Education

How To Photograph Wildfire: A Safety Guide

Education, photojournalism, Still photography, Thoughts

Photo by David Ryder/Reuters. Members of the Jackson Hotshots run from the Okanogan Complex Fire as it advances unexpectedly in Twisp, Washington on August 20, 2015. The fire is the largest in state history and has claimed the lives of three firefighters, in addition to more than 170 homes and 300,000 acres.

 

In my limited experience covering wildfires as a photojournalist, I’ve learned a few key lessons that I would like to pass on to anyone interested in doing this kind of work. When I first started out, I remember feeling lost when approaching wildfires, and I don’t want anyone taking needless risks. It can be dangerous, yet important work, and you should only attempt to do it if you have the proper gear and training. Below are a few tips to get you started.

 

Your first priority should be your own safety. Remember that, and then try to make the pictures.

 

If you’re covering firefighters, your second priority should be their goals and their safety. Firefighting is the reason that they are there, and you don’t want to impede that work.

 

Research the laws of entering fire zones. Some states allows journalists free reign in an area under level III evacuation, while others only allow residents and emergency personnel.

 

Learn about wildland fires and how they may behave. You can take free online courses through the National Wildfire Coordinating Group’s training development program. Look for course S-110, Basic Wildland Fire Orientation and course S-190, Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior. You’ll have to create a FEMA student ID before registering for these trainings.

 

Marry a banker. You are going to need to invest in a lot of safety gear on top of that camera gear you own. You must have all of this if you want to protect yourself in addition to being taken seriously and gaining access to crews working: Fire shelter (new generation; look for the blue case), 8″ wildland firefighting boots (look for “NFPA certified”), Nomex pants and shirt, hard hat with chin strap, leather gloves, and eye protection. You may also want to shop for a Nomex hood, a headlamp, and clear goggles. You can shop on Craigslist, Ebay, logging and work stores, or the following websites: nationalfirefighter.com, thefirestore.com, malloryco.com, Benmeadows.com, chiefsupply.com, wildlandwarehouse.com. I prefer The Fire Store.

 

Learn how to use your fire shelter. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources hosts a training for journalists every year in Seattle and your region may have similar resources.

 

Photo by David Ryder. A destroyed car, golf cart, and home are pictured near Alta Lake Golf Course after the area was overtaken by the Carlton Complex Fire, which can be seen burning in the distance, near Pateros, Washington on July 19, 2014. The fire was the largest in state history until this year’s Okanogan Complex fire.

 

Prepare for working in hostile environments and learn how to care for yourself and colleagues in a medical emergency. I have taken two hostile environment/crisis zone workshops and I highly recommend both: Reporting Safely in Crisis Zones (Columbia University) and Hostile Environment Training (Hawthorne Proactive).

 

When approaching a fire scene, know your exit routes and park your vehicle pointed in the direction you plan to escape. Leave your keys on the seat or in the ignition in case someone needs to move your vehicle. Make sure that you are out of the way and that fire engines can get by.

 

Pack a lot of food and water in a backpack. Firefighters work shifts that can push 24 hours and if you really want to do this, you’re going to have to be there with them. If you have the chance to embed with a wildland crew, practice sleeping while standing up and remember that it’s hot during the day but may be ice cold at night! Be prepared.

 

Approach victims and scenes of devastation with care and empathy. The folks you’ll meet have been through a lot and may not want to talk to you. Sometimes you’ve got to just leave them alone and walk away; other times they will invite you into their lives to witness something extraordinary. Also, never enter private property without permission. If no one is around at that burnt house you just found, you’re going to have to photograph it from the end of the driveway.

 

Care for yourself if you experience symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder. If you experience things like bad dreams, poor sleep, wanting to sleep all the time, isolating yourself, feeling numb, feeling irritable, overreacting, drinking too much or using drugs, etc., you may need to seek help. The Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma may have useful resources for you.

 

Good luck and I hope this post can help photographers make good pictures and stay as safe as possible.

 

Photo by David Ryder. Volunteer firefighter Ray Sandy ignites a controlled burn shortly before sunrise while fighting the Okanogan Complex fire near Brewster, Washington on August 15, 2015.

 

 

 

 

Women in Computer Science for The New York Times

Diversity, Education, Lighting, My work, photojournalism, Published work, Seattle, Still photography

Nationally, only 14% of university computer science graduates are female. The University of Washington has raised that level to about 30% and is receiving an award sponsored by Google for their efforts. Learn more by reading the story on NYT.com.

Below: Portraits of UW graduate student Sonja Khan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sniffing for Whale Scat | Recent Work for The Wall Street Journal

Education, Multimedia, My work, photojournalism, Published work, Still photography, University of Washington, Video

Conservation Canines invited Wall Street Journal reporter Joel Millman and I along for a whale scat collecting trip out in the San Juan Islands recently, and we were joined by Tucker, a black lab mix, who helps researchers find whale poo. His nose can catch whale scat that can be hard to find, and much smaller than you might expect.

The orca whale crew is affiliated with the University of Washington, and is part of a larger project that uses dogs for many different kinds of searches. The orca crew can use the whale scat to test for many things, like identifying individual whales, checking for stress, pregnancy hormones, diet, and more.

I shot photographs of the recent trip as well as footage for a short video, which is below and was edited by John Hubbell. Also, check out the article at WSJ.com. Thanks for looking.

