One of my 2023 bucket list shots was to photograph an active volcano. After doing some research everything pointed me to Guatemala. Erupting several times per day Volcan de Fuego was a hell of a sight to behold! From the ground you’d see puffs of smoke following the crack of the explosion from the mountain somewhat regularly throughout the day… but to get a real view of the eruption I had to hike up the adjacent Volcan Acatenango, a significantly less active, but still active volcano. This ended up being hands-down the most difficult physical activity I’ve ever endured. Acatenango is a ‘dry’ volcano meaning there are no natural sources of water up there. So the absolutely vertical hike was while carrying 3 liters of water, camera gear and my regular camping supplies. Absolutely worth it! I didn’t have much luck with the clouds to get the milky way shot I envisioned but the details really make this photo a keeper for me. From the headlamps of the hikers walking down the mountain to the stars in the sky and the villages between the mountains shining through the lower altitude clouds.

Enjoy this core memory of mine and decorate your space with some spicy lava!