Heart & Fire in the Sierra Nevada is an ongoing 10+ year project, reflecting my relationship with this sacred landscape, its wild inhabitants, fire, and our interconnectedness. My work is rooted in my immeasurable love of this place and my hope is that these images will create a more nuanced and historical understanding of our changing climate and landscape beyond daily news stories.

This journey began from a purely photojournalistic approach during the 2013 Rim Fire, and has grown to be contemplative and conceptual work.

In August 2013, the Rim Fire was ignited in a river canyon only a few miles from our home. The fire grew to 10,000 acres within 36 hours, and 100,000 acres after four days, and ultimately it decimated more than 400 square miles. As the wildfire encroached upon our neighborhood, I watched from my home as it torched hillsides and forestland. Explosive flames threatened my family, a lifetime’s collection of work and our remote rural community near Yosemite National Park. On November 4, 2014, after 445 days, the fire was completely extinguished.

There’s no shortage of imagery of property consumed by flames; firefighters in various stages of combat and weariness, and communities reduced to ashes. My goal is to share what it is like to live in a place under constant threat of, and constant change from, fire.

During wildfire season, I sleep lightly, repeatedly waking to wind gusts, the smell of smoke or pine needles plinking onto the deck. It's impossible to leave home without seeing a burn scar, or to wonder, during the worst of wildfire season, if my home will still be standing when I return from the store or a visit with a friend.

This region’s original inhabitants, the Sierra Miwok peoples, viewed fire as a healthy means to manage and protect the landscape. Colonial policies viewed indigenous fire practices as primitive, made them illegal, and introduced an era of fire suppression that created the conditions for the catastrophic, high-intensity wildfires we experience today.

Wildfire changed the trajectory of my career and it altered my nervous system: it did not destroy the soul of this sacred landscape. My imagery initially focused on helping residents understand the dynamics of wildfire, hoping it would help them to make good preparation decisions for themselves and their families. While those efforts continue, my vision has grown from the reverence I hold for this natural phenomenon.

Each photographic diptych is printed on 8 x 24 archival paper.