 
Video:
 

 
 
Photos:
 

Deborah Giles, who goes by her last name “Giles,” searches for whale scat aboard a research vessel near San Juan Island, Washington on July 16, 2014. Giles works for Conservation Canines and searches with whale scat detection dog Tucker, a black lab mix, for elusive samples of whale scat for research purposes.

 

An orca whale surfaces nearby as whale scat detection dog Tucker, a black lab mix, sniffs for whale scat.

 

Elizabeth Seely holds binoculars and searches for whale scat.

 

Tucker follows a scent.

 

Liz and Giles scoop poop.

 

Whale poop can be tiny.

 

Tucker’s reward is a little bit of time with his green ball. He goes crazy for it.

 

The whales play, too.

 

Tucker takes a nap while locked back in the crate. He stays in here during any down time.

 

I’m telling you, whale poop is tiny.

 

Loading poop into plastic test tubes.

 

Liz holds a sample.

 

Into the centrifuge it goes. We’re doing science here, after all.

 

Dumping out some extra water (no pun intended).

 

A glorious sample shines in the sun.

 

Giles sports a wildly inappropriate shirt.

 

Giles and Liz catch sight of some more whale scat. Their own noses are good enough that Tucker may often stay in his crate.

 

Tucker is out this time, though.

 

The nose, at work.

 

Orca whales, presumably pooping, near a whale watching tourist boat.

 

There is the treasure.

 

A nice sample. Their notes include a list of the following description options: “snotty, wispy, mucusy/slimy, stringy, piecey.”

 

Liz passes a sample to Giles for storage in the cooler.

 

Giles, right, with Liz and Tucker on the dock.

 

 

 

 

Robot Turtles board game | Recent work for The New York Times

Education, My work, photojournalism, Published work, Still photography, Tech stuff

“Dan Shapiro sold a company to Google and worked at Microsoft. His name is on nearly a dozen technology-related patents. But when it came time for his latest venture, Mr. Shapiro turned to technology to produce something decidedly low-tech: a board game for children. Technology, by all rights, should have killed old-fashioned games, which can never equal the eye-popping graphics, visceral action and immense online communities of today’s video games. Yet the opposite has occurred.” That’s an excerpt from the story that ran on A1 in today’s issue of The New York Times, by Nick Wingfield. Shapiro’s game is Robot Turtles and it’s designed to covertly teach kids basic computer programming skills. I hung out with Shapiro and his kids while they played the game.

This was a fun little assignment, with nice people. Have a look at one image that ran with the story and some outtakes below. Read the story here.

 

Dan Shapiro, center, plays Robot Turtles with his kids, both 5, at his home in Mercer Island, Washington on April 28, 2014. Robot Turtles, created by Shapiro with help from his kids, is a board game designed to subtly teach players aged 3-8 basic computer programming skills.

 

Robot Turtles cards are pictured during game play at the home of Dan Shapiro in Mercer Island, Washington on April 28, 2014.

 

Dan Shapiro, left, plays Robot Turtles with his daughter at his home in Mercer Island, Washington on April 28, 2014.

 

Dan Shapiro’s son, left, plays Robot Turtles with his dad and sister at their home in Mercer Island, Washington on April 28, 2014.

 

A Robot Turtles board is pictured during game play at the Shapiro home in Mercer Island, Washington on April 28, 2014.

 

Dan Shapiro, center, plays Robot Turtles with his kids at his home in Mercer Island, Washington on April 28, 2014.

 

Dan Shapiro moves pieces on a Robot Turtles board during a game with his kids at his home in Mercer Island, Washington on April 28, 2014.

 

Dan Shapiro, top, plays Robot Turtles with his kids at his home in Mercer Island, Washington on April 28, 2014.

 

 

Recent work for UW Bothell: Science, Technology and Society major

Education, Multimedia, My work, Published work, University, University of Washington, UW Bothell, Video

The latest video in my series of promos for the undergraduate Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences majors at the University of Washington Bothell is below. Take a look and learn about the Science, Technology and Society program.
 

Recent work for City University of Seattle

Education, Multimedia, My work, Published work, Seattle, University

City University of Seattle recently commissioned me to produce a video to honor their 40th anniversary, which allowed me to meet and interview some really cool alumni. Check out the video below to learn a bit about CityU, its alumni, and some of the support CityU provides to veteran students. Thanks for looking.

Recent work for UW Bothell

Education, Multimedia, My work, Published work, University, University of Washington, UW Bothell, Video

I recently produced the latest installment in the series of 12 videos I’m creating for the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington Bothell. This video highlights the American Studies major. Take a look in case you don’t know what American Studies is!

Recent work for WWISH: Women’s prison workshop

Diversity, Education, My work, photojournalism, Published work, Still photography

Throughout the past six months or so, I have had the pleasure to work for WWISH, an organization founded by Laura Pavlou that provides support for women in crisis, adversity, and transition. A large part of their work involves running personal development workshops for incarcerated women. Yesterday I was finally able to attend my first WWISH workshop, which was part of a pilot program at the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor, Washington. This particular day involved sharing personal stories as well as a women’s health talk given by a visiting doctor.

Thanks for looking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Video: UW Bothell Commencement

Education, Multimedia, My work, Published work, University of Washington, UW Bothell, Video

Recent video work for the University of Washington Bothell – Commencement 2013.

Commencement is always a big day full of emotion and excited students, and it was great to be able to be there to shoot it again this year. Have a look at the video below. Thanks to Daniel Berman, second shooter on this project.