27 Years of Service
1
02/09/25 4:30 PM
Sometimes I feel a struggle with doing street photography in Southern California. I look at other street photographers in New York or Los Angeles, and I notice that they find more interesting scenes when they are walking around. If we’re talking walkable cities, the suburbs of the Inland Empire and its surrounding areas are far from it.
So how can we find interesting subject material? Well here’s a little moment in one of my days that produced a beautiful set that I will never regret stopping for.
2 - Firefighter polishing the wheel well
3 - Observe the cracks in the paint
I was driving around Pomona and Claremont on a lazy Sunday afternoon, hitting a variety of thrift stores and enjoying the golden hour, when I sped past this fire engine being maintained. It immediately stood out to me; I had never seen a fire engine opened up like that. I drove maybe 5 minutes with the thought of this capture opportunity slipping through my hands before I whipped the car around.
So I find a place to park my car, and I walk up to the firefighter polishing the wheel well. “Sorry to bother you, but I noticed you guys maintaining the firetruck, and I had to stop to ask if I could take a few photos?”, was exactly what I said. He very kindly accepted, and I just told him to keep doing what he was doing.
4 - Hose neatly folded up for easy deployment
As I started snapping photos, he told me that the engine was in its 27th year of service. It struck me in a very interesting way. It made me look at the engine as if it were a member of the family at this particular station. And a professional’s gear really says a lot about their story. As a photographer, I love seeing small wear and tear accumulate on my gear, long as it’s perfectly functional still.
It’s like in Cars 2 when Mater offers his unique perspective on all the dinks and rust he’s gathered on his body. Each one is a story, something that speaks to his experiences. And to see all the gear so banged up after 27 years of deployments, saving lives and livelihoods, it made me want to document it that much more.
5 - Engine 186’s spa day
6 - Engine 186’s emblem
So to wrap things up, I think this little shoot taught me the importance of grabbing opportunities when you see them, don’t let them pass you by. If you’re walking on the street snapping photos, keep your camera ready. If you’re driving around running errands or looking for opportunities, don’t be afraid to take a little detour or pull over when you see something interesting. You never know what you’ll come out with.
And make sure you never leave your house without your camera. I don’t know if anyone other photographers have this curse, but the best moments always show themselves to me when I don’t have my camera. Or perhaps there are always moments around you to be captured. Go out and shoot!
7 - Fit check
If you’ve made it to the bottom, send me a message with your favorite film you’ve watched lately.
