“When I photograph extreme environments – the volcano, the tornado, the glacier – each is entirely different, but they have one thing in common: You are in a situation with an uncertain outcome.” Carsten Peter

The Earth is a shape-shifter, its basic elements in constant motion. New forms arise from the violence of volcanoes, the steady drip of subterranean stalactites, or the movement of glacial ice. Photographer and adventurer Carsten Peter seeks out these changing environments, the unpredictable extremes of spewing lava or deep, unexplored caves. His photographs capture vivid images of fleeting moments or forms shaped over centuries.

A native of Germany, Carsten Peter began shooting nature’s extremes at age 17 on the crater rim of Stromboli, an active volcano north of Sicily. He has since traveled to some of the most beautiful, dangerous, and inhospitable places in the world. To photograph and survive he depends on his wits and technical skills as a climber, paraglider, caver, and diver. He has braved toxic caverns and rappelled into active volcanoes with turbulent lava lakes. During more than three decades of taking photographs he has been a regular contributor to National Geographic, earned a World Press Photo award for tornado coverage, and an Emmy for videography from inside an active volcano.

Click here to learn more about Carsten Peter and to view his photographs.