Lava Fields and The Dead Forest

• Photographer
  Shobha Gopinath
• Prize
  Silver in Editorial / Environmental

In 1975, Mt Tolbachik erupted. The eruption lasted one and a half years and it destroyed the forest, in fact it destroyed all life in its vicinity. What’s left are large swathes of lava fields and trees almost skeleton-like standing as a mute and haunting reminder of that terrible catastrophe. For years the red hot lava could be seen just beneath the surface. It has cooled now and left vast tracts of eerie folds and designs. There were signs of renewal and hope, of life beginning again in the form of small flowering plants emerging, forming a stark contrast to the bleakness around it.