The Tale of the Helmet...

The photos from the Santa Clarita Valley Emergency Expo are finally done! The major difficulty with this day was that photography, above all else, is the science of light. As important as subject and composition are, any photographer will tell you that light comes first and foremost in the ability to get the shot you want. On that day, we had a typical June Gloom day in April and while shooting in overcast is great for black and white, it kills color shots of Emergency apparatus! All told though, I was able to get some shots that I really fell in love with and in this first blog from that day, I present what I call "The Tale of the Helmet..."



I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is something so very symbolic about the Fire Helmet and the Axe that when I shoot those two pieces of equipment, they just pop off the page. They are just so symbolic and tell such a story about the faceless/nameless wearer in a way no other shot does.

To start with, I present the US Forest Service's ANF 32 Helmet that was such a delight with the children, and yet the black pitting belies all that it, and it's firefighter, have accomplished.







You just can't help but see the joy and wonder on their faces. They're just so excited to wear that simple piece of plastic that means so much. As many of you know, I don't shoot people very often, it's not my forte since I hate my own picture being taken. Lately though, I've been working hard to develop that eye and I've found that some kids just shine for the camera. These pics show their completely unposed joy that just leaps out at you.

But it wasn't just the ANF that was there. Sometimes when I see a photo I took, there is just something special about it. It is more then just one photo, it almost stands up and waves it's arms and says play with me. These next 3 shots of a helmet from a firefighter on LACoFD HAZMAT 76 is a prime example. While it's the same helmet, completely untouched by me, there were really 3 separate images to be captured.



This distressed/subdued look is rapidly becoming one of my favorite tricks of the trade. I stumbled upon it quite recently and I've found that some shots just seem to beg for it.



And yet, in stark black and white, certain details just pop out at you. It's such a different feel and your eyes go in such different directions. Notice how even the stiching on the helmet shield stands out.



And then there is this view. Subtly different, but the warmth and the saturated colors just draw your eye so far in and the sharpness and contrast keep your eyes fixed to the words FIREFIGHTER .




And yes, even the USAR helmet gets some love. A little more centered then I usually like, but the lines in this one are so strong, and the words with the scratches across the top say everything.




The tools of the trade shot that symbolizes so much of the job.

And finally, one of my all time favorite shots that just looked so plain, and washed out when seen normally. I couldn't make this pic work for the life of me and was going to trash it to be honest when I started just trying to go extreme and play around. By sheer serendipity I came across this treatment that leapt out at me! This has to be my favorite shot taken that day and it is definitely one that I find myself coming back to time and time again.



The Tale of the Helmet… from the smile on the kids faces to laying there on the hood of a car, the Helmet draws your eyes and stands out much the way a Police officers badge does. It is the defining element of the Firefighter, and sometimes it pays to see just how special an object can be when that object is more then just itself.

So as always, open your eyes, open your ears, and above all else, ENJOY!