Flash on Fire Scenes

[Guest]

What is everybodys feelings on using electronic camera flash to help light a picture during an emergency situation like a fire? Does it distract the fireman/pd/ems...especially with one of those large speedlights that you add to the camera. It makes amazing, bright, and clear pictures at night but I feel like i'am breaking the unofficial rule of emergency service photography....getting in the way!

[IzzyEng4 427]

With so many flashing lights from the apparatus, I don't see it as a problem except for when someone looks directly into the flash when you are taking a picture. I would say that angling the flash up more and may be not directly pointing or aiming at a specific object or towards someones eyes, though I know that is hard to do.

I don't see it as a problem.

[X2321 133]

Try not using the flash at night fire scenes. Try resting the camera on something if you can and take a 1/2 second exposure. You will like the results better. The flash on your camera hits the reflective tape on turnout gear and if you are shooting on automatic it will screw up your exposure.

[Oswegowind 17]

Yeah, use a tripod and a slower exposure speed setting...the pics I took of the Mohegan Fire at the little bar about a month ago...I used almost a 1 second exposure for the pics using the star-type filter...if I use the flash I keep it at 1/200th exposure.

Also available is the bean bag type tripod with is a lot easier to manage and set up...just secure it to the screw hole like you do the tripod and set it pretty much anywhere! Have not bought one yet, but it is on my short list!

Link to said photos:

Oswegowind's Photos of Mohegan Fire as posted on EMTBravo!

Edited May 18, 2007 by Oswegowind

[JetPhoto 626]

Using a monopod is also an option and it is better than carrying a bulky tripod.

[x635 4,066]

I've found the POD to be a great comprimise for a tripod, although I've only used it once (extensively though) during my trip to LA in early January.

http://emtbravo.net/index.php?showtopic=15584

As for the flash, I hate it. I don't like the look of the relective stripes lit up. I like to try to shoot as close to natural and other provided light as possible/

[Guest Photounit]

There is generally nothing wrong with using a flash on the incident scene..... There are some situations where you may want to let everyone know that you will be taking flash photos ie... An AA with wires down....... Or maybe not in an explosive or questionable environment...

Flash can ruin a photo and flash can also allow you to get a shot that would have been impossible otherwise.... The trick is not to over do it with your flash intensity and try to strike a balance between available natural light and your flash.... I took this shot of Fairviews (DU CO) new E-One ladder and I was pretty much able to do that....

Link in case it doesn't show here:

http://fdphotounit.smugmug.com/gallery/227...#119353078-L-LB

I had to walk >1/2 mile down a dirt road with my photo gear to the scene and had left my tripod in the car so using a tripod wasn't an option.... I had to improvise so I set my camera bag on the ground and used that as my base - similar to a POD I guess.... I used my shutter timer so I wouldn't get any motion blur and used second curtain shutter to capture the maximum amount of natural light and this is what I got..... I was pretty happy but I could have done a lot better if I had my tripod and I probably would have had a lot less people looking at me scratching their heads as I layed down on the ground to compose the shots I read somewhere on here that you shouldn't take shots of apparatus from ground level and I have to disagree.....

As far a the reflective stripes I'm assuming when you say lit up you mean being blown out , that's always tough one.... As the dynamic range of digital cameras improves, this will be less of a problem. I almost always use a fill-flash during the day just to light up the stripes... I like the look it gives and they don't get blown out..... At night though, it's tough not to .......