July 2013 GOTM

WC #587 - Creative Edge

This was quite likely as close to the edge, literally and figuratively, as I've ever been in the pursuit of photography. It's not nearly as beautiful or spectacular a composition as is possible at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and as has been posted recently in the ES&S Gallery. But that doesn't really matter. For me, capturing this image ranks near the top as one of my most memorable photographic experiences.

This in fact is not a recent image. It was captured in 2002. I had been living in Honolulu for about four and a half years at the time. That summer I was preparing to move back to the mainland. I had visited HVNP several times while living in Hawaii. I decided to make one more trip to the park before returning to the mainland. I was there for about ten days, which was my longest visit. I have not been back since.

I had been going out at night a few times, to the end of Chain of Craters Road, because at the time, unlike during any of my previous visits, there was a designated viewing area not too far from the end of the road to observe and photograph some slowly flowing lava. I would go out at about 2:00 AM, to experience as much solitude as I could. Of course, during the daylight hours, there were throngs of people there. At 2:00 AM however, there were only a few other adventurous souls wandering about the area.

On this particular night, I was feeling perhaps somewhat more adventurous. I could see the glowing steam rising above the top of the cliff at the land's edge. I decided to head in that direction to see if there might be a vantage point from which to view the lava flowing into the ocean. I had of course read the warnings about venturing out onto the lava shelves, and I was aware of the risk. But, as they say ... nothing ventured, nothing gained. I was fortunate to come away with this composition.