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Mount St. Helens


Mount St. Helens
Photo Information
Copyright: SC Davidson (azleader) Silver Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 40 W: 0 N: 77] (480)
Genre: Places
Medium: Black & White
Date Taken: 2006-05-10
Categories: Nature, Mood
Camera: Sony Cybershot DSC-F717
Exposure: f/8, 1/125 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-10-27 11:03
Viewed: 503
Points: 10
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
At 8:32 Sunday morning, May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens in Washington State, USA erupted.

Shaken by an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale, the north face of this once tall symmetrical mountain, often compared to Mt. Fuji in Japan, collapsed in a massive rock debris avalanche. Nearly 230 square miles(596 square kilometers) of forest was blown down or buried beneath volcanic deposits. 1,307 feet(398 meters) of its top blew off.

In those first few moments 57 people were killed. At the same time a mushroom-shaped column of ash rose thousands of feet skyward and drifted downwind, turning day into night for cities more than 100 miles (160+ kilometers) away as dark, gray ash fell over eastern Washington and beyond. The eruption lasted 9 hours, but Mount St. Helens and the surrounding landscape were dramatically changed within moments.

This image was taken near formerly named Coldwater Ridge renamed Johnston Ridge Observatory for a youthful volcanologist named David Johnston who, on that date, died near this spot in 1980. He issued the first alert about the eruption with these immortal last words...

"Vancouver, Vancouver... this is it!". His remains were never found.
-------------------------------------------------------

More information:
Activity at the volcano began in earnest a couple months earlier in April as magma flowed into the volcano's throat.

Because of the possibility of an eruption a volcanic hazard zone around the mountain was established and people evacuated. Most of the the 57 people who died, including volcanologist David Johnston, were OUTSIDE the zone.

A gruff old man named Harry Truman became world famous for steadfastly refusing to evacuate a tourist lodge he owned and operated for 54 years above Spirit Lake. He said if "that ol' mountain wants to take me then By God it can!" but he wasn't leaving. He told reporters of a secret cave he could hide in if necessary.

A couple weeks before the eruption volcanologist David Johnston took a caravan of reporters to a parking lot high on the north slope of the mountain in the heart of the "Red Zone". He was a shy, unassuming, blond young man in a wool cap who quietly said, "This place we are standing on right now is very dangerous!". This picture faces where that parking lot once was. At that time the mountain's north slope was bulging outward by 5 feet (1.5 meters) every day.

Neither Truman nor Johnston lived more than a few seconds after the eruption began. The avalanche took about 10 seconds to release a 600mph (almost 1,000 kilometers per hour) pyroclastic flow that traveled from the mountain to this spot in about a second or so after the avalanche. Truman was already gone seconds before the pyroclastic flow reached this spot.
mickyg, VeeJayCee, thor68, mcenteesalas has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To jramos: In its original position?azleader 1 12-21 21:24
To kitka: Not a Saguaro...azleader 1 12-13 23:56
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Critiques [Translate]

I love your B/W rendition here it suits the shot so well the detail and sharpness are excellent with the tree adding good F/G interest .. nice work

Great use of the foreground tree to lead into the image. Superb detail and wonderful tonality.

  • Great 
  • thor68 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 410 W: 112 N: 780] (4844)
  • [2007-10-27 14:52]

1980, is it that long ago...time flies.
anyway, awesome shot, i really love the B&W, it somehow really fits to that place,
terrific view along the old tree, i guess it is like that since then.
superb job & best wishes, thor.

WOW Davidson, what striking shot, technically superb well done, I know that story well, I`ve watched inumerous documentaries about this volcano, it was a really devastating and sad day for all the people near it specially for taking so many lives and destroying so much forest, the shot is perfect,composition, position of view, exposure and creativity, simply brilliant, well done, thanks for sharing it with us and keep them coming, regards, Salas

  • Great 
  • kitka Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 236 W: 70 N: 223] (2178)
  • [2007-12-14 1:09]
  • [+]

Another one, your way to take B&W photos is so amazing! I like the perspective here, St. Helen is "only" background for dead tree (I was looking for your ather pictures, where the saguaros are... and mixed all of these together:-) sorry).
Very original, professional.
Thanks
Katerina

I really like the inclusion on the blown-up uprooted tree in the foreground. It gives the photo a sense of the great pyroclastic blast that was St. Mount Helens' eruption. The way the snow mimicks flowing lava also helps to this end. You definitively have a very good eye not just for composition but for storytelling within your photographs. Your note also conveys this sense of urgency and doom. Great Job!

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