When I got the call for the shoot, I was immediately excited by the proposition. I’ve always loved huge group shots, especially when there’s time for setup and lighting, like this one.
My client wanted to created legacy photographs, to capture this time and place in the history of the firehall. There have been a lot of new hires over the recent years, so he wanted to pay respect to that history as it grows. He also wanted to pay homage to another photograph hanging on the wall, taken a few decades ago, that shows the previous group of firefighters.
My assistant and I had the full cooperation of the guys at the firehall. We maneuvered the truck just so, plotted out where the fellas would be, sprinkled the gear around, and placed out 5 lights to minimize reflections. Every job teaches me something technical, and this one was about controlling reflections.
In the end, we shot 4 teams, and delivered in both colour and black and white.
Jon and his team were contracted by our Fire Department to capture 4 Platoons at 126 members. The shoot was done over multiple days under some difficult lighting situations but their technical expertise, equipment and experience allowed them to deliver a product that far exceeded our expectations. We now have Platoon Photographs that will add to our already rich history of Firefighting and archives on the North Shore.Chad Laforet - Fire Hall No 4 DWV