You won't believe it ... photoguy is REBORN!

AceCo55 · Feb 20, 2012

Two days ago fire started in my neighbour's 50foot shed ... can you see where this is going? By the time the local volunteer fire service arrived, the fire had taken complete hold of the shed and the only thing they could do was to contain the fire to the shed. Of course I grabbed my camera and went back to take some photos (already an image of Photoguy was in my mind). Well I'm taking a few photos when the fire warden (chief) sees me ... AND YOU GUESSED IT ... he asks me if I would take some photos for him because he left his camera home! PHOTOGUY IS REBORN!!!! I AM NOW THE OFFICIAL UNOFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER FOR MY LOCAL FIRE BRIGADE!!!!!!!!!!! I HAVE MADE IT ... I AM AT THE PINNACLE OF MY LIFE.

Now remember this is not a paid position - I am a volunteer .... but I AM the man!!!! The official unofficial fire photographer ... my does that sound good as it rolls off the tongue. NEVER IN MY WILDEST DREAMS DID I EVER THINK I COULD HOLD SUCH A POSITION!!! I can feel the "rush", I can feel the responsibility ... oh did I tell you I was asked to be the official unofficial photographer for the local fire department?

Now I have a standard to uphold ... I am following in the giant steps of PHOTOGUY. I am desperate not to let him down - I'm nervous, the sweat is pouring off me. Should I try to second guess my camera settings (I really can't see them anyway as I have tears of pride and joy flooding my eyes!) or do I go with my hero and use "Auto". I take a few shots ... as the official unofficial photographer for the fire department (I did mention that didn't I ... I am NOT the official photography but the chief HAS asked me to take fire photos for him).

So here are a few photos for you to enjoy of my first callout as the unofficial fire photographer. If you want to see more just let me know ... I have about a 1000 photos. I could have posted them all but I think I have to follow the guidelines of the unofficial fire photographer manual and get yo uto ask me for them. I have many other photos of wood warping and grass growing and paint drying if you would like to see them to. I did not take these in my position of unofficial fire photographer But I think you would enjoy them. I took them before I became the official unofficial photographer of the fire department.

Now some rules for this thread. These photos are for you to enjoy and not to comment on them. I have had enough of some of you taking over my thread and spoiling it for people who want to see my photos. You can post how much you like them and you can ask me to show more (I have many exciting photos) ... but you are not allowed to say bad things about them or me. Just let the other people have their turn.

Just found out I was the official, unofficial photographer for that one incident as the fire chief has found his camera. What a short but spectacular career I have had. I just want to thank my Mom and Dad for bringing me up the right way and encouraging me to get into photography. Both Mom and Dad were volunteer fire fighters and rode the fire truck. Although I was the official unofficial fire photographer, I was not allowed to ride in the actual fire truck but I did ride my bike close behind them and was allowed to ring my bell. I just know where this position will take me in my photographic career. Maybe I will move to the state capital and become the fire photographer for the main department. What do you guys think? (Remember you are not allowed to criticize me ... but you can ask me to post more photos ... I have many many more photos for you to enjoy)

Photo #1:

Photo #2:

Photo #3: Note that no firefighter faces are visible - aka PHOTOGUY

Photo #4: Again no facial expressions - gotta follow my hero's style

Photo #5:

cgipson1 · Feb 20, 2012

Hearing that name made me cringe! yecchhhh!

Too bad about your short lived career... but probably for the better! We would have to all give you ROYAL SHYTE! And you would have to CLOSE all of the threads you started.. and what fun would that be?

Derrel · Feb 20, 2012

Let us hope this post doesn't start a big flame war...

AceCo55 · Feb 21, 2012

Derrel said:
Let us hope this post doesn't start a big flame war...

Austin Greene · Feb 21, 2012

AceCo55 said:

1. Who in the hell is PHOTOGUY?

2. WHY YOU NO SAVE TRUCK?!

AceCo55 · Feb 21, 2012

Photoguy was a legend in his own mind. Some of his threads must have got close to record number of views. But you really have to have read some of his threads to really appreciate him. He kept on stressing he was the unofficial photographer and basically would not accept that he couldn't take a decent photo nor was prepared to change the way he took photos when people gave him suggestions. Just keep serving up exactly the same type of shot.

They actually did save that truck - in photos 1 and 2 we were waiting for the firefighters to turn up and there was no way to get close to the vehicle. The owner of the house wasn't there yet and we had no keys to move it even if we could have got close (he was actually at a party in another part of town and they were wondering whose house was on fire). Also containers in the shed were exploding regularly. Once the firefighters got there they laid down a wall of water at that end of the shed to suppress the flames enough for one of them to move it. There was another vehicle inside the shed at that end that was totally destroyed. My neighbour is a professional fisherman and had only put a large order of new nets into the shed that very afternoon. He had also spent months custom making special nets - so all that work went up in smoke as well. The silver lining is that his house was OK and no-one in his family was hurt.

But all that is an aside - now that I have the taste for an official unofficial fire photographer I won't be held back!

sm4him · Feb 21, 2012

Sorry, these don't work for me. You've failed to follow the #1 rule of Official Unofficial Fire Photography...you actually show a FIRE. :lol:

DorkSterr · Feb 21, 2012

^ This, you should t have used such a slow shutter speed.

CMfromIL · Feb 21, 2012

Impressive shots, thanks for posting.

gstaska · Feb 21, 2012

I was wondering did the fire crew have reflective gear on? If they did how did you manage not to get that in your pics?

AceCo55 · Feb 21, 2012

Oh I can't take it!!! - why do you persecute me? :lmao:
Remember I was the official unofficial fire photographer for one night!! :sexywink:

You don't know how good that felt!!
And please don't hijack my thread - remember you are not allowed to criticize my photos. They are my rules.
I have posted them for people to enjoy ... I have many others if you would like to see them. :lol:

AceCo55 · Feb 21, 2012

gstaska said:
I was wondering did the fire crew have reflective gear on? If they did how did you manage not to get that in your pics?

How the hell would I know - I am Photoguy reborn! I don't deal with things like that ... I just point the camera in any random direction and push the button.

[Stepping out of character for a moment. The photos were taken without flash - except for #5. Also the firefighters were between me and the fire so there was very little light reflecting back off them. Really just some soft glow from the fire and some house lights behind me]

Dagwood56 · Feb 21, 2012

:lmao: Thank you for the laugh, I needed a good laugh this morning! You just made my day! :lmao:

bazooka · Feb 21, 2012

I'm sorry, this thread lacks the drama after post #2 for you to truly be the one true PG.

fokker · Feb 21, 2012

1,000 shots, wow that's a bit overkill isn't it? Just a quick calculation of interest, 1000 frames is 0.67% the shutter life expectancy and your D300, which works out at about $20 of the RRP for your camera...