Nature nominee

Late November 2022 marked the beginning of a sacred event in Hawaii with the simultaneous eruptions of Mauna Loa and Kilauea. Kilauea is the most active volcano on our planet. Before this eruption, Mauna Loa had been silent for about 50 years. Four days after making my trip arrangements, both volcanoes suddenly stopped erupting. Disappointed but knowing how quickly conditions can change on the Big Island, I decided to go anyway - and my hopes were rewarded. I was in line to board my flight in early January 2023 when a breaking news bulletin flashed across my cell phone: Kilauea started erupting again, the goddess Pele had returned. I was thrilled. I took this photo from a lookout point along the Crater Rim Trail in Volcanoes National Park. Average temperature of the lava flow seen in the photograph is 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Anne Schlueter is a Los Angeles-based photographic artist. She has participated in solo exhibitions and group shows across the United States and Europe. Her work is held in private art collections and has been published in international art books.
The boundary of the lens frees Anne to see curiosities of light, shadow, color, line, shape, texture, and structure. Her goal in framing the subject before the ‘click’ is to capture images that challenge everyday perception of the ordinary, or conjure thoughts of myths and legends, or tell geological stories. Her intent is to create photographic art that evokes an emotional response to the details of this astonishing planet everyone calls ‘Home’. She completes her artistic vision by employing pigment based inks on natural fine art papers, or dye sublimation aluminum to dramatize fine details and enhance depth and tonality in the finished prints.