Preserving the Black Run Preserve with a Controlled Burn
When a crew of New Jersey Forest Service Firefighters show up at the 1200 acre Black Run Preserve in the Pine Barrens, you’d think they were there to fight a fire, not start one. However, that was what they were there to do. Fire in the Pine Barrens is part of the natural ecosystem. The Forest Services conducts controlled burns to allow fire to do its job for the environment while controlling the threat of a wildfire. At the Black Run Preserve, while photographing the Forest Service at work, I was seduced by the overwhelming beauty and otherworldly light caused by a forest fire.
The Beauty Of Fire
A controlled burn is a fast moving process in a smoky and hazardous environment. Every now and then though, you can’t help noticing the way the sunlight filters through the smoke and fire. It can turn the burning landscape into something that is stunningly beautiful, other worldly and downright surreal.
Fire In The Pinelands 1 by Richard Lewis 2019
Fire In The Pinelands 2 by Richard Lewis 2019
Fire In The Pinelands 3 by Richard Lewis 2019
Intimate Firescape by Richard Lewis 2019
Spreading Fire by Richard Lewis 2019
Wind And Fire by Richard Lewis 2019
Abstraction In Fire by Richard Lewis 2019
Fire Scene by Richard Lewis 2019
The People Who Make It Happen
When it comes to conservation and preservation of the environment, the political battles tend to get attention. However, the real work of making sure our forests are preserved is done by professionals like the Forest Service. Many of the firefighters I met grew up here and have deep roots in the Pines going back generations. Their work is driven by history as much as it is by a love of the Pine Barrens.
Tom Gerber Fire Warden by Richard Lewis 2019
Sam Moore, Longtime Firefighter by Richard Lewis 2019
Firefighter by Richard Lewis 2019
Forest Service Firefighter by Richard Lewis 2019
Lighting The Fires by Richard Lewis 2019
Fire Fighters In Black Run by Richard Lewis 2019
Shooting Fire
Shooting fire is not like photographing a landscape. Forget the tripod because there is no time to take your time creating that perfect composition. Instead, shooting instinctively and composing quickly is critical. I had two cameras, one with a 24-70mm wide angle to slightly telephoto zoom lens and another with a 70-200mm telephoto zoom lens. In this environment, changing lenses and exposing the sensitive electronics inside your camera is not a good idea, so it was important to have a wide range of coverage.
I set the cameras on shutter priority with a shutter speed of 1/250th of a second and the ISO at 400. These settings allowed me to catch the action and have an aperture low enough for a good depth of field to keep the foreground and background in focus.
Both I and my gear came home reeking of smoke. Yes, a camera can smell and things like camera straps and sunglasses actually need to washed. Overall, it was an amazing experience and as a photographer who chases light, these shoots provided light like I’ve never seen, while having the opportunity to work with some amazing people.
Enjoy!
Beautiful and amazing set and what a photographic opportunity as well as the expierence!
Thanks Dwayne. It was a great opportunity to see this and get to know the people who do this work.
Great pictures Rich! What a great opportunity. It is interesting to be able to appreciate the beauty found in a forest fire without having to have it counter-balanced with tragedy. Thanks for sharing your work. We are looking forward to having you back in the Poconos in July. Bring some of these pictures!
Thanks Bob. I appreciate your comment. It was an amazing opportunity and experience for me.
I enjoy learning about the Pine Barrens.
Thank you!
Well… what a great opportunity you got!!! Loved the series and the changing light. Just being that close must have been both exciting and a little tenuous to say the least. Thanks for sharing with us something we who have grown up here take for granted… but with your vision we can be part of it!!!!!
MikeP
Thanks Mike. It was an amazing opportunity and learning experience too.
Rich, Great pics and information.
Thank you Frank. I appreciate it.
Great work Rich!! Be safe brother!
Thanks Kevin.
Wow. An amazing collection of images. Great post, Rich.
Extremely interesting post capturing a method for managing and conserving a park via fire. Well done. It would be interesting to see if there is a way of capturing the benefits derived from the burn. Great post.
Thanks Larry and that is a good idea. This year a huge effort was made to catch up on the burn schedule so there are places that will soon be sprouting all sorts of new growth. It will be an interesting challenge to capture that.