Wildland Firefighting in BC, Canada
58°30’59” N / 117°8’6” W
As a photographer, I can't help but see the world in light, shapes, shadows, layers and landscapes. I am constantly composing still photographs in my head whether or not there is camera in my hand to capture them or not.
When I am not behind a camera, you can usually find me behind a chainsaw and this summer I spent some time working with firefighters on a ground crew as a faller.
It’s been an extremely high fire season for British Colombia this year. With a lack of rain and high temperatures in combination with many lightning storms, BC has had over 1700 recorded wildfires by mid August. While working as a wildland firefighter, I often see moments worth capturing but struggle to capture them usually due to lack of timing. It’s hard to pull out the camera in times of action as I am usually involved hands-on in the action myself with either a chainsaw or manning the end of the fire hose. I have done my best to keep my backpack close with my camera inside, protected from the dirty and wet environment of firefighting so that when the timing in right, I am able to snap a few photos of the work being done.
Photo of myself packing my saw up the steep mountains in Nelson, BC