Green and sulphur

by The Raw World Atlas

Steam rises from the crater floor in shades of white, grey and sulphur yellow. Above it, the slope takes on hues of ochre and rust-red, criss-crossed by dark green streaks where shrubs have managed to take root. Further up, dense forest covers the slope, interrupted only by bare rocky outcrops. The whole scene forms a gradient from the raw volcanic soil to the vibrant green, and the boundary between the two is visible in every detail.

The colours have not been added afterwards. The yellow is sulphur deposited by the vents; the orange and red come from iron oxides; and the pale grey is rock bleached by hot, acidic gases. The steam drifts slowly across the image, softening the harsh structures beneath.

In portrait format, the image makes a striking statement on the wall: enough texture to captivate up close, and a clear colour composition when viewed from a distance. The warm earth tones harmonise with natural materials, terracotta, dark wood and concrete. The fine texture of the mineral crust and the soft edges of the steam are shown to their best advantage on matt fine art paper.

I took this photograph in Jigokudani, the ‘Valley of Hell’, above the spa town of Noboribetsu in Hokkaido, Japan. The valley is the remnant of an explosion crater approximately 450 metres in diameter, and its springs continue to feed the town’s baths to this day.