Another fire thread...

Tony S · Nov 18, 2011

Here's my take on a fire I shot a while ago. It was an early Sunday morning and I actually got to the fire before any of the responding rigs.

The first responders coming up the street...

Getting warmer on a chilly morning..

OK, getting really warmer now...

Starting with an exterior attack...

Doing a disappearing act as they start to transition to an agressive interior attack...

The incident commander calls a tapped fire... and later took some flak for not having all his safety gear on

The fire was lit to cover a burglary with the arsonist caught and sentenced. Everyone went home uninjured and the businesss reopened two months later buying some large prints to hang in their lobby.

...

gummibear · Nov 18, 2011

these are some amazing shots....you made me feel as though I was there. and it tells the story. Glad everyone was ok too.

photo guy · Dec 17, 2011

I really like the shots. Some things to help you in the future: when the fire starts to come out and go up the side like that, try to get a shot to show the whole picture / that whole side of the building to show it (this will help give it more meaning to a large fire); try to not get too close (were you really that close or were you using a nice large zoom?); when they are making an interior attack and the smoke changes like that try to do as I mentioned with the fire when it vents out.

I am a Fire Dept. Photographer (Volunteer OFFICIAL) for my local Paid Dept. I have known some of the personnel my whole life and the rest for anywhere from 4 months to over 15 years. I use to be on the explorer post that this dept had when I was in high school and did 3.5 years and was the 1st to graduate from the program. I also have relatives who were either on a FD for years or are currently on a FD or Paramedic Station only. I would be more than happy to review more of your photos of fire scenes if you would like me to. Keep up the good work. PM me if you would like me to. Thanks and Happy Holidays

Tony S · Dec 17, 2011

I was was pretty close since most of those shots were at or near 70mm, the only one I needed to go longer for was of the IC on the radio taken at 200mm.

Thanks for the offer to review my photos, but I'll pass on it. I think I have a pretty good handle on what goes on at a fire scene. My dad was a fire chief while I was growing up and I spent a lot of time around the rigs, stations and fire scenes as a young teenager. I've been a career firefighter for over 30 years in a department that runs 17K calls a year, spent 15 years on a FEMA USAR team, and I have 20 years plus in as a volunteer on another department out where I live. I've had numerous pictures published in several fire service oriented magazines, state and federal training manuals, local daily papers and weekly papers. I've shot everything from training, fires, building collapses, water rescues, MVAs, the Oklahoma City bombing , The World Trade Center and the Space Shuttle Columbia recovery effort.

photo guy · Dec 20, 2011

Congratulations on your accomplishments with so many published and thank you for your years of service in the fire service. My dad was a firefighter/investigator for 12 years when I was younger, my brother is on his 12th year as a firefighter/paramedic/investigator, and I am on my 3rd as Fire Photographer. I also have 2 distance relatives who were firefighters so I guess it runs in the family. I didn't know how many years in so that is why I offered to review your photos. Always glad to see them. You do some great work. I have joined the new fire photography site and there are people joining almost daily. It is a great site as you can post photos, videos, chat, post subjects on a forum, start up or join a group and more. Feel free to check it out. Fire-Photographer.net is the site. I would love to see more of your work if that is possible. I have a lot of my photos posted to that site already. Thanks.