Fire

[mexon]

My son is a fire fighter, and I like to take action shots. A fire gives lots of opportunity for dramatic action. The problems are poor lighting (in this shot it was cloudy with rain. )Smoke also makes using the autofoucus difficult. The attached picture is one I took about a week ago. I tried to get the action of the firefighter going in and at the same time get a shot of the fire inside. Any suggestions on how to capture this type of action or improve this shot?



Camera: Sony A300
Dhutter: 1/60 sec
F 5.6
iso 400
lens: 90mm

[AlphaBjerke]

It would be great if you were inside the building and the firefighter was coming right at you, but I guess that would be both impractical and dangerous.

Seriously, I think for what you were trying to do, it came out well: the firefighters are crisp and I like the color of their uniform with the bright stripes on them. The fire is there too.

What a cool opportunity you have with your son in the department! Perhaps you could sell some shots to the local newspapers.

It will be neat to see future shots of this type.

[mstark70]

I am not an expert by an means at all. However, in my honest opinion I feel this is a fantastic shot. It gives me the viewer a sense of being there.I can practically feel the smoke in my eyes and the heat from the flames. The firemen are clear and I love the composition. I think it is great as it is!

[mexon]

Thank you for the comments. I took many pictures at this fire, hoping a few would turn out ok. I was able to get close to the action, and yes I did get smoke in the eyes! I have a few more shots on my flickr account if anyone is interested.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mexon1/

[barabe]

Just a suggestion,

Maybe if your PP software allows you to create a HDR Image, you could take the same image a few times with different exposure levels and then combine them as a HDR.

I really like the shot you have here and don`t see anything wrong with it.
really looking to see more like this one.

[mexon]

I will try the HDR Thanks!

[ebeard2802]

Awesome shot! I love the action in this and the story it tells. I think one of my favorites so far. Thanks for sharing.