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Putting down the camera
Kenny Felt, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Pittsburg | KS | USA | Posted: 12:41 AM on 01.25.05 |
->> Friday I was out on assignment when I came across a burning building. Nobody was on scene except a guy who had been passing by. My first thought was to grab my camera and get great photos of the man working to save the truck that was sitting up against the burning building. (Nobody was home so he wasn't worried about anything but the nice truck that would likely catch fire within minutes.) Instead, I jumped out of my car and helped him out. I lost the chance to make photos of the man's heroism but did make a few that will run in Monday's paper (We don't publish on the weekend).
Since my editor hasn't yet seen the images I'm wondering what he'll say when he finds I put my job second. Has anyone dealt with this situation before? Editors, what would you say? |
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Jan Langsner, Photographer
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Lloydminster | AB | Canada | Posted: 1:21 AM on 01.25.05 |
->> I once responded to an ambulance stuck in the snow. I pulled up just as someone was starting to help push the vehicle. I thought I'd better help this person as the emergency lights on the ambulance had been initiated. I parked my vehicle grabbed my camera and on the way to the ambulance I was taking pictures. I probably would have been able to help 5-10 seconds earlier had I not been shooting, but the two of us got the ambulance out of the snow, the patient survived and I got the shot I needed, so all was well.
By the way, that town still does not plow their side streets. |
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Bruce Twitchell, Photographer, Student/Intern
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Lewiston | ID | USA | Posted: 1:22 AM on 01.25.05 |
->> Why does he have to find out?
As long as here were no people in danger because of the fire, you could always snap a couple of quick pics and then help. It doesn't have to be all or nothing on either, you can shoot and help. |
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Michael Proebsting, Photographer
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Barrington | IL | USA | Posted: 1:28 AM on 01.25.05 |
->> I'd say "Where the hell was Omar when I needed him."
JUST KIDDING. |
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Jonathan D. Woods, Student/Intern
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Bowling Green | KY | USA | Posted: 2:20 AM on 01.25.05 |
| ->> I think it all boils down to your duties as a person. If someone's life is in danger and the authorities aren't there to intervene, be the good samaratan and attempt to save a life. A nice truck would probably take a close second to my duty to make a picture. |
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Mike Ullery, Photographer
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Troy | OH | USA | Posted: 9:53 AM on 01.25.05 |
->> Kenny,
I agree with both helping and shooting. Your obligation as a person takes precidence over the need for a photograph, but most of the time, you can get away with both.
(And my 2 cents....Michael's post was not inappropriate. When a young man puts his personal life out there so candidly, some amusing comments are going to be made. Get a life!)
Ken, you did the right thing by helping out. Good job.
Mike |
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John Kavouris, Photographer
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Bartlett | IL | US | Posted: 10:49 AM on 01.25.05 |
| ->> Without a doubt if someone needed my help they would get it. No questions asked. |
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Peter Zuzga, Photographer
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New Berlin | WI | USA | Posted: 11:51 AM on 01.25.05 |
->> It's a personal call, but for me I'm a human before I'm a news photographer. If someone needs help and that requires putting my cameras down and missing a picture so be it.
If I were your editor Kenny I'd give you a pat on the back. |
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Marc F. Henning, Photographer
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Bentonville | AR | USA | Posted: 1:04 PM on 01.25.05 |
->> exactly. be a human first and a photographer second. put yourself in the shoes of someone needing immediate assistance and imagine the only person around to help is standing back taking your picture. not cool, not cool at all.
marc |
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Brian Davies, Photographer
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Eugene | OR | USA | Posted: 1:04 PM on 01.25.05 |
->> Kenny;
You did the right thing. Tell your editor what happened. Since nobody was injured, the best story to come from this is that two passersby stopped to help. That one of them is employeed by the newspaper ought to make your editor happy.
Brian |
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Steven E. Frischling, Photographer
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New England | | USA | Posted: 1:58 PM on 01.25.05 |
->> Kenny
You did the right thing.
My background is in EMS (now expired and out of state), on many occasions I have worked on patients awaiting the arrival of Fire/EMS. When I worked at a paper in VT there was a shortage of medical technicians, it seemed to happen pretty often I'd end up working on patients rather than shooting. Once the EMS crews were staffed I'd pick up my cameras and start to shoot.
I have my ethics as a journalist, but I know if my car was upside down and in the trees I'd want someone helping me if they could rather than shooting. If I was being helped, then I'd have no problem with someone shooting the accident.
