Lanzarote’s Fragile Glow
Mark Rammers’ Visual Diary reveals the fragile beauty of an island caught in the balance between awe and adversity
Images by Mark Rammers
When Mark Rammers journeys to Lanzarote, he is captivated by the island’s otherworldly light — a soft haze born of Saharan dust carried on the warm winds of the Calima. Yet, this beautiful glow carries a heavy cost, as a symptom of larger climatic change.
On Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands, large volcanoes line the horizon, their surfaces a striking blend of reds, browns, and blacks. Saharan dust is transported across the Atlantic by the warm winds of the Calima, the airborne particles creating a diffused light that softens the island’s rugged landscape into gentle pastel hues.
The Calima has always been a constant in these parts, typically arriving with the hottest eastern winds during summer. But in recent years, these dusty episodes have grown more unpredictable and persistent, sometimes lasting weeks and appearing even in the heart of winter. Mark’s visit coincided with one of these exceptional, yet increasingly frequent surges. The colours it paints are so captivating that it’s easy to overlook the damage it leaves in its wake. Air quality declines sharply, temperatures soar, and the island’s fragile fertility is further strained — its ecosystems disrupted by shifting patterns of wind, rain, and drought.
Through his lens, Mark captures the essence of Lanzarote under the Calima — a surreal interplay of light, colour, and dust. These images reveal the fragile beauty that emerges in the ambivalent space between awe and adversity.
“As a travelling photographer, I immerse myself in communities and spaces where I discover how our dreams, desires and personalities are reflected in the environments we shape around us.”