With the annual FBU photo competition open to members’ entries until July 25, the professionals share their best photos and top tips for a winning shot
Jess Hurd
Best shot - above
There are occasions where I am working side-by-side with firefighters on the frontline, this was one of them. The London riots, which spread across the country in the summer of 2011, began in Tottenham. Riot police clashed with hundreds of local people after 29-year-old Mark Duggan, a father of four, was killed by police.
It was my birthday weekend, and I had received a call from a colleague about a car fire outside Tottenham police station and got a cab straight there. The night became a running battle with some very questionable policing.
The photo of Carpetright exploding was an image I waited for after liaising with firefighters who were dampening down the surrounding buildings to prevent the spread of the raging fire:, they told me the building would blow.
Top tip
I guess being at the right place at the right time is key to a good photo, and patience, which created an image that went around the world.
Paul Wood
Best shot
I chose this photo from thousands I have taken because it’s very different to most of my other shots. I wouldn’t normally attend this kind of incident, but I was nearby when I got tipped off.
Arriving soon after the crews, I parked down the road as I could see some activity as I approached and didn’t want to disturb the animal. I was greeted by officer Swallow, on Cuckoo Hall Lane, and told they were rescuing a parrot called ‘Jessie’ (well a MacCaw actually)....
The photo went viral worldwide.
Top tip
Try not to use a flash. There are too many reflective surfaces for it to bounce off, especially firefighting uniforms and appliances. Best to have a tripod or very steady hands!
Eddie Howland
Best shot
It was late afternoon during one of many field fires that broke out across the summer of 2019. I selected this photo because it captures the dramatic scene of firefighters working with their beaters to extinguish the flames.
Top tip
If using a DSLR camera, know your settings and , learn to shoot in manual, especially at night or in low light, as automatic mode often overexposes the photos and reduces their quality. Shooting in manual gives you more control over how the photo comes across – it gives you more artistic freedom.
Firefighter’s pick
Si Peck’s image of ALP training at the Humberside FRS Peaks Lane station in Grimsby was our competition winner in 2021. Judges appreciated the combination of a striking image with a clear depiction of firefighters at work. The lack of any terrestrial reference point and an almost surreal sky background ensured that it stood out from other entries.
Top tip: be wary of big licensing agencies undermining freelance professional photographers’ rates of pay. The National Union of Journalists represents photographers, with a guide to fair freelancer fees online.