I am a human first, then a news photog. |
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Tony Sirgedas, Photographer
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Eatonville | WA | USA | Posted: 2:11 PM on 01.25.05 |
->> You left out some important information........ was it a Ford or a Chevy?? Would make the choice clearer for some, of course a Dodge would be toast.
On the serious side, it's a personal choice that one needs to make from inside. Not being there to personally see what transpired makes it seem like an easy choice for some. If the choice you made was one you could live with, then it was a good choice for you.
I for one, would have made the same decision, maybe influenced by my career as a firefighter/EMT. But then my camera is always out and ready to fire........ could I have taken that 5 seconds to get a few shots? I won't know until the time arises. |
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Kenny Felt, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Pittsburg | KS | USA | Posted: 2:23 PM on 01.25.05 |
->> I believe it was a Chevy...but didn't pay too much attention. All I knew was that flames were so close to the truck that it caused the grill on the front to get really hot and it burnt my hand...and of course I got muddy. By the time I had my camera, the firefighters were there and not too excited about me getting close for shots. I made the mistake of not strapping my camera to my shoulder and instead left it in my car. I did get a few shots but nothing spectacular.
By the way, the editor didn't seem to care too much! |
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Patrick Murphy-Racey, Photographer
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Knoxville | TN | USA | Posted: 10:42 PM on 01.25.05 |
| ->> I'll chime in with the majority of the people responding... You are first and foremost, a member of the human race. This happened to me once a long time ago and I followed your course of action. I probably missed some great frames but I have no regrets. |
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Peter Zuzga, Photographer
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New Berlin | WI | USA | Posted: 11:19 PM on 01.25.05 |
->> I was around back then Pat. You did both and then some... and as I recall made a hell of a nice photograph after helping the fire department.
There are still a few of us around who remember... and are still inspired.
Peter |
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Steven Georges, Photographer
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Garden Grove | CA | USA | Posted: 1:02 PM on 01.27.05 |
->> OK, here is my general (and simplified) rule of thumb.
If you arrive at an accident and someone is lying in the street injured;
- If there is no one around as qualified as you to help that person then it is your job to put the camera down and save a life.
- If there is someone equally or more qualified than you around to save the life, then it is your job to step back and recored the event.
Besides, a photo of someone saving a life is a MUCH better that a photo of someone bleeding in the street. Sometimes the best photo doesn't happen till the paramedics arrive. And before the police arrive! :-)
Steve's rule of thumb #2.
If a staffer puts down his camera to save a life and another staffer from a competing publication arrives later and gets the photo, the competing publication should make the photo available to the competitor. Just professional courtesy. (and good public relations) This is especially true if the photo is of the PHOTOGRAPHER saving a life. |
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Dan Neri, Photographer
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Franklin Square | NY | USA | Posted: 5:51 PM on 01.27.05 |
->> Kenny,
I applaud you for helping. If my truck was about to be engulfed in flames, and someone rolled up and started shooting instead of helping, I'd be pissed.
Besides, you don't know if the truck owner has insurance on his vehicle, if it was his only vehicle, if it was a work truck, so you might hve helped him out more than you originally thought.
Good for you. |
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Daniel Bersak, Photographer
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Boston | MA | USA | Posted: 1:31 AM on 01.28.05 |
->> Hey-
Not to hijack the thread, but I have a related question. Most people seem to agree that if you can save a life you do, and if there are professional rescuers on scene, you take photos. Hypothetical*: what if you are at a scene where there is one bleeding trauma victim, and several uniformed, trained, on-duty emergency personnel who are choosing not to tend to the victim. Suppose they have instead elected to radio for an ambulance and do nothing until the ambulance arrives. Do you still help the victim, or do you document the lack of first aid?
--Dan
*Hypothetical, but adapted from a real-life scenario. |
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Liane Rebeka Harrison, Photographer
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Naperville | IL | USA | Posted: 2:05 AM on 01.28.05 |
->> Daniel, one would only hope that they did not attend to the victim because there was nothing they could do to help them. If that was not the situation, then I'm not sure? There was an interesting story today about negligence of emergency personnel.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6875358/?GT1=6065
What if you were the first one on a crime scene? Would you still take pictures even though you could be disrupting evidence? |
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Steven E. Frischling, Photographer
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New England | | USA | Posted: 2:19 AM on 01.28.05 |
->> Dan
When I lived in New York I arrived at an MVA pin job along with two cops. Neither cop was an EMT, both just had basic first aid, both cops knew I was a news photog, neither knew my night job was as EMT-D/CTC in the Bronx, and that I volunteered with a medical rescue unit (who spent 90% of their time doing highway rescue in Queens/Brooklyn).
