Collection: After the Burn

In the summer of 2021, the Dixie Fire transformed nearly a million acres of Northern California into a landscape of ash and bone. Returning to the site a few years later, I found myself drawn away from the wide-scale devastation and toward the individual, skeletal stories remaining in the soil—the quiet, standing monuments that the fire could not fully consume.  This collection adopts the formal rigor of portraiture, isolating these fire-scarred trees against a high-key field to force a direct encounter with the ‘shock of absence’. This technique removes the noise of the surrounding forest, focusing the eye entirely on the forensic textures of charred wood and the architectural resilience of these singular witnesses. Each subject is treated not as a casualty, but as a survivor with a unique, etched history of the heat it endured.

To honor the tactile intensity of these forms, I have selected Hahnemühle German Etching paper. Its painterly depth and heavy, velvety surface capture the rich, charcoal patina in a way that feels both permanent and monumental, turning a transient scar into a lasting testament of survival. The result is a series of works that challenge the viewer to find beauty in the aftermath and dignity in the silence.

Through my non-profit photography venture, a portion of the proceeds from this collection is donated to conservation efforts dedicated to forest restoration and wildfire prevention in the American West.

To see a video slideshow about the collection,  watch  After the Burn