Man carrying sulphur from Ijen Crater, a photo from Jawa Timur, Java

Photographer's Note

The Ijen volcano, East Java,Indonesia.Ijen volcano has a one-kilometer-wide, the world's largest highly acidic lake.The lake is the site of intensive sulfur mining operation, in which sulfur-laden baskets are carried by hand from the crater floor.The sulfur is transported entirely on foot. Men carry individual loads of up to more than hundred kilos, sometime barefoot, mostly gumbooted or in flip-flops up to the rim of crater and then a few kilometres down the mountainside.They start very early morning and pass this trip twice a day. Mountain ridges are often shrouded in a smelling swirling sulfur clouds. When such cloud crossed our path, we pretty suffocated, the tears run down our faces and long time we cough out sulphur acid phlegm.
We never saw such terrific work and, willy-nilly, famous film Papillon came back to our mind…

Pentti, lousat has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Pentti (1469) 2011-03-19 10:07

Hi Jiri,

hard and dangerous work
the worker seems quite happy in spite of the irritable work

I once visited a small volcano with some sulfur in its hot soil and some irritable gas rising from the soil. By chance my profile photo is taken in the bottom of that volcano. I could be down there less than half an hour because of the irritation.

Important note. Good composition. Sharp where it should be.

Pentti

luciola (3030) 2011-03-19 12:23

Hello,
A magnificent portrait of a man who carries an incredibly heavy and poisonous work.
Regards
Lucja

lousat (138609) 2011-03-19 16:24

Hi Jiri,a wonderfull pic of a daily life of this man.How is nice the composition and how is great the scenary in background! You was lucky to be there,i think was a fantastic trip!My best compliments,have a nice Sunday,Luciano

ibahadir (300) 2011-03-19 20:00

Hi Jiri,

A very impressive daily life picture of the hard working people in Indonesia. It must be really exhausting for those people to make this trip twice a day. Best regards.

Ismail

lilito (3534) 2011-03-21 6:17

Bonjour
Une image que j'aime parce que bien faite et en plus nous montre le dur travail des hommes dans une rйgion qu'on ne connait pas encore...
Lily