Inspiration: Hiroshi Sugimoto

Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto has always used his camera to explore unseen phenomena. His latest project, called Lightning Fields, the award-winning photographer traded optics for electricity. He wields a Van de Graaf generator to send up to 400,000 volts through film to a metal table. The resulting fractal branching, subtle feathering, and furry whorls call to mind vascular systems, geologic features, and trees. Although some of the effects happen by chance, the artist does try to exercise control. “I have a kitchen’s worth of utensils that produce sparks with different characteristics,” he says. “But there are many variables — weather, humidity, perhaps even what I had for breakfast — I’m never sure what influences the results.”