Shutter to Think: Capturing fire’s elemental dance

Regular readers of this column might remember my draw toward photographing water. Streams of water fired from hoses or cascading from splash pad apparatuses create “abstract-expressionistian” patterns that move and change with every passing second.

It’s like a Jackson Pollock on a conveyer belt. Sort of, anyway.

Well, in the hierarchy of favorite elements to photograph, fire can certainly go toe to toe with water. Sorry, wind, I just don’t see much in you.

(That joke was brought to you by your dad.)

Earlier this week, I headed out to the jewel of the Sauk Valley, the Nachusa Grasslands, to photograph a prescribed burn. I’ve done several of these prairie burns over the years, and they always come across as a bit of performance art.

You have the dramatic nature of the fire itself, emitting smoke and heat that swirls and wafts, creating these theatrical effects. Dressed for their parts, the members of the fire crew play their roles to corral the wild nature of the flames, coaxing it along to advance the feature forward.

It has uncertainty and a little danger.

The way smoke diffuses light is what makes images from burns mimic a studio shoot.

Fire handles the lighting, heat the depth of field, and smoke is the soft box. Tall grasses add depth and framing to the pictures as well. I have shown a photo in several art galleries that was taken at such a burn.

With all due respect to wind, I will do my best to show you the respect you deserve and find art and value in what you do. I just hope I don’t blow it.

– Follow Alex T. Paschal @SVMPhotogs on Instagram or email him at apaschal@shawmedia.com.