pipes and pools on the ground, turning bright yellow as it cools. The cooled material is broken into large pieces and carried out in baskets by the miners. Typical loads range from 70–100 kilograms, and must be carried to the crater rim approximately 200 meters above before being carried several kilometers down the mountain. Most miners make this journey twice a day. The miners are paid by a nearby sugar refinery by the weight of sulfur transported (600Rupees per kg). The miners often use insufficient protection while working around the volcano and are susceptible to numerous respiratory complaints.
from Wikipedia

eversmile, mortijo trouve(nt) cette note utile

Critiques | Translate

LOOOK13 (3175) 2009-10-04 15:28

Salut.
Tres belle photo, tres dure et tellement vrai.
Une netteté parfaite et un super cadrage font de cette photo , quelque chose d'extra.
Bravo.

eversmile (6331) 2009-10-04 15:28

Hi Luca

I fall for your serie on the sulfur mine. I love the way you show it with a dynamic POV, each time, and the brightness of the colors. It looks so photogenic, under your camera, that we could almost forget how difficult are the labor conditions but your clear note balances this perfectly. Bravo.
Regards
Marine

mortijo (12328) 2009-10-04 15:29

According tome this is a nice photo n the soirit of TE. Great colors and a good accompanying note.
So...lt's smile.

InasiaJones (20637) 2009-10-04 17:34

Hello Luca,

A very good photo, very journalistic, with a carefully framed composition.

I like how the curvy mountain is used with both ends heading for corners. Of course the diagonal also contributes to the strength of the pictural organization. The way colours are distributed is another attractive aspect of your image.

The main subject is located in a patch of the photo where the neutral background allows him to stand out and in front of some clouds, which create a different perception. The hard shadow of this worker adds a lot of dimension.

Everything is well rendered and carefully managed in this shot. A very convincing one with high standards.

André

SteveH (3959) 2009-10-04 19:22

Hi Luca, Interesting daily life shot from this extraordinary location. Composition works well. I prefer this image to the previous one posted from this location. In the other it is a little difficult grasp (almost looks as though the mtn in the BG is floating in the sky). cheers, Steve

delpeoples (6439) 2009-10-04 19:59

Hi Luca, a beautiful photo to accompany your thoughts on Indonesia and the tragedies they are facing. It is an amazing, reportage-type image, beautifull composed, sharp and saturated. Congratulations and my prayers are with the people of Indonesia, Samoa, Tonga and other Pacific Islands affected by these natural (?) disasters, Lisa.

wolf38 (12961) 2009-10-04 23:27

Hi Luca. Even as a thumbnail, the photo looks very good. The menacing and yet fascinating scenery is worth seeing. The colors are strong and intense. But above all, the composition is excellent. The people as a stimulating factor is an important part of the picture. Best regards, wolfgang.

jjcordier (25036) 2009-10-05 0:58

Luca
Un très beau travail de photographe avec une composition idéale et des couleurs splendides mais aussi du grand travail de reporter photographe qui montre au mieux les conditions de travail de ces hommes. Grande photo!
Amicalement
JJ

yquem46 (8241) 2009-10-05 7:50

hello Luca
As I ran short of smileys yesterday evening, I had to wait today to give you what this image largely diserves
A top quality photojournalism shot for any first-rate travel magazine
regards
patrick

sayeed_rahman (2299) 2009-10-05 9:36

Hey Luca..

This one has it all..reminds of the great ladakh at the extreme north of india..wish you had taken more of the men in the low BG..you could have actually gone towards the man in the frame o n the left and taken a panorama with the men adding a sense of scale..

Good one though..

sayeed

scalerman (25783) 2009-10-06 2:57

Luca: it would seem you've been around of late. It'll be nice to see more from this very intereseting place. c

federico (406) 2009-10-15 3:03

hi luca great photo! I've been there too and so I can recongnize that you did a great job here, it is not easy to manage to put the 2 subject in the same frame( blue lagoon and porters) you did it very well
best regards fred

HimalAnda (1062) 2009-10-15 22:26

Hello Lucas,

This is a very nice picture : the man on the left is well placed, and we have a nice view on the lake and the smoking crater.

Stéphane