My work focuses on the results of catastrophic fires in our National Forest. This initial series is situated in central Idaho, in the 170,000 acres of burn designated as the Rattlesnake Complex fires. While photographing, I was awestruck by the contradiction between destruction and beauty, light and dark, death and birth, finding that I could not reconcile the poetry of the place with the burnt out destruction of what the forest had once been.

The drama of the blackened landscapes lends itself particularly well to the photographic process. Photography has long been referred to as “painting with light”, and the use of black and white imagery further emphasizes the contradictions within the surreal experience of this beautiful destruction. I consider size and lighting as necessary ingredients in the experience of these photos. The use of light boxes and commercial grade transparencies allow me to physically activate the light within the selected photographs, further emphasizing their textural qualities.

After spending so much time observing this unusual terrain, it seemed only natural to consider how we as humans view, experience and cope with destruction, both from within nature and our own personal experiences. I have found that we as humans too easily isolate ourselves from the rest of creation, limiting our experience of what it means to be human within the context of the environment from we which came. I hope in the future to continue this series, traveling to additional burned areas throughout Idaho and the Western United States.