Photo courtesy of Daniel Fox

When you think of Hawaii, you might first think of warm weather, pristine beaches and tropical rainforests. But one of the island state’s most striking natural features—as wildlife photographer Daniel Fox knows—is its volcanoes. Hawaii’s “Big Island” boasts a total of four active volcanoes with lava flows that can light up the night horizon. Mesmerized by the sight, Fox spent a month in 2013 immersing himself in this environment to photograph the abstract and artistic beauty of this natural phenomenon.

At the outset of his journey, Fox went several nights per week at sunset to photograph the clefts, fractures in the earth created by the slow force of the volcano. He explains, “Their presence and intensity is only revealed at night, cracking the dark world open, like lightning splitting the sky in pieces.”

Captivated by the natural beauty of the lava forms, he aimed to get as close to the action as possible, often shooting the clefts at a distance of no more than 15 feet. “Sometimes the heat would be so unbearable that I only had time to take one photograph before turning away,” he explains. But his equipment withstood the extremities and the resulting images in his “LAVA” series are remarkable for their intensity and ability to highlight the fluidity of molten rock as it reshapes the land.

Photo © Daniel Fox

Often traveling alone on assignment in extreme environments for long stretches of time, Fox says it’s essential that he travels light. It’s important, therefore, that everything in his gearbag is of top quality and is, as he puts it, “reliable, if not bulletproof.” At the end of a long shoot day, “My fingers will be frozen, my feet will be burning, the sun will scorch or the wind will roar, yet I know I don’t have to worry one second about where my work is being stored,” he says. This is because he’s armed with his SanDisk memory cards. For his 2013 expedition, he used the 128GB SanDisk Extreme PRO memory card in his Fujifilm X-T2 or GFX 50S, and the 8GB SanDisk Extreme Pro microSDHC card in his GoPro Hero3. With ever-growing storage capacities to support larger file sizes, SanDisk has been the brand he’s relied on for nearly a decade, and it continues to be the brand he trusts for his storage needs.

Fox says having reliable and powerful equipment allows him the headspace and energy to push the boundaries of his photography to new extremes, like hot lava flows, where his gear can withstand the earth’s most powerful forces.

Daniel Fox’s Top Three Workflow Tips

For a photographer who finds himself in extreme natural environments, it’s important to have a system in place for processing and storing data.

1. Backup I can’t say this word enough. Backup, backup, backup. Oh, did I forget to mention backup? The reality of today’s technology means no more carrying, protecting and processing fragile rolls of film but instead making sure files are properly stored on fast, reliable and solid memory cards and backup drives.

2. Organize Take the time to file your photos. Give them the respect they deserve. It makes life and work so much easier in the long run.

3. Delete Learning to delete is, in my opinion, the greatest challenge and most necessary skill today’s photographers must develop. Deleting photos is more than making room in your library, it’s an empowering skill and a crucial tool in developing your craft. By deleting the images you don’t like, you start to discover what you do like. You start taking ownership of your photos. With ownership comes pride, and with pride comes value. Instead of being passive, you become an active participant in the art of telling stories.

For more information about SanDisk memory cards, visit SanDisk.com.

—Sponsored by SanDisk