There are few people left in our world who are most devoted to their profession, who would put work above their lives. Despite the fact that people regularly attend management seminars and refresher courses, they are still often neglectful of their work, but there are exceptions.
Such an exception was the American photographer Robert Landsburg, who in 1980 photographed the eruption of St. Helens.
The eruption of Mount St. Helens began on March 27, 1980. Portland, Oregon, 48-year-old photographer Robert Landsberg decided to document the event with his camera. And then tragedy struck …
Photo from National Geographic magazine. January 1981.
In April and early May, he made dozens of ascents and hikes in the immediate vicinity of the mountain, choosing the most favorable points for shooting. On the morning of May 18, he found one such place near a volcano.
The eruption of the volcano St. Helens.
When the mountain exploded, Robert is six kilometers from its top, his camera was mounted on a tripod and cocked. An all-consuming cloud of ash rose into the sky and moved towards him. Apparently, having estimated that he had no chance of salvation, Robert Landsburg stayed in place and continued to photograph the volcano. Then he rewound the tape into a cassette, removed the camera from the tripod and put it in a backpack, which he put under him for its better safety. His wallet was also in his backpack, possibly to facilitate later identification.
Seventeen days later, his body was found in the ashes, along with the tape he had saved. The photographs of the killer mountain on it were with scratches, bubbles, deformations and highlights caused by exposure to heat and ash. These images helped geologists get a more accurate picture of the eruption.
Promotional video:
The photographs show the ash cloud approaching the photographer.
The consequences of the eruption of Mount St. Helens: