Broulee Bushfire 13092017 26
Sep, 2017Views
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Contest Finalist in Everything Smoke Photo Contest
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Absolute Masterpiece
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken near Broulee, South Coast, New South Wales, Australia in the hills over looking the coast line.Time
I was eating a late lunch on the beach at about mid afternoon when I spotted smoke from a bush fire flair up and get bigger and bigger several miles away. So I decided to see if I could get a look at it.Lighting
It was a beautiful sunny day and with the smoke covering the direct sun I chose to limit the shutter to 1/2500 in the hope of avoiding flare and try a silhouette aspect but with good detail as well. I'm only an amateur and still learning.Equipment
This was taken with a Nikon D5200 and an old second hand AF-S DX Nikkor 12-24mm G ED lens I bought on Ebay, hand held and quickly.Inspiration
Seeing the initial smoke from a distance get bigger and bigger sparked a thrill factor I think. I was never going to rush head first into a fire I have way to much experience to do that, but I wanted to find a viewing field where I could get a shot safely. I drove around a few places and was even directed elsewhere by fire marshal's. I eventually found another graded dirt road that seemed to be going in the right direction then found half a dozen fire trucks and crew on top of a ridge. The smoke was thick and the bush fire was a couple of ridges over to the west. The wind was howling and the fire was coming directly east. I said to the firemen " almost time to get out of here isn't it ? " He said " Yep ". So I took a few quick shots and departed post haste.Editing
I did some post processing but really only increased clarity and pumped up the colors a bit.In my camera bag
Being an amateur and of modest means all my lenses are second hand and Ebay acquired. I have a Nikkor 24-70mm for general use, Nikkor 12-24mm for wide angles, Nikkor 80-400mm for zoom and a Sigma 105mm for macro. I also use a set of $50.00 extension tubes in conjunction with my 24-70mm for some great in your face macro shots. I always have plenty of lens wipes, UV filters and ND filters, three spare batteries a $5.00 remote trigger and lots of hope.Feedback
I don't encourage anyone to go chasing fires and always factor in safety first. You cant enjoy that perfect photo six feet under. Ask directions and possible locations from emergency crews, follow all instructions, consider the wind and topography. I knew that the fire was far enough away and bounded by some high ridges as barriers (for the time being) but I kept an eye on the strong winds and didn't hang around to see the actual flames. That was not an option, even if it would have been a good shot.
