Last month, there was a bushfire not far from my home. The park where it occurred is a beautiful area where I go with a friend to photograph birds, native orchids, and tiny spiders.
On this particular day, I was alerted to the fire when a number of helicopters started circling over my neighbourhood. They were there to support the emergency services and volunteer fire crews who were already on the ground fighting the blaze.
The fire damaged quite a few hectares. A small area compared to so many bushfires, but a sobering reminder that we are heading into that season in Australia where unpredictable things happen and our amazing fire fighters will once again put their lives on the line for others.
A couple of weeks after the fire, I grabbed my digital camera and a “pinhole lens”, set the camera to bulb mode, and wandered through the park to see what damage had been done.
This was my first time on the ground near a recently burned landscape, and I was taken aback by the sound of the wind rustling through dry leaves. It was a sombre, haunting sound, made even sadder by hearing it was probably deliberately lit.
It made me think of Robert Frost’s poem, Fire and Ice
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favour fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
Over the coming months, I’ll be thinking of those who already have been, and those who will be, affected by fires this season.
Please join me in sending out a heartfelt thank you to all our fire fighters, whatever country they reside in.
They are all heroes.
Until next time, please stay safe!
Jacqui xx
Note: If you’d like to experiment with this style of photography, there are many ways to make a pinhole lens. I just used an old rubber lens cap with a tiny hole in it and held it freehand in front of the sensor, similar to what I did in my last post on freelensing. I chose to freelens the pinhole shots because I also wanted the freedom to introduce light leaks into the images. Let me know if you have a play.
This is so very poignant. Your images, your words. Thank you so much for sharing.
These images on their own and as a collection portray such a mood and feeling. I loved learning about the pinhole lens that you learned. And reading the poem again brought me back to when I first came upon it. So moving, and your tribute to the firefighters around the world.
These are incredible. I love the moody feel, which is so apt considering the context. I’m inspired by your process and how you experiment with different techniques. These are lovely. Thanks for sharing.
My sisters live in fire country in Northern California and often share images of the burnt landscapes. Your pinhole technique adds a haunting aspect that is very powerful. They too are very grateful for the brave men and women who fight these fires. 💕