In order to create photos with high recognition value one has to photograph either new subjects or known subjects in a new way. This is how the photograph Stuart Palley, who lives in Los Angeles, approaches his favourite subject, the forest fires that rage in South California every year. What he does differently than his colleagues who come from the documentary or journalism side and who put the focus on the fire fighters and their efforts to extinguish the fire, is that Palley makes the catastrophe itself the centre of his photos. As you can see below, what is special about Palley’s series Terra Flamma are the long exposure times, which allow him to catch the sublime beauty of forest fires at the same time as their incredible powers of destruction. 🙂
You can find more photos by Palley on his website and his Instagram.