Photographer Joel Santos captured images of one of the world's oldest continuously flowing lava lake, dubbed the "Gateway to Hell," using a drone.

(Joel Santos/Barcroft Images)

A brave photographer took his craft to the next level in capturing dramatic images of one of the Earth's oldest continuously active lava lakes, known as the "Gateway to Hell."

Piloting a drone and using special camera equipment, Portuguese travel photographer Joel Santos, 38, snapped the photos while standing just a few feet from the edge of the lake that reaches temperatures exceeding 1,832 degrees Fahrenheit.

The lake in Afar, Ethiopia, has had a continuous lava flow since 1906 and lies inside the 2,011-foot-high Erta Ale volcano, sometimes referred to as the Smoking Mountain.

According to National Geographic, when magma bubbles up to the surface and pools in a crater. Volcanologists can fly over Erta Ale’s summit crater to see how the lava lake is behaving and predict future behavior.

Santos told MailOnline Travel that he was , but was not kept from his desire to capture the bubbling lake.

"This was one of the most dangerous projects I've done since I was just 20 metres away from the lava, one metre from the edge," Santo said. "The real problem in Erta Ale is that the crater rim is always changing as the lava lake moves up and down, and especially when it overflows, changing any previous knowledge you might have had about the terrain. You might think that the ground you're standing is solid, but equally it might be soft and make you plunge into the lava. You must be very careful."

Santos said the conditions were constantly changing on the lake, and he had to wait patiently for the lake to decide when it was willing to offer some incredible scenes.

The lake is located in the Danakil Depression in thenortheastern corner of Ethiopia, near the border of Eritrea, and is .

With recorded temperatures of 125 degrees, the vast desert basin lies 150 feet below sea level.

The region is also known for its camel caravans, according to National Geographic. For centuries, locals have made the to collect salt and transport it back by camel to the nearest town of Berahile.

According to the BBC, the when water from the Red Sea flooded the area and then evaporated. The most recent flood was roughly 30,000 years ago.

The lake, situated in Afar, Ethiopia, has had a continuous flow since 1906 and lies inside the 2,011ft high Erta Ale volcano, ofter referred to as the Smoking Mountain.

(Joel Santos/Barcroft Images)

The volcano's last major eruption occurred in 2005, killing 250 livestock and forcing thousands of nearby residents to flee.

(Joel Santos/Barcroft Images)

Santos used four 4K resolution cameras that could handle the scorching conditions above the lake.

(Joel Santos/Barcroft Images)

The dangers of trying to capture the images was all too real, Santos said.

(Joel Santos/Barcroft Images)

The lake is located in Ethiopia's Danakil Depression, the hottest and harshest place on Earth.

(Joel Santos/Barcroft Images)

Photographer Joel Santos.

(Joel Santos/Barcroft Images)