Snapshot 69: California wildfires
From the new snapshot: "Orange"
Flames blaze, destroying nature and houses. Cars and propane tanks explode into hissing fireballs. In the middle of it all is photographer Josh Edelson: he risks everything to show impressive and shocking scenes that take place in the heart of wildfires.
by Daniel Krug-Erdmann
Hennessey Fire, August 2020Although they often start in the middle of the forest, fires can spread very quickly and overtake entire neighborhoods or even entire cities. Josh Edelson's images shed light on the mysterious and dangerous phenomena that forest fires entail. They convey feelings of power and fear. They make visible the intensity of these fires, the suffering they cause and how important the fight against climate change is today.
Josh Edelson tells us that wildfires are becoming more intense and destructive every year. Increasingly high temperatures and longer periods of drought are favoring rapid spread. Insurance companies are canceling their policies because of the increased risk, which can be an economic disaster for homeowners near forests. But not only forests are affected, even some treeless residential areas have burned to the ground. The flames can appear up to a whole mile away from the main fire and jump from house to house, so that no one can really feel safe. Countless people die every year. Nature is also defenceless. Animals perish, which is particularly unfortunate when you consider that many fires are caused by arson or human carelessness - 90% in fact. This is precisely where Josh Edelson's pictures help to sensitize people to a more careful and responsible approach to fire.
Photo by Josh EdelsonJosh Edelson is a freelance photographer and works regularly with international news outlets and newspapers such as Agence France-Presse (AFP), The Associated Press (AP), The Wall Street Journal. He says his passion is reporting on natural disasters. He enjoys documenting floods, earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes and, of course, forest fires. He has stood on a 4,000-meter peak to photograph an erupting volcano in Guatemala, stood in waist-deep water when houses were flooded, and flown in various planes to document droughts from the air. In addition to disaster photography, Josh Edelson is also a business photographer, shooting events, portraits and even office lifestyle scenes for major companies such as Apple, Google and Amazon. He has photographed dozens of presidents, foreign dignitaries and billionaire CEOs and is in the process of setting up a photography coaching program for aspiring corporate photographers. Edelson says he has developed a perfectly fine-tuned system that allows him to make a lot of money from corporate photography while pursuing passion projects. "The idea that all photographers are starving artists is a myth," he says. "I will be offering online courses where any passionate photographer can quit their boring day job to master business photography. With the right mentor, there is good money to be made in this industry." However, his main focus remains forest fire photography, with which he wants to make a difference above all else.
Josh's wealth of experience helps him to minimize the dangers of forest fires. He often lives in his car for days on end, sleeping there with the engine running and a carbon monoxide detector, sometimes working for up to 36 hours without a break. He constantly studies weather data and the terrain in order to be in the right place at the right time. He listens to the firefighters on the radio and communicates with other photographers via walkie-talkie. Only then does he decide whether or not to enter the flaming inferno. If so, the photographer packs all his equipment, including a fireproof suit, helmet, goggles, boots, fire protection and most of the other things firefighters use. Sufficient food, water and even a chainsaw are also essential. He has to watch out for everything: Are trees threatening to fall, are you out of the firefighters' way, how will the fire develop and how quickly will houses etc. be completely destroyed? Sometimes it only takes 20 minutes.
Photo by Josh EdelsonIn an interview, he reported on a frightening scene during the Dixie Fire. He estimates that the flames were well over 50 meters high. A huge wall of flames formed in front of him, suddenly blocking his passage. But when he turned around, his path was cut off there too. He was very lucky and somehow managed to get out after all.
In these situations, Josh just works. "The camera is like an emotional shield for me. I just focus on getting the right shot and doing my job. I only realize and process what I've experienced later, when I get home," he says. Days later, he still finds himself in places like a random shopping center, imagining the buildings around him in flames. His brain and thoughts stay with the fires for a long time. He calls this "fire brain". Only after a few days does he manage to completely relax and fully engage with his family.
In the Dixie Fire, he happened to be in Greenville a week earlier, which later burned to the ground when the sky completely darkened. Unaware that the fire would eventually take over the town, he took some photos of the bizarre red sky effect. It would later turn out that these photos were the basis for some shocking before and after comparisons. It is unbelievable how a beautiful city was completely destroyed, some two-storey buildings were destroyed and nothing was left of it. The after pictures were particularly difficult to take as almost all the landmarks were missing and Josh barely knew which street he was on.
Photo by Josh Edelson
Photo by Josh EdelsonShooting his photos sometimes involves complicated ethical issues. For example, when Josh was covering the Camp Fire in Paradise - the deadliest wildfire in California history - he came across a scene with a dead body. He struggled with whether or not to publish the photos. His editors gave him the green light, but he was conflicted between maximizing publicity and the disheartening fact that a family member would see a loved one as a corpse in the newspaper.
Josh goes on to tell us, "I also often come across scenes with dead animals and have to weigh whether the emotional toll of publishing a dead pet is a price to pay to maximize the impact of a story that shows the public how dangerous a wildfire is." He goes on to explain that while this can be extremely disturbing, it can also be a shocking incentive to do more to protect the climate and preserve our planet.
In addition to images of the fires themselves, Josh also captures people affected by them. He documents how people become homeless overnight or shows the journey of those who return to their destroyed homes. Packed with only the bare essentials they were able to save and need to survive. "These are particularly emotional scenes that require a sensitive approach to the victims themselves," he says. Recording the stories of those affected rounds off his journalistic work. In this way, viewers are personally touched and feel addressed, according to the motto: "Oh, that could be me." Of course, it is very important that he is not too intrusive and photographs from an appropriate distance, usually with the help of eye contact, which signals an OK. He is grateful for this, as it allows him to take pictures that are particularly emotional and thought-provoking.
He often takes pictures of the firefighters, who are true heroes. They primarily try to save lives. Only when there is time do they save property. They risk their own lives to protect others and they deserve the greatest respect!
Photo by Josh EdelsonJosh Edelson's pictures show the consequences of climate change in a particularly dramatic way. Forest fires are becoming more extreme, more frequent and more problematic. Not just in California, but all over the world and even in regions that were previously safe. It is therefore all the more important to exercise particular caution when dealing with fires in order to prevent at least some of them.
more info and more works by the artist:
More on Josh Edelson:
www.edelsonphotography.com
Instagram:@joshedelsonphotography
www.facebook.com/josh.edelson
auch on Getty Images
