Firefighter Photography?

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Permalink Reply by Steven on September 2, 2009 at 12:32pm

My department happens to have three photographers at the moment, if which, I am one.

I've been shooting for a newspaper since 2000 and wasn't even a firefighter when I got to shoot inside of a controlled burn run by the department I now serve in. My camera goes with me on most calls but I usually work instead of play unless it's a big job or something special, or I'm asked to shoot of course. I try to shoot our drills, special events (we just hosted a convention for volunteer firefighters this summer) and structure fires. I also do some press work for the department (considering I have a really good in with the paper!) and am hoping to take a PIO course when the opportunity presents itself. I'm always torn between documenting an incident or playing a role in resolving it. I want to do everything... Well, almost anyways. =)

Our other photogs are a seasoned veteran firefighter who doesn't have much "formal training" in photography and a rookie who has very little firefighting experience but is a natural shooter. I fit roughly in the middle with 4 years as a firefighter and 15 years doing photography... I was shooting the fire service for a number of years before joining it too.

Your fire academy photos are very cool. How do you like SmugMug? I have stuff up on Flickr ( http://bit.ly/yFD4H ) and "artistic" work on Imagekind. ( http://syunghans.imagekind.com )

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Permalink Reply by alex capece on September 2, 2009 at 12:40pm

Smugmug is okay... it sounds wonderful, but it's annoyingly limited for the price you pay. I'm looking to get away from it, since I a) don't want to pay anymore, and b) would like to design the layout the way I want it, instead of picking a preset theme.

I find I have the same problem, working an incident but really wanting to document it.

How did you get in with the paper, and what gear are you currently shooting with? (I only ask to see what kind of gear is holding up to the battering that news photogs going into burning buildings can dish out.)

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Permalink Reply by J Brooks on September 2, 2009 at 4:53pm

I was a professional photographer before getting into the fire sevice. I went to RIT and Western Kentucky for photojournalism. I did the AP and local paper thing for a while too. Check into most of your smaller papers or if you have a local AP, UPI or Reuters office. Most of them will hire a ton of stringers to work on a per assignment basis. They will also almost all accept photos that you submit and pay per shot used. Call your local photo desks and ask how they work those types of things.

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Permalink Reply by Steven on November 6, 2009 at 3:49pm

Heehee... I WAS the photo desk at the local paper... I went freelance because they couldn't pay enough and treated me like crap. But I digress....

My voice is still on the voicemail for the photography department.

Freelancers here get paid by assignment, not photos that show up in print. You get paid more if your photos also appear on the paper's photo sharing site (they sell photos) but I get more money if I sell my own work so I retain those redistribution rights.

If I shoot something as the department photographer that is to go in the newspaper, they use "submitted photo" instead of my by-line.

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Permalink Reply by David Reznik on October 14, 2009 at 3:32pm

I understand you, and share the same dilemma-working or shooting ?

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Permalink Reply by Mike Metz on October 21, 2009 at 11:55pm

I have had a big interest in photography for almost 2 years now. When I graduated college I got a nice DSLR and have been hooked ever since. By trade I am an remote sensing technician. Which means I fly around and take pictures of the ground. Much like google earth, just better resolution. We have a small department, only 30 active members 15 of which actually show up on a call. I dont take my camera on calls with me as much as I would like to. I find that my roll is working and not playing. I do take photos of events and training. I would like to know if there are online classes where I can better my skills. I would also like to find a place to sell my pictures. Living in West Virginia and back packing a lot, I have quite a few good looking scenery and panoramic shots.

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Permalink Reply by Aaron Robbins on October 26, 2009 at 9:45pm

can i ask what kind of cam that is?

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Permalink Reply by Mike Metz on October 27, 2009 at 12:38am

I have a Nikon D40 with a Tamron 18-250 mm lens. Its a Digital Single Lens Reflective. Its by no means a professional grade camera, but it is a nice starter and can do a lot more than the point and shoot most prefer.

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Permalink Reply by J Brooks on November 6, 2009 at 4:20pm

Keep in mind that any Nikon lens made will fit on your camera. You will not have all the focus and electronic features, but they will work. You can go to camera shows and get older lenses fairly cheap. This will allow you to experiment and see what you like in lens length. The longer the range of zoom, the lower the qaulity of the lense, most of the time. Also, the aperature is very important. If you are serious about this, only get lenses that are f/2.8 or better. The variable aperature lenses will no serve you as well as you think. Plus, there are different glasses and series of lenses. Its a lot to consider when buying lenses. Get what you can afford. But, save up to get the best stuff. I am still using lenses that are 20 years old and they are clear as hell.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Metz on November 7, 2009 at 1:17am

I did do a lot of research into the lens. At the time I wanted something better than the 18-22 mm Nikon lens. I figured the 18-250 mm would give me a nice variety of ranges. It has a built in motor for auto focus and can shoot macro. I really like it. I will probably be looking into a high zoom lens for shooting wildlife sometime around tax return season.

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Permalink Reply by Steven on November 6, 2009 at 3:57pm

I shoot with a Nikon D50. I have a 18-55mm Nikkor and a 70-300mm Nikkor with vibration reduction. I shoot NEF files instead of jpegs which allow more "give" in Photoshop for shooting in low light. They are bigger files but they can offer more manipulation after the fact and you can add in a LOT of metatags for file management and to identify your photos as YOUR photos.

Most fires I'll shot for maybe ten to fifteen minutes then put the camera away but not too far in case something comes up or the chief wants a photos of something. I don't shoot "evidence," we have fire investigators that do that, but I often shoot "bizarre" or rare scenes for future training as well as training drills and demonstrations.

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Permalink Reply by Steven on November 6, 2009 at 4:00pm

I'm slow on putting my fire ground photos online but when I do, they're on Flickr. Check it out: http://www.flickr.com/photos/syunghans/sets/72157622039915084/

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