There are some projects you just can’t seem to stay away from. For me, Turn the Burn is exactly that—a creative playground I find myself returning to time and time again.
It’s a process that bridges the gap between the clean perfection of digital prints and the chaotic, tactile magic of darkroom chemistry.
The Process: Embracing the Chaos
The concept is simple, but the results are entirely unpredictable.
- The Print: I start by taking an image and printing it out on traditional photographic paper.
- The Chemistry: Instead of leaving the print pristine, I treat the paper like a piece of film in development. I introduce bleach to the surface, physically playing with the emulsion, stripping away layers, and letting the chemicals bite into the image.
- The Dry: Once the reaction has done its work, I let the print dry out.
Every single run is a gamble. You never quite know how the paper will react, where the bleach will eat through, or what will be left behind.
The Aesthetic: Burnt Film and Unexpected Color
What keeps drawing me back is the sheer visual texture of the results.
There’s a beautiful, violent transition that happens when bleach meets photographic emulsion.
The edges peel, colors warp into strange, saturated hues, and the final image takes on the distinct, distressed look of burnt film. The chemical degradation brings out colors that you could never replicate on a screen warm, unpredictable tones that feel alive.
