Photographer known as 'Volcano Man' gets dangerously close to 2,000F lava on Hawaii for incredible shots

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Photographer G. Brad Lewis, known as Volcano Man, risked frying his camera as he captured friends standing close to the red-hot Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island, Hawaii, in May.
But several have died after getting too close to the bubbling liquid, which spews out at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
'Being upwind from the poisonous fumes is bad for the body and the equipment. The caustic conditions can fry a camera instantly.'
But witnessing the spectacular force of nature comes with its risks.
'I have lost a few friends to the volcano,' admitted Mr Lewis, who lives in Hawaii. 'One photographer was too mesmerised to act when the bench of land he was on fell into the ocean - exploding hundreds of feet of lava.

'If anything went wrong it would end in death, and I have melted many boot soles and tripod legs.'
Yet he believes the thrilling sight of lava spewing out of the mountain under the Milky Way is worth the danger.
'Being near an eruption is an awesome experience,' he added. 'You are never quite the same after seeing flowing lava.'

Spectacular Hawaii lava flows captured by Isamu Kitafuji and Brad Lewis