Thursday Salute to Originals: Hot Pursuit

This landscape photographer chases shots of extreme climates.

From towering glaciers to cavernous canyons, Hamburg-based Jan Eric Waider is known to pursue breathtaking and intense landscape photography across the globe. In a new series titled LAVA, Waider is turning up the heat, capturing the textures and shapes of melted stone flowing from a volcano.

For this project, Waider traveled to Iceland’s Natthagi valley following the eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano in March. Over three days, the photographer got as close as possible to the flowing magma, capturing up-close images of its transformation from glowing liquid to blackened stone.

“I was absolutely blown away by how quickly the lava field changed. Apparently, cooled lava broke open, and thick, fresh lava flowed out and formed new shapes and “sculptures,” which were then destroyed again by new lava a few minutes later. This simultaneously beautiful but also brutal transience was the charm for me,” said Waider in an interview with This is Colossal.

This Thursday, we’re saluting the daring photography pursuits of Jan Eric Waider. You can view a full collection of photography from his LAVA series on his website.

Sources: Jan Eric Waider, This is Colossal