Don't Crucify Our Fire Photographers!

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Members,

First off, if you have an issues with anything posted on this forum, contact a moderator or forum administrator (not me, as that's not my specialty- there is an excellent moderating team on this forum that has much better judgment then me). Don't make any snide comments in a post.

Please don't crucify our photographers who share their work on this forum. Although the digital age has changed a lot of the rules of photography, Fire photographers have always been a staple at fire scenes. Now, with the internet, they can share their work with more people. And with cheap digital cameras and camera phones, more people then ever can take photos at scenes, diluting the TRUE fire photographer's work.

Members on this forum like photos for a broad variety of reasons. A lot of people visit wanting to see photos to see what their former department had or what happened while they are out of town. A lot of incident commanders have made comments to me that the photos on this forum have helped them improve, as the fire photographer helped them get a different perspective after the incident. Some of us are just buffs and like to see apparatus in action, like me. Also, a lot of us like to see the different tactics being deployed by different departments at an incident, and often times, lead people to thought.

There are times when photos shouldn't be posted, and most true photographers know what's proper to post and what's not.

The media takes photos at fire scenes, so why should a fire photographer be treated any different?

Photos are a form of knowledge, and that's the main reason why this forum and our photo section is here. Please don't discourage anyone from posting appropriate photos, and we encourage all fire photographers out there to share their craft with us, and appreciate and value those who do.

-Seth

[fireguy43 35]

Seth- Your site, your rules. However, there may be a point coming in the not too distant future when the line is crossed to the point of ridiculousness. I happened to be at the structure fire this past weekend in Lagrange (Dutchess County). From my vantage point, I saw no fewer than 5 people walking around with cameras and various FD related articles of clothing on. These ranged from one with a zoom lens camera who stood up on the road (long driveway to the structure), to several guys who slogged through the snow and the woods to get closer shots. One guy even had his 10 year old (+/-) son with him. Both had cameras strapped around their neck. There is a value and a benefit to fire photography, I won't argue with that, but the scene that I witnessed yesterday was disturbing. Here's someone standing in the street with their house a total loss, and guys are all over the place making a photographic record of their painful experience. Seemed a little bit much.

This incident was not on a well-travelled street, it was a back country road. There was a tanker relay going on and the area surrounding the scene was already crowded with vehicles, personnel, etc. Did we really need four or five more people milling around in the way of the tanker shuttle, or parking their cars, even if down the street, making a tight fit for a tanker even more so? C'mon guys. If it's in your neighborhood, that's one thing, but if it's four districts away, do everyone a favor and stay out of the way. My two cents.