Newspaper shoot: The Great Chelsea Shopping Center Fire (5 May 2008).
Two weeks ago, I was sitting at home processing pictures when I heard sirens in Chelsea. Normally I don’t pay much attention to sirens in town, but this was different: there were more sirens than normal, and they just seemed to keep going. Eventually, when I remembered to turn on my cell phone, I found out what had happened: the Chelsea Shopping Center caught fire, and the fire was swift and dangerous enough to prompt several other area fire departments to respond. (Apparently it was a slow news day, too, because it also prompted the Detroit media to respond.) I wasn’t able to make it to the scene while the building was on fire, but I was able to get a few worthwhile shots of the damage.
The fire never broke through the roof, but smoke and water damaged seven businesses (one of which managed to reopen the next day!). The cause of the fire appears to have been an electrical malfunction.
Most importantly, nobody was injured.
Do you find it difficult to photograph scenes like this?
Not scenes like this, no. It might have been a bit difficult had there been serious injuries or deaths, but it was just a damaged building, so it wasn’t difficult. For the business owners it may have been a bit of a financial tragedy, but money and buildings don’t hold the same value as lives.
However, I can be affected by small-scale personal tragedies, so scenes like fatal car accidents would get to me — especially if there were distraught family members on site. The overwhelming emotions displayed by people at such tragedies make for the most moving pictures, so as a photographer, I’d be compelled to get those pictures. But it would be harder.
I should also note that if I were in such a situation, I would do my best to get my shots from a respectful distance, without interjecting myself into their grief; I don’t want to be one to value the pictures over the individuals. This post speaks to that idea:
http://burrillstrong.com/wordpress/?p=271