There are certain moments in landscape photography where you are sometimes caught completely off-guard and presented with imagery far beyond what you planned on capturing. This particular picture shows one such moment. While capturing a volcanic eruption, Tomas van der Weijden shot a meteor as it blazed through the skies. This created a unique picture that is both timeless and memorable.
Photographing an Erupting Volcano
Nikon Ambassador and photographer Daniel Kordan was heading up a photographic workshop at Klyuchevskaya Sopka. It lies on the Kamchatka Peninsula within the far eastern region of Russia. This is where Tomas van der Weijden shot his magical shot.[1]
“It was during a recent photography trip to Kamchatka in far east Russia that I was fortunate enough to witness and photograph an erupting volcano. Having joined a group of passionate photographers, led by the incredibly talented Daniel Kordan, we had arrived in Kamchatka and heard of visible lava streams in the area we were heading out to. We embarked on the long drive in a six-wheel-drive Russian Kamaz truck, hoping for good weather conditions so we could capture this event.”[2]
Tomas van der Weijden

Image Credit: Tomas van der Weijden | Instagram
A summit point of 15,580 feet (4,750 meters) makes Klyuchevskaya the tallest peak on the peninsula. Also, it is Eurasia’s highest-reaching active volcano. A group of indigenous Russian people shares the belief that it signifies the world’s birthplace. Also, they regard it as hallowed ground.
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More About Klyuchevskoy
The volcano, Klyuchevskoy, has produced regular eruptions since 1697, when its activity was initially recorded. The location of Klyuchevskoy makes its position ideal for visiting to capture a volcanic eruption in relative safety.

Image Credit: tmsvdw | Instagram
“After arriving, we set up camp about an hour away from a small lake higher up the mountain, which would allow us to shoot the volcano with a beautiful reflection as foreground. The conditions were great, and we managed to get some excellent shots of the glowing lava lighting up.”[2]
Tomas van der Weijden
The Moment he Shot a Meteor
Kordan was capturing a lesser volcanic eruption. Accompanied by his students, when he shot a meteor that occurred miraculously in the same moment.

Image Credit: tmsvdw | Instagram
“On the second night of shooting, I had just switched from a wide-angle lens to shoot at 35mm (allowing to get an image showing more detail of the volcano and lava). When, all of a sudden, a bright streak appeared for a split second. A meteor! Luck had it that I was taking a series of 15-second exposures, long enough to capture it. Realizing this is a once-in-a-lifetime event, I feel incredibly fortunate and impressed to have witnessed these forces of nature.”[2]
Tomas van der Weijden
You check out more from Tomas on his website, Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, and 500px.
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Sources
- “This Photographer Accidentally Shot a Meteor While Capturing a Volcano.” PetaPixel. Michael Zhang. February 2021.
- “I Accidentally Photographed A Meteor While Capturing An Erupting Volcano.” Bored Panda. Tomas vdW. 2016.