leicashot
Well-known
Thanks again for your kind words. Motivates me to do more of these projects. Cheers
nicography
Established
Thank you for sharing with us.
You are a very influential image maker.
I just went over your website and I have to say your work is bravo!
You are a very influential image maker.
I just went over your website and I have to say your work is bravo!
leicashot
Well-known
Thank you, I apologize cause the website is all over the place right now. Redoing it and splitting into 3 separate sites right now to make navigating easier. Also it's confusing to work out what kind of photographer I am. Doco, sport, entertainment etc - I still don't know but love the variety.
Ko.Fe.
Lenses 35/21 Gears 46/20
marko.oja
Established
You definitely need to get these printed, this is exhibition-quality stuff here!
vladimir
vladimir
Lets help them.
Lets help them.
I would be more than happy to help these people financially somehow. Working this hard and dangerous job for so little money is outrages.
Lets help them.
EDIT: No, I didn't drop my M9 in sulfuric acid....
Today I visited a place some of you are probably aware of or have seen before seeing it was a place James Nachtwey visited in his documentary. It's name is Mt.Ijen or Kawah Ijen to the Javanese living in East Java, Indonesia.
(Following words taken elsewhere - I'm lazy). Kawah Ijen is an active 8530 feet tall volcano in East Java, Indonesia. Inside the crater of the volcano lies the largest lake of sulfuric acid in the world (650 ft deep). Exquisitely beautiful visually, it is the site of a gruelingly labor-intensive sulfur mining operation. Here 200 miners collect and carry huge loads of pure sulfur as they trek up along a rocky 4 km path out of the crater, amidst clouds of noxious sulfur dioxide gas. They then climb down to the village at the base of the volcano unload, only to repeat the round trip journey again before the day ends. The miners will then sell the sulfur to the government for a small fee, equivalent to about five dollars a day. The government exports the sulfur, which is then used for bleaching sugar, producing fertilizers, black gunpowder, matches, insecticides, and fungicides and for vulcanizing rubber.
Here is an image of the beautiful site you see once you arrive after a 3km hike up hill.
- All with Elmarit 28mm V3
Now there are days I complain about my job, and on most I actually believe that my job is physically demanding. Well after witnessing the miners working on Ijen, my whole attitude has changed. These men number around 400, aged somewhere between 20-60 years of age make the trip up the crater, usually every second day, making up to two of these trips in return for approximately US$7.50 a trip.
Most of these men carry between 65-120 kgs of Sulfur rock on each trip, going through excruciating pain, and making the occasional rest stop along the way.
My experience here was short. While I am a photographer by living, I was there on a quick trip with my family in-law who are from East Java, so I was mindful not to turn this into a working documentary. I anticipated spending a few hours in the crater, but my trip was cut short when I was engulfed by a large amount of smoke that was forced into my direction by strong winds, and surrounded me for a duration of 10 minutes. During this time, I couldn't see even 2 feet in front of me, and was struggling to breath.
If you've seen 'War Photographer' you'll have a slight idea of what I;m talking about....now times that by 10! For the first time in my life I was worried for my life as I was gulping for air underneath my wet handkerchief, protecting my mouth and nose. My eyes began to burn as I occasionally looked up to seek help and a gap between the smoke, but it kept coming for 10 minutes straight.
- This was the storm coming at me, and within 30 seconds I was stuck.
Finally a break in the wind and a worker grabbed me, only to find himself, and I once again caught in another gulf of smoke. Luckily it subsided within a minute and we ran for higher ground. At this point I was so terrified from the trauma and suffering from eye pain and breathing difficulty I decided to call it a day and return to my wife, waiting for me up top. Boy was I happy to see her! Gotta admit, I'm a little embarrassed as many photographers have gone before me to this unique place and survived a day of shooting, but I just couldn't manage to recuperate after that experience, and still suffering from breathing and sight issues as I type this. Maybe I'll head back some other time for a week to make into a small feature if I can get enough courage back ;-)
- a quick portait of my savior while struggling to climb and get my breath back
The day before I took a few minutes to shoot the processing area where the rocks are broken down into material that's easier to transport and here are some of the pictures.
...and that was my day!
I would be more than happy to help these people financially somehow. Working this hard and dangerous job for so little money is outrages.
NY_Dan
Well-known
Excellent photos. Story gave me the willies -- glad you made it through.
pepeguitarra
Well-known
How come this does not happen to me??????
How come this does not happen to me??????
Excellent black and white photos and comments. You have your book right there!!
Did you notice if the M9 sensor suffered of any corrosion in that really corrosive environment?
What I always thought: The CV Nokton 35/1.2 is one of the best 35mm lenses.
How come this does not happen to me??????
Excellent black and white photos and comments. You have your book right there!!
Did you notice if the M9 sensor suffered of any corrosion in that really corrosive environment?
What I always thought: The CV Nokton 35/1.2 is one of the best 35mm lenses.