"There was ash billowing out from the volcano, it was sulphuric acid," says the photographer behind award-winning volcanologist portrait – but why is he barefoot on a rock?

Phillip, a self-taught volcanologist, stands barefoot atop a volcanic rock bomb. Wearing a lava-protection suit, the volcano smoulders behind him, sending a plume of gas and sulphur into the sky.

A barefoot volcanologist standing atop a volcanic rock bomb, with ash and sulfuric gas billowing behind him – it's a striking image captured in one of the most hostile environments on Earth.

The photograph has earned Australian photographer Elle Leontiev the Open Photographer of the Year title at the Sony World Photography Awards 2026. Shot on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu, the portrait captures Phillip Yamah, a self-taught volcano scientist with a deep understanding of Mount Yasur.