Anyway, I refused to release my control of the patient until someone of equal or higher certification arrived. I was threatened with arrest for some made up charge ( I think it was being a non-qualified rescuer interfering with an MVA...they contested that since I arrived as a news photog I had no right to touch the victim). Anyway, it was sorted out quickly, while I still had control of the victim. Since I was in the car and the patient was pinned I missed most photos, not releasing the victim until he was secured to a KED and the roof was removed.
While I am a news photog, and my first duty is usually to make a photo (especially while under contract to a news outlet like I was at the time) I elected to become an EMT-D/CTC, and prefer to help if I can. 99% of the time when qualified medical personnel arrive I step back and grab my cameras.
Luckily I am very expired and out of state now. I can only operate within the guidelines of the Good Samaritan Laws, which is easier. |
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Liane Rebeka Harrison, Photographer
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Naperville | IL | USA | Posted: 2:45 AM on 01.28.05 |
->> Help me out here Steven.
An MVA is a motor vehicle accident, and a EMT-D/CTC
is a emergency medical technician -?/???
Oh, and what's a KED?
It's awsome you're able to help out. I was always told not to touch anything/ a victim becuase I will make things worse. Is that true?
Do you think it's a good idea to have some sort of medical training? I've questioned that for years. |
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Steven E. Frischling, Photographer
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New England | | USA | Posted: 2:55 AM on 01.28.05 |
->> Liane
MVA is motor vehicle accident
EMT-D/CTC is (New York State) Emergency Medical Technician - Defibrilator / Critical Trauma Care (NY has many variations on EMT, not always standardized county by county)
KED is Kendrick Extrication Device (ugly green thing)
If you know basic first aid, CPR, basic rescuer, advanced medical, etc etc, it will help the victim. If the victim is bleeding apply pressure to the wound. If the victim is on the ground and you do not know how to stabilize their neck speak to them calmly and tell them not to move.
You can make it worse, but you can also help make it better.
Personally I think everyone should know basic first aid and CPR. Everyone should carry a basic first aid kit with them in their car, if they know CPR they should have a CPR mask in that first aid kit (keeps the victim from vomiting in your mouth....I had it happen once, yes it is VERY disgusting).
In your camera bag keep a pair of medical gloves, a box of 100 is around $4, also great for doing this dishes and changing your oil. The gloves take up virtually no room. |
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Steven E. Frischling, Photographer
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New England | | USA | Posted: 2:56 AM on 01.28.05 |
->> PS:
Dan is a current certified Massachusetts EMT, MIT Grad Geek, Good Photog, Red Sox Fan, Has Dual Citizenship and All Around Nice Guy.....what a combo! |
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Steven E. Frischling, Photographer
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New England | | USA | Posted: 3:09 AM on 01.28.05 |
->> PPS: Looks like New York no longer offers the "CTC" classification. Now CTC has been streamlined into the more commonly accepted CC (Critical Care), which is also known as an EMT-III
Confusing, eh?
Also, The "National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians" is not accepted by all states. Nice to know a national system only is accepted by about 30 states (if my memory serves me correctly). |
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Daniel Bersak, Photographer
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Boston | MA | USA | Posted: 3:48 PM on 01.28.05 |
->> Steve-
Thanks for the endorsement. :-) The national EMS system is nuts. I'm an EMT in MA, and my sister is National Registry in RI. We can't work in each others' states without lots of paperwork and testing. What a pain.
Liane-
In my example (at least in the real-life version), I don't know why the responders (police officers) chose not to tend to the victim. There were at least 10 officers within a 30 foot radius, and nobody did anything. Two officers physically prevented me from helping as well. I'm assuming it's because I had the big ugly MA "News Photographer" credential around my neck and they saw me taking photos (they probably thought I was scamming for a better angle). They wouldn't look at my certification (I keep it in my wallet), and after a few minutes of yelling the ambulance showed up.
--Dan |
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Derek Pearson, Photographer
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Tumwater | WA | USA | Posted: 1:10 AM on 01.29.05 |
| ->> Doesnt seem like much of a question. If your boss got upset because you snapped a photo rather than save a life/help a person in need I think it would be time to start looking for a new job... |
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