Photographer Chris McCaw Talks About How He Creates His Sunburned Photos

We first shared photographer Chris McCaw‘s unique “sunburned” photos all the way back in 2010. A happy accident led to the creation of a burned, reverse-tone, solarized photo, and from then on he has used that technique to create more and more unique exposures dubbed “groundbreaking” by many museums.

In the video above he explains his process and shares his excitement for analog photography, a medium he believes is entering an era of unprecedented exploration now that digital photography has, in a sense, set it free.

Since he first began taking sunburned photos, McCaw has perfected his art. He often works with a massive 30 x 40 camera, the bellows of which he has to vent to keep the smoke from collecting. He’s even traveled to the Arctic Circle to capture 24-hours of daylight.

As he puts it, he’s “using the lens like you use a magnifying glass to burn a leaf or dry grass,” only when you’re trying to create art, it takes a lot more skill than it does to burn grass or torment ants.

Here are a few examples of his work:

To find out about the process from the man himself or see more of his work, check out the video at the top, purchase his “Sunburn” book here, or head over to his website here.

(via F Stop Lounge)

Image credits: Photographs by Chris McCaw.