my first crack at photojournalism...

[cosworth]

There is a giant bog in our city and it's on fire. I could see it from my house and it was about a 10 minute drive. So I load up all my gear in my backpack and hop on the motorcycle.

Everyone and there dog is on the highway and offramps to the bog entrance with their P&S cameras. I roll up behind a couple news trucks going in and tell them I'm a freelance photographer and they let me in. We get down there and I snap off some shots and filled my gig card as soon as i could then head back to teh freeway ot snap a couple water bomber helicopter shots. I leave early to head back and start processing some shots and emailing the local paper.

Long story short pics are below, hoping I get a shot or two sold to local papers.

I totally respect anyone who does this for a living. What a lot of work for just a couple decent shots!


http://members.shaw.ca/cosworth/CRW_3420.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/cosworth/CRW_3333.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/cosworth/CRW_3339.jpg
http://members.shaw.ca/cosworth/evacuee.jpg

[cosworth]

Awesome. The newspaper just called and bought 4 at $100 a pop. They want to see all the pics I took as well. Not just the local paper either, this is Province wide.

Now I have the secret back door for submissions too!

[kenyc]

Great shots, particularly the 2nd and 4th.

KAC

[DwightMcCann]

GREAT WORK! Love the photos. Unfortunately I am all too well aware that bog fires are almost impossible to put out! We had one about ten miles away near Vandenberg AFB a few years ago that was directly upwind from us. Also, sadly, the hot smoke rose, cooled and sank back to the ground in almost exactly that ten mile distance. It stank here for months. The Air Force and county fire departments brought huge pumps to the bog and flooded it around the clock with six enormous hoses all that time but the only thing that had an impact was when it finally just burned itself out. It was nothing to look at compared to yours and yet it was awful. I'd be really curious to know if this one gets put out ... keep us posted! Fantastic work with the papers ... I do a little stringing and provide courtesy photos for the casino.

[ladybelle2k]

Congrats Cosworth, just curious when you emailed the paper, did you email pics with a watermark or copyright, plain pics or no pics...have thought about doing this locally with our local paper, but they are the kind of people that would just keep the emailed shot if there wasn't some kind of copyright on it.

Hope they buy more from you.

[kingsown]

a very productive effort feels great to be published

[cosworth]

I emailed the papers tip line and sent them low quality thumbnails but also sent one high quality jpg. I emailed them the files after I got confirmation. they weren't interested in RAW files. They said there is not really a paper specific post processing need.

This bog fire is in the largest undeveloped urban area in North America. It's 4000 hectares. The largest bog in North america as well. Bought by the govt from private owners and preserved. Not really a park, just protected Crown land.

It's still burning of course and reeks of smoke all over Vancouver. The ash deposits are akin to the 1980 Mt. St. Helens eruption..

I'm pretty stoked.

[DwightMcCann]

I think you will be favored with that stench for months ... some bogs have been burning for years! You tend to learn a lot when your whole town stinks for a couple of months.

You did great with the paper! The events I've shot for the paper gave me a whomping $40USD for transport, shooting, post processing and emailing. I made less than minimum wage for the three or four events I covered.

[Keiffer]

Way to go Cos! That's awesome that your first crack at PJ worked out for you. Nice shots but where's the fire?

[jopfin]

Great pics Cos, well done. Congrats on your sale. BTW you just told them you were a freelancer and they let you behind the lines? Gotta try that one..................Joe

[SolPics]

Congrats on the pictures. I also like 2 and 4 the best.

[malla1962]

Nice move and nice shots.:D:D:D

[ghettoFOBulous]

I was soo gonna go down there and take photos myself. Good shots by the way. Is it in the Sun or the Province?

[cosworth]

Not sure. Canwest bought them and possibly used them in another city's paper. They also own canada.com

I did however have to email them to the Vancouver Sun's photo and graphics lab as well. Still waiting to see them in print!

[bikerider]

Congratulations on your first PJ outing, getting out there and producing images gets the money, well done.......good perspective on the images too.
Roger.

[kevin harding]

Congratulations, cosworth, from a neighbour from Port Coquitlam...

I think you've done great!

I'm going to have to try this one day :)

[phishhead_23]

What lenses did you use for the shots?

[cosworth]

70-200 F4 L. The wide angle shot (#1) was with the 15mm Sigma fishy.

[DimensionZero]

wow great shots!
I happened to stop by on the 2nd day on my way home from work.

Unfortunately, by that time, they were just finishing up and even though I got some shots they weren't any good and most were blurry.

[Spirit]

Excellent pics. I went over to the fire the other day but didn't get any good ones.

[FociBC]

That's awesome congrats