Blast, Naoya Hatakeyama --

In his "Blast" series of photographs, Naoya Hatakeyama uses remote-control cameras to capture the drama and destruction of Japan's limestone blasting operations from point-blank range.

Blast, Naoya Hatakeyama --

The dangerous, close-up views of exploding debris inspire the viewer to consider the human capacity for destruction, while providing a unique perspective on the instant obliteration of these ancient rock formations.

Blast, Naoya Hatakeyama --

Hatakeyama began photographing Japan's limestone mining operations in the early 1980s. In 1994, he published Lime Works, a photo book focused on limestone processing facilities.

Blast, Naoya Hatakeyama --

In 1995, he turned his camera toward the detonation side of the mining process, which he has been photographing ever since.

Blast, Naoya Hatakeyama --

Limestone, a sedimentary rock consisting mainly of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), is one of the few natural resources in which Japan is totally self-sufficient.

Blast, Naoya Hatakeyama --

It can be argued that Japan's (and the world's) entire way of life is dependent on limestone, a key ingredient in the production of concrete, steel, glass, plastic, and even medicine.

Blast, Naoya Hatakeyama --

Japan extracts about 200 million tons of limestone from quarries each year, scarring countless mountainsides in the process.

Blast, Naoya Hatakeyama --

The nation is believed to have an additional 10 billion tons of limestone deposits at its disposal -- enough to last another 50 years at the current rate of consumption.

Blast, Naoya Hatakeyama --

[More "Blast" photos: 1, 2, 3]