Inspired by East Asian Sumi ink drawings, I wanted to find a photographic way of producing intricately detailed, black and white images. As with Sumi ink drawing, fire is both controllable, and unpredictable. The painter controls the brush, however the bristles add randomness. A fire can be set up, lit, and to an extent controlled, yet it’s fleeting nature, not to mention it’s speed, make for an unpredictable outcome.

Capturing these images at a speed of 1/8000th of a second, a side of fire is revealed that, previous to the invention of photography, was always just beyond reach, regardless of the countless hours humans have spent gazing into it.