Yesterday, was my first full day back to doing what I truly love---photography. It started out just like the old ones did but quickly was filled with black smoke in the air that from my overview of the skyline was at first, a bit deceptive. It looked as though the smoke was over Fair Park. That would have been a short trip getting there. But as I got closer to Fair Park, it was clear that the smoke was coming from much farther away. Half the battle of getting to a situation like that is knowing how to get there. And, the good Lord blessed me with a great GPS that I carry on my shoulders. It's always pointed like a bird dog.
So, from Fair Park, it was an easy cut across town in a westerly direction.From visible landmarks it looked like it was close to Oak Cliff, but gee---that is some distance to seeing black smoke rise on the horizon. On a clear day with dry air, I can see the training smoke at DFW International from the lake. That is about 16 miles normally, so this was even farther. Then, my mind is racing that by seeing smoke at that distance and for it to still be jet black, it had to be a very large fire and I'm thinking of all the recycling places south of downtown that could be a source of the smoke,yet, as I traveled in that direction, the plume of smoke was shifting. Knowing how Dallas streets can be going east to west but end up north or south quickly solved the problem. I made a turn and headed south rather than west. At one point I was going farther away from the smoke but it's like a pilot flying on instruments. You can't see where you are going but you must trust your instruments to get you there. If you don't have that trust---you are going to crash. I had to trust my gut that while driving away from that amazing column of smoke, I was still going in the direction that would lead me there.
Up pops a street that I knew would take me in that direction. Illinois Street is a major Oak Cliff traffic route. When I had cleared the ridge that was blocking my line of sight (there are escarpments that run through Dallas...people are surprised to find Dallas is actually pretty hilly and not flat as most think).
Then, there it was. It loomed straight ahead and a bit south. That's another God- given quality...being able to make my way to a place to park. The police had the streets blocked off and I knew at that moment, the next job was to get as close in as I could and park. I did that shuffle here--shuffle there and found a place to park right behind all the fire trucks. And--with some negotiation skills applied, I could leave my car in a safe place. The officer was nice. I would get lunch there if I could park. He agreed. (The best old-fashioned BBQ plate I have had in years was served up there when I returned. Was that also instinct? Remember the song from Annie? Food--glorious food! I knew you would get that! No pun intended.
Another thing that I learned from the old AP photographers that I hung with growing up was to just stop and look around . Resist that urge to get into action. As Dodd would always say," don't get greedy." I was---for all practical purposes---right in the thick of the action. Keeping my distance and staying out of the way was job one, but job two was to get shots that painted a picture of the emotions going on there. After looking back, this morning, I have not one but several shots that when viewed at 100% show the true emotions in several fireman's faces as they battle a 6-alarm in 100 degree temperatures plus the fire plus the heavy protective clothing---plus even the dense, thick, almost blinding and chocking smoke. It was a double-edge sword at that point. My own health and safety had to come first, then I could get the shots that my heart was telling me to get. It was almost like I had been directed there for that single purpose, I had followed a column of thick black smoke rising high into the sky from 25 miles away, got there and I hadn't missed a thing as far as getting those emotion shots. I truly felt lucky and blessed to be standing there with camera in hand.
As a result---my gut instinct grew stronger and stronger pulling me closer rather than pushing me away. The shots were less than 20 yards away and they revealed so much emotion on the faces of weary firemen. The instinct to follow the smoke was a rare event for me. Chasing fires is not my thing, but chasing a good photo op heads the list and this one was, for me, the top of the list. There are 30 more images running on the live news feed at the moment. It is about 12-hours into the 48-hour cycle. If you want to see the full thirty on the feed check it out. And--if you can increase the zoom to 100% you can see the emotions on the faces of the three and of the four firemen in thick smoke walking to their required R&R weary from there earlier on-the-job duties.
So, from Fair Park, it was an easy cut across town in a westerly direction.From visible landmarks it looked like it was close to Oak Cliff, but gee---that is some distance to seeing black smoke rise on the horizon. On a clear day with dry air, I can see the training smoke at DFW International from the lake. That is about 16 miles normally, so this was even farther. Then, my mind is racing that by seeing smoke at that distance and for it to still be jet black, it had to be a very large fire and I'm thinking of all the recycling places south of downtown that could be a source of the smoke,yet, as I traveled in that direction, the plume of smoke was shifting. Knowing how Dallas streets can be going east to west but end up north or south quickly solved the problem. I made a turn and headed south rather than west. At one point I was going farther away from the smoke but it's like a pilot flying on instruments. You can't see where you are going but you must trust your instruments to get you there. If you don't have that trust---you are going to crash. I had to trust my gut that while driving away from that amazing column of smoke, I was still going in the direction that would lead me there.
Up pops a street that I knew would take me in that direction. Illinois Street is a major Oak Cliff traffic route. When I had cleared the ridge that was blocking my line of sight (there are escarpments that run through Dallas...people are surprised to find Dallas is actually pretty hilly and not flat as most think).
Then, there it was. It loomed straight ahead and a bit south. That's another God- given quality...being able to make my way to a place to park. The police had the streets blocked off and I knew at that moment, the next job was to get as close in as I could and park. I did that shuffle here--shuffle there and found a place to park right behind all the fire trucks. And--with some negotiation skills applied, I could leave my car in a safe place. The officer was nice. I would get lunch there if I could park. He agreed. (The best old-fashioned BBQ plate I have had in years was served up there when I returned. Was that also instinct? Remember the song from Annie? Food--glorious food! I knew you would get that! No pun intended.
Another thing that I learned from the old AP photographers that I hung with growing up was to just stop and look around . Resist that urge to get into action. As Dodd would always say," don't get greedy." I was---for all practical purposes---right in the thick of the action. Keeping my distance and staying out of the way was job one, but job two was to get shots that painted a picture of the emotions going on there. After looking back, this morning, I have not one but several shots that when viewed at 100% show the true emotions in several fireman's faces as they battle a 6-alarm in 100 degree temperatures plus the fire plus the heavy protective clothing---plus even the dense, thick, almost blinding and chocking smoke. It was a double-edge sword at that point. My own health and safety had to come first, then I could get the shots that my heart was telling me to get. It was almost like I had been directed there for that single purpose, I had followed a column of thick black smoke rising high into the sky from 25 miles away, got there and I hadn't missed a thing as far as getting those emotion shots. I truly felt lucky and blessed to be standing there with camera in hand.
As a result---my gut instinct grew stronger and stronger pulling me closer rather than pushing me away. The shots were less than 20 yards away and they revealed so much emotion on the faces of weary firemen. The instinct to follow the smoke was a rare event for me. Chasing fires is not my thing, but chasing a good photo op heads the list and this one was, for me, the top of the list. There are 30 more images running on the live news feed at the moment. It is about 12-hours into the 48-hour cycle. If you want to see the full thirty on the feed check it out. And--if you can increase the zoom to 100% you can see the emotions on the faces of the three and of the four firemen in thick smoke walking to their required R&R weary from there earlier on-the-job duties.
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| Emotion of the moment |
