BOLIVIA: THE CRYSTAL HUNTER
.Located at 12,000ft above sea level in southwest Bolivia, the 4,000sq mile salt flats were formed when two prehistoric lakes evaporated and joined as one vast salt expanse. Under the salt, which is a few meters thick, is a layer of brine that contains the largest reserves of lithium in the world- used mostly in car and cell phone batteries and now in great demand. With a ballooning hunger for lithium and growing numbers of tourists, this earthly sea of tranquility is at risk from international mining conglomerates pressuring the Bolivian government for extraction rights. While documenting the region, the photographer was accompanied by Theo, a local crystal hunter, who has spent years exploring this remote and unique part of the world
