Photographer: Larry Schwarm, an Emporia State University photography professor featured in a Sept. 28 Journal-World story

Camera: Hasselblad 500CM

Emporia photographer Larry Schwarm shot Earth,

Lens: Hasselblad 50mm

Film: Kodak Porta 160VC

“Earth, fire and water” is one of my favorite images from my ongoing prairie fire series. It was made in April of 1994. After several days of too much wind or too much moisture, this particular day was perfect for burning. There were fires in every direction. In this photograph, you can see many lines of fire stretching far back to the horizon. The camera was facing south, just as the sun was setting, adding to the surreal quality of the light.

This photograph encompasses the ancient earth elements of earth, air, fire and water, and it conveys their interconnectedness. On the right is a very tranquil scene with a sunset and a meandering stream. The shape of the stream is mirrored on the left side by a line of fire, and the mood shifts to being apocalyptic and destructive. But understanding the ecosystem, in this destruction is new life. Without the fires, there would be no tallgrass prairie.

When I photograph fire, I use a variety of shutter speeds to create different effects. Faster speeds “freeze” the flames and make them appear to be sharp and hard-edged. Slower speeds allow the flames to take on a softer quality. This image appears to have been photographed using a 1/30 or 1/15 of a second shutter speed.

“Behind the Lens” is an ongoing weekly series that features an image selected by the Journal-World photo staff that previously ran in the newspaper or online. Wondering how a certain picture was created? Nominate it for “Behind the Lens” by contacting chief photographer Mike Yoder at 832-7141 or myoder@ljworld.com.