Seeing this volcano explode from up close, especially through a telephoto lens at night, really brings the action close to you. First comes the bright showers reaching for the sky before arching down. And just before they hit the ground, the pressure wave from the explosion reaches you. And as it passes by, you also get to watch the burning embers of rock roll down the steep slopes of the volcano.
This was one of the brightest captures from that night of shooting the volcano, and the energy from the explosion is still seared in my mind. See this large in my 2025 calendar available at this link.
Volcan Fuego
Guatemala
Rays of Shadow
Watching the sun rise from the summit of a volcano was an tranquil affair, interrupted only by the tumultuous shockwave from a nearby eruption thundering through the air. As the light from the eastern horizon slowly gained intensity, features and undulations slowly became more visible in the haze. Roads and farms formed intricate patterns in the valley that only started to come into light.
As the deep reds slowly turned orange and yellow in the east, the western horizon was still dark under the shadow of earth itself. The moon was the only anchor point steady in the sky as the Belt of Venus slowly arose. What I had not expected to see was the shadow of the volcano itself projected onto a neat triangular point into the west. Surprisingly, this shadow, and the accompany rays of darkness only became visible after the sun rose. I admired the distance to which this shadow was projected, and how long it actually lasted.
This image portrays the summit of the volcano at sunrise.
Volcan Acatenango
Guatemala
Guatemala for the Adventure Seeker
From standing close enough to erupting volcanoes where you can feel the earth shudder with every eruption, to being high in the mountains above a cloudforest, I found so many choices for adventure travel in Guatemala. And complementing the travel options was the variety of food options to satisfy every gourmand's palate.
This was truly a destination that rewards the curious explorer.
Guatemala
Above Atitlan
When I first heard the name Lake Atitlan, it conjured up a a god from Mayan mythology, an overseer who overlooked a pristine lake in a caldera of a volcanic nation. It turned out to be partially true, as it was the name given to one of the many volcanoes that ring this glistening lake in the mountainous center of the country.
My first glimpse of the lake was during a multi-day trek that terminated on an overlook of this lake. We arrived at this viewpoint at before dawn, in the calm stillness of the night. The jeweled lights of the villages dotting the lake mirrored the star-spangled banner that was the sky. Venus shone brightly above the eastern horizon anchoring the sky, while the blazoned gold of Fuego's eruption did so for the volcanic horizon. And below it, the dark glassy blue of the lake stretched into the distance, interrupted only by the shimmering reflections of the city lights.
It was freezing at the viewpoint in the early morning, and I was only warmed by hot cocoa slipping down my throat. And despite the lake of sleep, my mind was fully engaged in taking this expansive view of Lake Atitlan.
Lake Atitlan
Guatemala
Boom
It was a loud boom. The shockwave from the blast shook everyone up. Through the windows of the shack, we could see the summit of Fuego bathed in orange. It was a cone of glowing gold against a inky blackness of the night sky. Rocks were still exploding upwards, taking long arcs in the sky before the long hand of gravity pulled them back. An ominous cloud of smoke emanating from the summit was barely visible against the night sky, illuminated only by the glow of lava and embers.
The volcano erupted every 20 mins like clockwork. First arcs of lava shot up in the sky, followed by a loud boom, followed by even more eruption, and followed by fine ash landing everywhere. However, timing the capture while keeping the lens clean from ash and condensate proved to be a chore. This was one of those captures.
Acatenango
Antigua Guatemala