Pele's Breath [explored]

Going back to Hawaii for this shot from the crater of Mt Kilauea on a foggy night. It was a very surreal experience up here alone at night surrounded by fog. The glow of the lava pool was reflected by the low lying cloud and the rising steam joined the cloud. What struck me most was the eerie quiet in the presence of such an awesomely powerful force. In fact I could hear nothing at all until I got very close to the crater rim, and there I could hear just a faint rush of air from the rising column of steam, almost like the rhythmic breath of a slumbering giant.

 

Followers of Kevin Benedict's stream will recognize this photo as very similar to one Kevin posted a few weeks back. I always try for a different comp than what Kevin has picked out, and it's always interesting to see how much variety we get from the same location. Here I say, without humbleness, that I think Kevin outdid me with the wider shot and the tree silhouette against the steam column. But take a look for yourself and see what you think:

flic.kr/p/GXRXWK

 

Not long after we took these shots, the layer of cloud moved in even more thickly, and surprisingly quickly. The crater light was quickly dimmed down to nothing (which, given the intensity of it, I did not think would be possible) and we literally had to watch our feet as we followed the trail back to the carpark, lest we unknowingly tumble over the crater rim or plunge in to one of the many steam vents that surround the area. I truly understood why the ancient Hawaiians would worship the volcano as a living entity - it certainly felt like one that night, thankfully she was peacefully asleep. I cannot wait to go back to Hawaii again.

Done