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20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
Carrying Kawah Ijen’s Golden Burden

At Kawah Ijen Volcano in East Java, Indonesia, men spend long, laborious days mining for “Devil’s Gold” in this sulfur-rich environment. Here, a miner begins his ascent up the crater, framed from behind by the sulfur deposits’ thick, toxic clouds.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 02.2022
Date Uploaded: 11.2022
Photo Location: Indonesia
Camera: ILCE-1
Copyright: © Kevin Benckendorf